The Fundamental Group, Covering Spaces and Topology in Biology

• Abstract. We give a short introduction to homotopy theory. We pass to the concepts of a pointed space (X, x0), the fundamental group of X, a simply connected space (with the example of the space contractible to a point), introduce basic concepts of covering spaces (e.g. covering map/space, fiber over x, Path lifting Theorem). With the use of the exponential map and the idea of the index of a loop, we show that the fundamental group of the circle S1 is isomorphic to the integers Z with addition. We mention some other interesting fundamental groups (e.g. the fundamental group of a torus or of thefigure eight). We also present some very interesting applications of topological concepts in Molecular Biology.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Matematik -- Annan matematik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Mathematics -- Other Mathematics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Mathematics

Matematik

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