let S be a finite set with say n elements. Give it the discrete topology, Now what can we say about its fundamental group? Atleast can we determine the fundamental group of a set with two elements? Thanks
Tell me more
×
Mathematics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for
people studying math at any level and professionals in related fields. It's 100% free, no registration required.
|
Such a space is not path-connected, so you have to keep track of the basepoint. Each path-connected component is trivially contractible (it consists only of one point). The fundamental group is trivial for each component. You don't need the finiteness of $S$. |
|||||
|
|
You need to choose a base point both in $S^1$ and $S$. Since $S^1$ is connected, it must be mapped to this base point entirely. Hence there is only one base-point preserving loop in $S$, and thus the fundamental group is trivial. This applies to any set with the discrete topology, no matter if it is finite or not. |
|||||||||||||
|