Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 309 1 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
Let denote the quotient map and write for a point of Real projective space. For , take the open setIt is open in the quotient topology because its inverse image under is the open set . These sets cover, since a nonzero vector has at least one nonzero coordinate. Define the manifold chartThe hat means that the th coordinate is omitted. Ratios are unchanged by multiplying by any nonzero real number, so the chart is well defined. Its inverse inserts into position and takes the resulting equivalence class. The ratios and this inverse are continuous, giving a homeomorphism .
For a compact description of the smooth transition maps, write and let for . On one has , andEach coordinate is a rational smooth function on the open domain ; reversing gives a smooth inverse. Thus these charts form the standard affine atlas of real projective space.
For completeness, the underlying space is Hausdorff: normalizing identifies it with the antipodal quotient of the unit sphere, and the continuous injective map 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