Fundamental group (${\pi }_1(X,x_0)$)

The fundamental group ${\pi }_1(X,x_0)$ consists of based loops modulo based homotopy, with multiplication induced by concatenation.

Every finitely presented group is the fundamental group of a closed connected smooth manifold in dimension at least four. Build a compact zero/one/two-handle manifold $W$ with the generators and relators of the presentation. Disjoint attaching loops can be embedded in its boundary of dimension at least three. The Seifert-van Kampen theorem gives ${\pi }_1(W)=T$, and the dual relative handle structure makes ${\pi }_1(\partial W)\to T$ surjective. Doubling $W$ along its boundary gives the amalgam of two copies of $T$ along that same surjection, which is again $T$. This construction underlies binary families of nonhomeomorphic Sunada quotients.

A simply connected space is path connected and has trivial fundamental group: every closed loop contracts to a point. The three-sphere is simply connected, whereas Real projective space ${\mathbb{RP}}^3$ has fundamental group ${\mathbb{Z}}_2$.

The fundamental group of a bouquet of $r$ circles is the free group on $r$ generators, represented by the oriented circles. For finite $r$, iterated Seifert-van Kampen theorem proves the claim by attaching one circle at a time. Nontrivial reduced words in a free group distinguish based loops, while free homotopy classes correspond to conjugacy classes.

Let $u$ be a path from $x_0$ to $x_1$. Traversing paths from left to right gives an isomorphismConcatenation and cancellation of a path with its reverse prove the homomorphism property and show that $\bar{u}$ supplies its inverse. A different connecting path changes this isomorphism by an inner automorphism, so it need not be canonical.

Concatenating two based homotopies proves that loop concatenation depends only on based-homotopy classes. Endpoint-fixing reparametrizations provide associativity and the identity laws on classes.

A continuous based map $f:(X,x_0)\to (Y,y_0)$ induces a homomorphism $f_{\ast }:{\pi }_1(X,x_0)\to {\pi }_1(Y,y_0)$ by composition of loops with $f$.

For a suitably path-connected open cover $X=U\cup V$, the fundamental group of $X$ is the pushout of the homomorphisms from ${\pi }_1(U\cap V)$ to ${\pi }_1(U)$ and ${\pi }_1(V)$.

Forthe Seifert-van Kampen theorem gives

Given homomorphisms $i_A:C\to A$ and $i_B:C\to B$, the amalgamated free product $A{\ast }_{C}B$ comes with homomorphisms from $A$ and $B$ that agree on $C$. It is universal with this property: every compatible pair of homomorphisms $A\to H$ and $B\to H$ factors uniquely through $A{\ast }_{C}B$.

The free product $A\ast B$ is the amalgamated free product over the trivial group. Its nonidentity elements have unique reduced alternating normal forms.

Given group homomorphisms $f_A:A\to H$ and $f_B:B\to H$, there is exactly one group homomorphism $A\ast B\to H$ extending both. Its value on an alternating normal form is the product of the factor-map values. Thus the free product is the coproduct in the category of groups.

A free product $A\ast B$ is nontrivial as a splitting when both factors differ from the trivial group. Alternating words $(ab{)}^r$ with $a,b\ne 1$ in different factors show that every such splitting gives an infinite group. The distinct normal forms $ab$ and $ba$ also show that the group is not an abelian group.

For nontrivial groups $A,B$, the Cayley graph of $A\ast B$ with $S=(A\setminus \{1\})\cup (B\setminus \{1\})$ has the edges of the Bass-Serre tree as its vertices. Two such vertices are adjacent exactly when the tree edges share an endpoint. Mapping each group element to its tree-edge midpoint is an isometry on the vertex metrics and has image within distance $1/2$ of every tree point, hence gives a quasi-isometry of metric graphs. The normal form theorem for a free product identifies $|g{|}_S$ with reduced syllable length. The factor subgroups have diameter one in this metric.

Every element of a free product $G\ast H$ has a unique expression $u_1\cdots u_n$ in which each $u_i$ is a nonidentity element of one factor and adjacent syllables belong to different factors. The identity corresponds to the empty word.

A syllable is a nonidentity element of one factor in a free product word. A reduced normal form has successive syllables in different factors; its syllable length is the number of these elements. This length records factor elements, rather than letters in a chosen generating set.

If $X=U_1\cup U_2$, the sets $U_1,U_2$, and their intersection are path-connected, and the base point lies in the intersection, then ${\pi }_1(X)$ is generated by the images of ${\pi }_1(U_1)$ and ${\pi }_1(U_2)$. Subdivide each loop into arcs lying in cover members and join every transition point to the base point within the intersection; the inserted paths telescope.

A Möbius band retracts to its core circle, and its boundary wraps twice around the core. Attaching it to $X$ along a loop representing $w\in {\pi }_1(X)$ therefore adjoins a generator $x$ with relation $x^2=w$.

Attach Möbius bands to a torus along the classes $ab$ and $a^2{b}^3$. If their core generators are $x,y$, the resulting presentation isBecause the exponent vectors $(1,1)$ and $(2,3)$ form a unimodular basis of ${\mathbb{Z}}^2$, eliminating $a,b$ givesThis group maps onto $S_3$ by $x\mapsto (12)$ and $y\mapsto (23)$, so it is nonabelian.

Attaching a disc to $X$ along a based loop $\alpha$ kills precisely the normal closure of its homotopy class:

A group presentation gives a two-dimensional cell complex with one vertex, one oriented loop for each generator, and one 2-cell attached along each relator. Its fundamental group is the presented group.

Attach three 2-cells to $S^1\vee S^1$ along loops representing $a^2$, $b^3$, and $(ab{)}^2$. The resulting group isIndeed, $a\mapsto (12)$ and $b\mapsto (123)$ gives a surjection to $S_3$, while $aba=b^{-1}$ reduces every word to one of $b^i$ or $a{b}^i$, so the presented group has at most six elements.

For the closed orientable surface of genus $g$,In particular, the sphere has trivial fundamental group and the torus has fundamental group ${\mathbb{Z}}^2$.