Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2020 ii Paper 1 21F b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
Let . If , then , sodefines a continuous map on . Since , the integral general linear group contains as another integer matrix, and is the inverse of . Hence is a homeomorphism, and .
The map is the lift of fixing the origin. A loop whose lift ends at is sent to a loop whose lift ends at . Under the isomorphism in part (a), the induced map is thereforeThis is precisely the integral linear automorphism of the torus associated with .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2020 ii Paper 1 21F c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
Choose . By the classification of connected covering spaces and the degree of a connected covering, each cover corresponds to an index-two subgroupAn index-two subgroup is the kernel of a nonzero homomorphism . There are three:The group acts transitively on the three nonzero linear functionals on , and its elementary matrices lift to the integral general linear group. Hence there is such that
Take . Since , the lifting criterion for a covering space gives a based liftsuch thatApplying the same argument to gives a lift in the reverse direction. The composites are based lifts of the appropriate identity maps; uniqueness of based lifts makes them identities. Thus and are homeomorphisms, and the required square commutes. This proves the equivalence of connected double covers of the torus.