Mid term Exam for M304, Topology

Fall 2021
Time: Two and half hours (from 10 am to 12:30 pm)
Maximum Score: 60

Instructions:

1. Please write clearly.

2. Your marks will be calculated as follows. There are two sections. Section one contains 6 questions,
while section two contains 4 questions. You may attempt all the questions if you wish. The maximum
score you can get from section one is 20. The maximum score you can get from section two is 50. After
that, the scores from section one and two will be added. The maximum score you can get in the mid
semester exam is 60. For example, suppose you attempt questions in section one worth 25 marks and
do them correctly. Your score for section one will be 20. If you attempt questions worth 15 marks
in section one correctly, your score from section one will be 15. Your score from section two will be
computed similarly. Now suppose you get 20 marks from section one and 45 marks from section two.
Your total score will be 60. But suppose you get 20 marks from section one and 35 marks from section
two, your total score will be 55. Any extra marks that you may get will not be used in any way to
compensate for your homework or final exam scores.
3. You are free to consult any resources at your disposal (books, internet, video lectures etc). You are
also free to discuss among yourselves (or ask anyone other than me for help).
4. I will be online during the exam. If you need any clarification, you can ask me. It is however, not
necessary for you to be online. All you need to do is submit the exam manuscript via google classroom
on time. No submissions will be accepted after 12:30 pm.
5. After I have finished checking your answer script, I will speak with each of you in person (at a time to
be decided later, which is convenient for both of us). I may ask you to explain some of your solutions.
If you have a correctly written solution, but are unable to explain to me what you have written, I may
deduct points (infact I may even give you zero).

6. Your marks can only decrease after the discussion; they can not increase. If you have a poorly written
or incorrect solution, but are able to explain to me in person the correct thing, your marks will not
increase.
7. You can use any standard fact that I have taught in class or that is stated in the first part of Munkres’s
book. However, it is necessary that you state the facts clearly.

8. No facts from Algebraic Topology can be used.

9. Good luck with your exam.

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You may assume the following facts without proving them.
Theorem 1. The space S n minus a point is homeomorphic to Rn . Here n is a positive integer.
Theorem 2. The space Rn minus a finite set of points is path connected. Here n is an integer greater than
one.

Theorem 3. The spaces S n and Rn are path connected. Here n is a positive integer.
Theorem 4. Let us define D to be the closed disc in R2 , namely

D := {(x, y) ∈ R2 : x2 + y 2 ≤ 1}.

We also define ∂D (which is called the boundary of the disc) as

∂D := {(x, y) ∈ R2 : x2 + y 2 = 1}.

We define Int(D) to be D minus ∂D, i.e.

Int(D) := {(x, y) ∈ R2 : x2 + y 2 < 1}.

We also recall that the two sphere S 2 is defined as

S 2 := {(x, y, z) ∈ R3 : x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1}.

Let p := (0, 0, 1) ∈ S 2 (this point p is often called the north pole of S 2 ). Then, there exists a continuous
map f : D −→ S 2 with the following properties. First of all, the boundary ∂D gets mapped to p. Secondly, f
maps Int(D) homeomorphically to S 2 − p, i.e., the map

f : Int(D) −→ S 2 − p

is a homeomorphism.

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Section one

There are 6 questions in this section. You may attempt all the questions if you wish. The maximum score
you can get from section one is 20.
1. Show that S 1 is not homeomorphic to S 2 . (5 points).

Remark: You are only allowed to use the stuff that has been taught in class (namely part one of
Munkres). If you use any fact about fundamental group, higher homotopy groups or homology, you will
get zero.
2. Let X and Y be topological spaces. Let b ∈ Y be any point in Y . Consider the map

f : X −→ X × Y, given by f (x) := (x, b).

Show that f is continuous. (5 points).

3. Is it possible to find a continuous surjective map f : [0, 1] −→ (0, 1)? Justify your answer. (2 points).

4. Is it possible to find a continuous surjective map f : (0, 1) −→ [0, 1]? Justify your answer. (5 points).

5. Consider the space l2 (N), with the usual l2 metric. Show that a closed and bounded subset of l2 (N) is
not necessarily compact. Justify your answer. (5 points).

Remark: Refer to homework two if you are not sure what is the space l2 (N) and the metric.

6. Prove that the composition of two quotient maps is a quotient map. (3 points).

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Section two
There are 4 questions. You may attempt all the questions if you wish. The maximum score you can get
from section two is 50.
1. Let π : S 2 −→ RP2 be the standard projection map from the sphere to the projective space. Is it possible
to find a continuous map f : RP2 −→ S 2 , such that π ◦ f = idRP2 ? Here idRP2 : RP2 −→ RP2 denotes
the identity map of RP2 . Justify your answer. (30 points).

Remark: You are only allowed to use the stuff that has been taught in class (namely part one of
Munkres). If you use any fact about fundamental group, higher homotopy groups or homology, you will
get zero.

2. Let X be the following quotient space:

 
X := C2 − 0 / ∼, where (z1 , z2 ) ∼ (2z1 , 2z2 ).

Show that X is homeomorphic to S 1 × S 3 . (20 points).

Hint: Consider the map ϕ : R × S 3 −→ C2 − 0, given by

ϕ(t, z1 , z2 ) := 2t (z1 , z2 ).
You can use the fact that the map ϕ is a quotient map (you do not need to prove it).

3. Let us define D to be the closed disc in R2 , namely

D := {(x, y) ∈ R2 : x2 + y 2 ≤ 1}.
We also define ∂D (which is called the boundary of the disc) as
∂D := {(x, y) ∈ R2 : x2 + y 2 = 1}.
Let us define the topological space X as the quotient space D, with all the points of ∂D identified to a
single point. More precisely, we define
X := D/ ∼, where x∼y if x, y ∈ ∂D.
Show that X is homeomorphic to S 2 . (15 points).

4. Recall that S 1 is homeomorphic to the space [0, 1] with the end points 0 and 1 identified. Let
f : [0, 1] −→ R
be a function, such that
f (0) = f (1).
Notice that this f induces a well defined function g : S 1 −→ R in the following way. An element of
S 1 can be denoted as an equivalence class [x], where x ∈ [0, 1] and the square bracket [x] denotes its
corresponding equivalence class in S 1 . If x is different from 0 or 1, then we define g([x]) to be equal to
f (x). If x = 0 (or if x = 1), then we define g([x]) to be equal to f (0). Notice that this is well defined,
since f (0) = f (1). Show that g is continuous if and only if f is continuous. (10 points).

Remark: There are two things to show here. You have to show that if f is continuous then so is g. You
also have have to show that if g is continuous, then so is f . You will get five points for proving each of
the assertions correctly.

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