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A subspace $Y\subseteq X$ is a retract of $X$ if there is a continuous retractionsuch that $r(y)=y$ for every $y\in Y$. A space is a contractible space if its identity map is homotopic to a constant map.

Let $i:Y\hookrightarrow X$ be the inclusion and letbe a contraction, with $H(x,0)=x$ and $H(x,1)=x_0$. Thenis continuous and satisfiesThus $K$ contracts $Y$, proving that every retract of a contractible space is contractible.

Let $i:A\hookrightarrow X$ be the inclusion map and $r:X\to A$ the retraction. Since $X$ is contractible, choose a contraction of a topological spaceThe function compositionis a continuous map. Its endpoints satisfyConsequently $K$ is a homotopy from the identity map of $A$ to a constant function. This provesThe contracting point of $X$ need not belong to $A$: applying the retraction sends it to the contracting point $r(x_0)$ of $A$. This is the retract of a contractible space principle.