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The indiscrete topology on a set $X$ has only the empty set and the whole set as open sets. When $X$ has more than one point it is not a Hausdorff space. For example the quotient topology on $\mathbb{R}/\mathbb{Q}$ is indiscrete: a nonempty open saturated subset contains an interval and all its rational translates, which cover $\mathbb{R}$.

The displayed metric on antipodal classes of the unit sphere induces its quotient topology. Triangle inequality follows by choosing the signs that realize each minimum and applying the Euclidean triangle inequality. Distinct classes have disjoint saturated unions of small balls, proving the quotient is Hausdorff; compactness follows from the continuous quotient map.

The quotient map $q:S^2\to X$ is continuous and surjective by the quotient topology, so $X$ is compact as a continuous image of a compact space. To prove the Hausdorff property explicitly, let $[u]\ne [v]$ and set $d=\min (\Vert u-v\Vert ,\Vert u+v\Vert )>0$. Choose $r<d/3$. The saturated open setsare disjoint by the triangle inequality. Each contains both antipodes of every one of its points, so $q^{-1}(qU)=U$ and similarly for $V$. Consequently $qU,qV$ are disjoint open quotient neighborhoods separating the classes. Thus the quotient is compact and Hausdorff. It is the real projective plane; equivalently the metric on the antipodal sphere quotient is $d_X([u],[v])=\min (\Vert u-v\Vert ,\Vert u+v\Vert )$ and induces this topology.

A quotient topological space of a topological space $X$ is obtained by an equivalence relation $\sim$: its points are the classes $X/\sim$, and the canonical surjection is $q(x)=[x]$. The quotient topology declares a subset $U$ of the quotient open exactly when $q^{-1}(U)$ is open in $X$. More generally a surjection onto a set specifies the same topology by this condition.

For a Hausdorff source with a non-Hausdorff quotient, use $X=\mathbb{R}$ and $x\sim y$ when $x-y\in \mathbb{Q}$. Any nonempty open inverse image is a nonempty open subset of $\mathbb{R}$ invariant under rational translations. It contains an interval $I$, and for every real $t$ there is a rational $r$ with $t-r\in I$; hence it contains every $t$. Thus $\mathbb{R}/\mathbb{Q}$ has the indiscrete topology.

It has distinct points, for instance the classes of $0$ and $\sqrt{2}$, but neither has a proper nonempty open neighbourhood. The quotient is not Hausdorff, even though $\mathbb{R}$ is a Hausdorff space.

For the torus quotient, a point has the same image as a point of $B(u,r)$ precisely when they differ by an integer lattice vector. ThereforeThis union is open in ${\mathbb{R}}^2$, so $U$ is open by the quotient topology. Distinct integer lattice vectors are at least distance one apart, whereas $2r<1$. Thus these open balls are disjoint, with a positive gap between any two.

Each ball is connected, since it is convex. It is both open and closed relative to the displayed union: its complement there is the union of all the other open balls. No connected component can meet two such relatively separated pieces. Consequently the components are exactly the infinitely many balls $B(u+m,r)$. Translation by $-m$ is a homeomorphism from each component onto $B(u,r)$. The statement uses the intended positive radius $0<r<1/2$.

Let $q$ denote the quotient map and write $[X]$ for a point of Real projective space. For $i=1,\dots ,n+1$, take the open setIt is open in the quotient topology because its inverse image under $q$ is the open set $\{X:X_i\ne 0\}$. These sets cover, since a nonzero vector has at least one nonzero coordinate. Define the manifold chartThe hat means that the $i$th coordinate is omitted. Ratios are unchanged by multiplying $X$ by any nonzero real number, so the chart is well defined. Its inverse inserts $1$ into position $i$ and takes the resulting equivalence class. The ratios and this inverse are continuous, giving a homeomorphism $U_i\to {\mathbb{R}}^n$.

