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Use integral homology throughout. The singular chain group $C_k(X)$ is free on the continuous maps from the standard $k$-simplex to $X$. Since the boundary operator preserves chains lying in $A$, these form a chain subcomplex. The relative chain complex and its relative homology areThe short exact sequence of chain complexes gives the long exact sequence in relative homology.

A sufficient hypothesis for the quotient comparison is a nonempty good pair: $A$ is closed and has an open neighbourhood $U$ which admits a deformation retraction onto $A$ while fixing $A$ throughout. A CW pair is another standard sufficient setting. These hypotheses hold for a simple closed curve in the surface here, using its annular collar neighbourhood. The induced quotient map $q:X\to Y=X/A$ collapses $A$ to a point $a$.

Here is the proof of the collapsing a pair theorem. Put $V=U/A\subset Y$. The deformation retraction makes $H_{\ast }(U,A)=0$, so the long exact sequence of the triple gives $H_{\ast }(X,A)\cong H_{\ast }(X,U)$. It also contracts $V$ onto $a$, giving $H_{\ast }(Y,\{a\})\cong H_{\ast }(Y,V)$. Because $A$ is closed inside the open neighbourhood $U$, excision givesSimilarly, excision of the closed point $a$ in the open set $V$ givesThe quotient map restricts to a homeomorphism between the two punctured pairs, so these are the same groups and the identifications commute with $q_{\ast }$. Finally $H_{\ast }(Y,\{a\})\cong {\tilde{H}}_{\ast }(Y)$, including degree zero. ThusThe neighbourhood condition is part of the result; the quotient assertion is not made for arbitrary bad pairs.

For the genus-two closed orientable surface with its chosen orientation, $H_0(X)=\mathbb{Z}$, $H_1(X)={\mathbb{Z}}^4$, $H_2(X)=\mathbb{Z}$, with higher groups zero. The curve has $H_0(A)=H_1(A)=\mathbb{Z}$. Its relevant long exact sequence in relative homology isThe final map is an isomorphism because both spaces are connected. Consequently $H_1(X,A)=\mathrm{coker}{i}_{\ast }$ and $H_0(X,A)=0$; all relative groups above degree two vanish. The quotient topological space is connected, so its unreduced $H_0$ is $\mathbb{Z}$.

In the separating case, the curve is the oriented boundary of one of the two subsurfaces. Its homology class in $X$ is therefore zero, so $i_{\ast }=0$. The exact sequence becomesThe first sequence splits since its quotient is a free abelian group. Hence the homology after collapsing a separating surface curve isGeometrically, collapsing the boundary of each once-punctured torus fills its puncture with a cone on the circle, which is a disk. The quotient is a wedge sum of two tori at the collapsed point. Their two independent fundamental classes explain the extra second-homology generator.

In the nonseparating case, join the two new boundary components of the cut surface by an arc. Upon regluing, this supplies a closed curve meeting $A$ once transversely. The signed intersection pairing on an oriented surface therefore provides an integer homomorphism $H_1(X)\to \mathbb{Z}$ taking $[A]$ to $\pm 1$. Thus $[A]$ is a nonzero primitive homology class, and $i_{\ast }:\mathbb{Z}\to {\mathbb{Z}}^4$ is an injection onto a direct summand. Its kernel is zero and its cokernel is ${\mathbb{Z}}^3$. The same exact sequence gives $H_2(X,A)\cong H_2(X)\cong \mathbb{Z}$. Therefore the homology after collapsing a nonseparating surface curve isAnother description starts from the genus-one surface with two boundary circles. Collapse those two circles separately to obtain a closed torus with two marked points, then identify the two points. Identifying two distinct points in a connected CW complex adds a loop up to homotopy, so this quotient has the homotopy type of $T^2\vee S^1$. The preceding relative homology calculation proves the groups without requiring that homotopy description.

The long exact sequence in homology of the triple $A\subseteq U\subseteq X$ containsBecause $A\hookrightarrow U$ is a homotopy equivalence, $H_{\ast }(U,A)=0$. Hence the middle map is an isomorphism in every degree:

The Excision theorem says that if $Z\subseteq A\subseteq X$ and $\overline{Z}\subseteq \mathrm{int}A$, then inclusion inducesA good pair $(X,A)$ has $A$ closed and a neighborhood $U$ that deformation retracts onto $A$. The collapsing a pair theorem states that the quotient map givesTo prove it, choose such a neighborhood $U$. The first result identifies $H_{\ast }(X,A)$ with $H_{\ast }(X,U)$. Excision identifies the latter with $H_{\ast }(X/A,U/A)$, while $U/A$ is contractible because the deformation retraction can be chosen relative to $A$ using the homotopy extension property. The long exact sequence of the pair $(X/A,U/A)$ then identifies this relative group with ${\tilde{H}}_{\ast }(X/A)$.

For $f:(D^n,\partial D^n)\to (D^n,\partial D^n)$, define $\mathrm{deg}f$ byin $H_n(D^n,\partial D^n;\mathbb{Z})\cong \mathbb{Z}$. In the long exact sequence of the pair, the connecting homomorphismis an isomorphism. Naturality shows that $f_{\ast }$ and $(f{|}_{\partial D^n}{)}_{\ast }$ multiply the corresponding generators by the same integer, so

Finally,Under this identification, the map induced by $g(x,t)=(f(x),t)$ is the suspension of the map induced by $f$. By degree under suspension,This argument proves the needed product assertion directly from the natural suspension isomorphism in reduced homology.