Paper 1, Section II, F

Algebraic Topology
Part II, 2019

In this question, XX and YY are path-connected, locally simply connected spaces.

(a) Let f:YXf: Y \rightarrow X be a continuous map, and X^\widehat{X}a path-connected covering space of XX. State and prove a uniqueness statement for lifts of ff to X^\widehat{X}.

(b) Let p:X^Xp: \widehat{X} \rightarrow X be a covering map. A covering transformation of pp is a homeomorphism ϕ:X^X^\phi: \widehat{X} \rightarrow \widehat{X}such that pϕ=pp \circ \phi=p. For each integer n3n \geqslant 3, give an example of a space XX and an nn-sheeted covering map pn:X^nXp_{n}: \widehat{X}_{n} \rightarrow X such that the only covering transformation of pnp_{n} is the identity map. Justify your answer. [Hint: Take XX to be a wedge of two circles.]

(c) Is there a space XX and a 2-sheeted covering map p2:X^2Xp_{2}: \widehat{X}_{2} \rightarrow X for which the only covering transformation of p2p_{2} is the identity? Justify your answer briefly.