Fundamental Group - Relationship To First Homology Group

Relationship To First Homology Group

The fundamental groups of a topological space X are related to its first singular homology group, because a loop is also a singular 1-cycle. Mapping the homotopy class of each loop at a base point x0 to the homology class of the loop gives a homomorphism from the fundamental group π1(X, x0) to the homology group H1(X). If X is path-connected, then this homomorphism is surjective and its kernel is the commutator subgroup of π1(X, x0), and H1(X) is therefore isomorphic to the abelianization of π1(X, x0). This is a special case of the Hurewicz theorem of algebraic topology.

Read more about this topic:  Fundamental Group

Famous quotes containing the words relationship and/or group:

    Henry David Thoreau, who never earned much of a living or sustained a relationship with any woman that wasn’t brotherly—who lived mostly under his parents’ roof ... who advocated one day’s work and six days “off” as the weekly round and was considered a bit of a fool in his hometown ... is probably the American writer who tells us best how to live comfortably with our most constant companion, ourselves.
    Edward Hoagland (b. 1932)

    Jury—A group of twelve men who, having lied to the judge about their hearing, health, and business engagements, have failed to fool him.
    —H.L. (Henry Lewis)