For a compact description of the smooth transition maps, write $a_i=1$ and let $a_k=X_k/X_i$ for $k\ne i$. On $U_i\cap U_j$ one has $a_j\ne 0$, andEach coordinate is a rational smooth function on the open domain $a_j\ne 0$; reversing $i,j$ gives a smooth inverse. Thus these $n+1$ charts form the standard affine atlas of real projective space.

For completeness, the underlying space is Hausdorff: normalizing $X$ identifies it with the antipodal quotient of the unit sphere, and the continuous injective map $[X]\mapsto X{X}^T/(X^{T}X)$ into the space of symmetric matrices separates any two distinct classes by disjoint open neighborhoods. It is also a second-countable space: pull back the countable bases of rational balls in these finitely many charts, and take their union. Therefore

If $A\subseteq X$, the subspace topology on $A$ isIf $\sim$ is an equivalence relation on $X$ and $q:X\to X/\sim$ is the natural projection, the quotient topology declares $V\subseteq X/\sim$ open exactly when $q^{-1}(V)$ is open in $X$. For topological spaces $X$ and $Y$, the product topology on $X\times Y$ has as a basis all sets $U\times V$ with $U$ open in $X$ and $V$ open in $Y$.

Let $i:Y\hookrightarrow M_f$ be the canonical inclusion and defineThis is well-defined because $[0,x]=f(x)$ in the mapping cylinder, and continuity follows from the universal property of the quotient topology. Clearly $r\circ i={\mathrm{id}}_Y$.

DefineThe formula respects the gluing relation at $t=0$, so it descends from the disjoint union to a continuous homotopy. It satisfies $H_0={\mathrm{id}}_{M_f}$ and $H_1=i\circ r$. Thusindeed $Y$ is a deformation retract of $M_f$.

The quotient topology on $\tilde{X}$ isSince inverse images preserve arbitrary unions and finite intersections,Also ${\pi }^{-1}(\varnothing )=\varnothing$ and ${\pi }^{-1}(\tilde{X})=X$. The displayed collection therefore satisfies all the topology axioms.

Choose a contractionApply the homotopy extension property to the initial map ${\mathrm{id}}_X:X\to X$ and to $h$, regarded as a homotopy into $X$. It suppliessuch that

At $t=1$, the map $H_1$ sends every point of $A$ to $a_0$. It is therefore constant on the equivalence classes of the quotient topology $X/A$. By the universal property of the quotient topology, there is a continuous mapsuch thatwhere $q:X\to X/A$ is the quotient map. The homotopy $H$ immediately gives

For every $t$, the map $q\circ H_t$ is constant on $A$, because $H(a,t)=h(a,t)\in A$. It therefore descends toThis descended map is continuous: the product $q\times {\mathrm{id}}_I$ is a quotient map because $I$ is compact Hausdorff, and $q\circ H$ is constant on its fibres.
At the endpoints,ThusThe maps $q$ and $g$ are homotopy inverses, soThis proves the theorem on collapsing a contractible cofibration.

A compact space is a topological space in which every open cover has a finite subcover. A Hausdorff space is one in which every two distinct points have disjoint open neighbourhoods. A homeomorphism is a bijection that is continuous and whose inverse is continuous.

For an equivalence relation $R$ on $X$, let $X/R$ be the set of equivalence classes and letThe quotient topology declares $U\subseteq X/R$ open exactly when $q^{-1}(U)$ is open in $X$. It follows directly from the definition that $q$ is continuous.

Suppose that the continuous map $f:X\to Y$ is constant on equivalence classes. The only possible factorisation iswhich is well-defined by the hypothesis and satisfies $F\circ q=f$. For every open $V\subseteq Y$,is open in $X$. The definition of the quotient topology therefore makes $F^{-1}(V)$ open, so $F$ is continuous. This proves the universal property of the quotient topology.

A quotient topological space identifies points of a topological space according to an equivalence relation and equips the set of equivalence classes with the quotient topology. A subset is open exactly when its inverse image under the canonical quotient map is open. Even a Hausdorff space can have a non-Hausdorff quotient; identifying real numbers differing by a rational number gives a multi-point quotient with the indiscrete topology.