Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2026/ii/paper-2/11i/c/solution

If no obeyed , the loops and could be joined without crossing zero by the straight-line homotopy, so they would have equal winding number. The first has winding . Since extends over the disc, it is null-homotopic and has winding ; multiplication by does not change it. This contradicts .

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