Paper 1, Section II, F

Algebraic Topology
Part II, 2014

Define what it means for a map p:X~Xp: \widetilde{X} \rightarrow X to be a covering space. State the homotopy lifting lemma.

Let p:(X~,x~0)(X,x0)p:\left(\tilde{X}, \tilde{x}_{0}\right) \rightarrow\left(X, x_{0}\right) be a based covering space and let f:(Y,y0)(X,x0)f:\left(Y, y_{0}\right) \rightarrow\left(X, x_{0}\right) be a based map from a path-connected and locally path-connected space. Show that there is a based lift f~:(Y,y0)(X~,x~0)\tilde{f}:\left(Y, y_{0}\right) \rightarrow\left(\tilde{X}, \tilde{x}_{0}\right) of ff if and only if f(π1(Y,y0))p(π1(X~,x~0))f_{*}\left(\pi_{1}\left(Y, y_{0}\right)\right) \subseteq p_{*}\left(\pi_{1}\left(\widetilde{X}, \tilde{x}_{0}\right)\right).