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Pointed spaces are important in Algebraic Topology , particularly in Homotopy Theory , where many constructions, such as the Fundamental Group , depend on a choice of basepoint.

The pointed set concept is less important; it is anyway the case of a pointed Discrete Space .


CATEGORY OF POINTED SPACES


The Class of all pointed spaces forms a Category Top with basepoint preserving continuous maps as Morphism s. Another way to think about this category is as the Comma Category , ({•} ↓ Top) where {•} is any one point space and Top is the Category Of Topological Spaces . (This is also called a Coslice Category denoted {•}/Top). Objects in this category are continuous maps {•} → ''X''. Such morphisms can be thought of as picking out a basepoint in ''X''. Morphisms in ({•} ↓ Top) are morphisms in Top for which the following diagram Commutes :





It is easy to see that commutativity of the diagram is equivalent to the condition that ''f'' preserves basepoints.

Note that as a pointed space {•} is a Zero Object in Top while it is only a Terminal Object in Top.

There is a Forgetful Functor TopTop which "forgets" which point is the basepoint. This functor has a Left Adjoint which assigns to each topological space ''X'' the Disjoint Union of ''X'' and a one point space {•} whose single element is taken to be the basepoint.


OPERATIONS ON POINTED SPACES


  • A ''subspace'' of a pointed space ''X'' is a Topological Subspace ''A'' ⊆ ''X'' which shares its basepoint with ''X'' so that the Inclusion Map is basepoint preserving.

  • One can form the '' Quotient '' of a pointed space ''X'' under any Equivalence Relation . The basepoint of the quotient is the image of the basepoint in ''X'' under the quotient map.

  • One can form the '' Product '' of two pointed spaces (''X'', ''x''0), (''Y'', ''y''0) as the Topological Product ''X'' × ''Y'' with (''x''0, ''y''0) serving as the basepoint.

  • The Coproduct in the category of pointed spaces is the '' Wedge Sum '', which can be thought of as the one-point union of spaces.

  • The '' Smash Product '' of two pointed spaces is essentially the Quotient of the direct product and the wedge sum.

  • The '' Reduced Suspension '' Σ''X'' of a pointed space ''X'' is smash product of ''X'' and the pointed circle ''S''1.