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Viewing Version 5 of 'Example of a space that is not se f a space that is not semilocally simply connected'
[ view 'Example of a space that is not se f a space that is not semilocally simply connected' | back to history ]

Title of object: Example of a space that is not se f a space that is not semilocally simply connected
Canonical Name: ExampleOfASpaceThatIsNotSemilocallySimplyConnected
Type: Example

Created on: 2003-02-04 18:20:59.61012-05
Modified on: 2003-02-05 15:57:00.530079-05

Creator: Dr_Absentius
Modifier: Dr_Absentius
Author: Dr_Absentius

Classification: msc:54D05, msc:57M10
Defines: Hawaiian rings, Hawaiian earrings

Revision comment (for changes between this and next version):

Changes for correction #1576 ('spelling'). met

Preamble:

\documentclass{amsart}
\usepackage{amsmath}
%\usepackage[all,poly,knot,dvips]{xy}
\usepackage{pstricks,pst-poly,pst-node,pstcol}
\usepackage{amssymb,latexsym}
\usepackage{amsthm,latexsym}
\usepackage{eucal,latexsym}
% THEOREM Environments --------------------------------------------------
\newtheorem{thm}{Theorem}
\newtheorem*{mainthm}{Main~Theorem}
\newtheorem{cor}[thm]{Corollary}
\newtheorem{lem}[thm]{Lemma}
\newtheorem{prop}[thm]{Proposition}
\newtheorem{claim}[thm]{Claim}
\theoremstyle{definition}
\newtheorem{defn}[thm]{Definition}
\theoremstyle{remark}
\newtheorem{rem}[thm]{Remark}
\numberwithin{equation}{subsection}
%--------------------- Greek letters, etc -------------------------
\newcommand{\CA}{\mathcal{A}}
\newcommand{\CC}{\mathcal{C}}
\newcommand{\CM}{\mathcal{M}}
\newcommand{\CP}{\mathcal{P}}
\newcommand{\CS}{\mathcal{S}}
\newcommand{\BC}{\mathbb{C}}
\newcommand{\BN}{\mathbb{N}}
\newcommand{\BR}{\mathbb{R}}
\newcommand{\BZ}{\mathbb{Z}}
\newcommand{\FF}{\mathfrak{F}}
\newcommand{\FL}{\mathfrak{L}}
\newcommand{\FM}{\mathfrak{M}}
\newcommand{\Ga}{\alpha}
\newcommand{\Gb}{\beta}
\newcommand{\Gg}{\gamma}
\newcommand{\GG}{\Gamma}
\newcommand{\Gd}{\delta}
\newcommand{\GD}{\Delta}
\newcommand{\Ge}{\varepsilon}
\newcommand{\Gz}{\zeta}
\newcommand{\Gh}{\eta}
\newcommand{\Gq}{\theta}
\newcommand{\GQ}{\Theta}
\newcommand{\Gi}{\iota}
\newcommand{\Gk}{\kappa}
\newcommand{\Gl}{\lambda}
\newcommand{\GL}{\Lamda}
\newcommand{\Gm}{\mu}
\newcommand{\Gn}{\nu}
\newcommand{\Gx}{\xi}
\newcommand{\GX}{\Xi}
\newcommand{\Gp}{\pi}
\newcommand{\GP}{\Pi}
\newcommand{\Gr}{\rho}
\newcommand{\Gs}{\sigma}
\newcommand{\GS}{\Sigma}
\newcommand{\Gt}{\tau}
\newcommand{\Gu}{\upsilon}
\newcommand{\GU}{\Upsilon}
\newcommand{\Gf}{\varphi}
\newcommand{\GF}{\Phi}
\newcommand{\Gc}{\chi}
\newcommand{\Gy}{\psi}
\newcommand{\GY}{\Psi}
\newcommand{\Gw}{\omega}
\newcommand{\GW}{\Omega}
\newcommand{\Gee}{\epsilon}
\newcommand{\Gpp}{\varpi}
\newcommand{\Grr}{\varrho}
\newcommand{\Gff}{\phi}
\newcommand{\Gss}{\varsigma}
\def\co{\colon\thinspace}
Content:

An example of a space that is \emph{not} semilocally simply connected is
the following: Let
$$HR=\bigcup_{n\in\BN}\left\{(x,y)\in \BR^2\,|\,(x-\frac{1}{2^n})^2+y^2=
\left(\frac{1}{2^n}\right)^2\right\}$$
endowed with the subspace topology. Then $(0,0)$ has no simply connected
neighborhood. Indeed every neighborhood of $(0,0)$ contains (ever diminshing)
non homotopically trivial loops. Furthermore these loops are homotopically non trivial even when considered as loops in $HR$.
\begin{figure*}[htbp]
\centering
\begin{pspicture}(0,-2)(4,3)
\pscircle(2,0){2}
\pscircle(1,0){1}
\pscircle(.5,0){.5}
\pscircle(.25,0){.25}
\pscircle(.125,0){.125}
\pscircle(.625,0){.625}
\pscircle(0.015625,0){0.015625}
\end{pspicture}
\caption{The Hawaiian rings}
\end{figure*}
It is essential in this example that $HR$ is endowed with the topolpogy
induced by its inclusion in the plane. In contrast, the same set endowed with
the CW topology is just a bouquet of countably many circles and (as any CW
complex) it is semilocaly simply connected.