Basically it is a larger space such that there exists a surjection from the large space onto the smaller space, while still being compatible with the topology of the small space.
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In topology, a **covering space** is a topological space that "covers" another space in a specific, structured way. Formally, a covering space \( \tilde{X} \) of a space \( X \) is a space that satisfies the following conditions: 1. **Projection**: There is a continuous surjective map (called the covering map) \( p: \tilde{X} \to X \).