# Pullback of homotopy equivalence along fibration is homotopy equivalence

If $p:E_0\rightarrow B_0$ is a fibration, $f:B\rightarrow B_0$ is a homotopy equivalence, then by pullback we get maps $\text{pr}_2:E:=B\times_{B_0}E_0 \rightarrow E_0$ and $\text{pr}_1:E:=B\times_{B_0}E_0 \rightarrow B$. It is well-known that $\text{pr}_1$ must be a fibration. I wish to prove $\text{pr}_2$ is a homotopy equivalence.

I have constructed a map $\ell$ which I suspect to be its homotopy inverse. Unfortunately, when I try to construct a homotopy $\ell \circ \text{pr}_2 \simeq \text{id}_E$, I can only do so "coordinate-wise", i.e. we have $\text{pr}_1 \circ \ell \circ \text{pr}_2 \simeq \text{pr}_1$ and $\text{pr}_2 \circ \ell \circ \text{pr}_2 \simeq \text{pr}_2$. However, these are not enough to prove $\ell \circ \text{pr}_2 \simeq \text{id}_E$ since the resulting homotopy $h:I \times E \rightarrow B \times E_0 \supset E$ might not stay at all times inside $E$ (even though it does stay inside $E$ at times $0$ and $1$).

This is lemma 2.1 in this link: http://www.math.uiuc.edu/~franklan/Math527_0308.pdf But they leave it as an exercise to the reader, although unfortunately I have failed to prove it.

Would anyone have any hints? Thanks!

• See math.stackexchange.com/questions/38232/… The dual of the therem merntioneed there is a gluing theorem for homotopy equivalences available in "Topology and Groupoids" 7,5.7 groupoids.org.uk/topgpds.html – Ronnie Brown Mar 7 '17 at 10:19
• Ronnie, is this the easiest way to prove the result? I must admit the paper is really challenging, I'm reading through it. – Juan Carlos Ortiz Mar 7 '17 at 17:25
• I find the dual result for cofibrations and pushouts easier to "see". You can find this in Chapter 7 of "Topology and Groupoids" downloadable from my web page. Maybe 7.4.2 (Addendum) on the homotopies involved shows why the result is not so easy. . – Ronnie Brown Mar 8 '17 at 17:07