Let . If , then , so
defines 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 therefore
This is precisely the integral linear automorphism of the torus associated with .
Choose . By the classification of connected covering spaces and the degree of a connected covering, each cover corresponds to an index-two subgroup
An 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 lift
such that
Applying 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.