Oriented cover

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== Definition ==
== Definition ==
<wikitex>;
<wikitex>;
An '''oriented cover $(\widetilde{X},\pi,w)$''' of a (connected) space $X$ with an orientation character $w(X)\in H^1(X;\Zz_2) = \Hom(\pi_1(X),\Zz_2)$ is a regular covering of $X$ with group of covering translations $\pi$, together with an orientation character $w:\pi \to \Zz_2$ such that
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An '''orientable cover $(\widetilde{X},\pi,w)$''' of a (connected) space $X$ with an orientation character $w(X)\in H^1(X;\Zz_2) = \Hom(\pi_1(X),\Zz_2)$ is a regular covering of $X$ with group of covering translations $\pi$, together with an orientation character $w:\pi \to \Zz_2$ such that
$$\xymatrix{
$$\xymatrix{
w(X): \pi_1(X) \ar[r] & \pi \ar[r]^-{w} & \Zz_2.
w(X): \pi_1(X) \ar[r] & \pi \ar[r]^-{w} & \Zz_2.
}$$
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}$$ An '''oriented cover''' is an orientable cover together with a choice of orientation.
</wikitex>
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== Examples ==
== Examples ==
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<wikitex>;
The two most important examples of oriented covers are the universal cover $(\widetilde{X},\pi_1(X),w(X))$ and the [[Orientation covering|orientation double cover]] $(X^w,\Zz_2,\id_{\Zz_2})$. These correspond to the two extreme cases of factoring the orientation character via $\pi_1(X)$ and $\Zz_2$ respectively. Every oriented cover is a regular cover of $X^w$ and has $\widetilde{X}$ as a regular cover.
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The two most important examples of oriented covers are the universal cover $(\widetilde{X},\pi_1(X),w(X))$ and the [[Orientation covering|orientation double cover]] $(X^w,\Zz_2,\id_{\Zz_2})$. These correspond to the two extreme cases of factoring the orientation character via $\pi_1(X)$ and $\Zz_2$ respectively. Every oriented cover is a regular cover of $X^w$ and has $\widetilde{X}$ as a regular cover - this is a consequence of the fact that if $H_1, H_2$ are normal subgroups of $G$ with $H_1$ a subgroup of $H_2$ then $H_1$ is a normal subgroup of $H_2$.
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== Convention ==
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In the case that $X$ is already orientatable, the orientation double cover $(X^w,\Zz_2,\id_{\Zz_2})$ of $X$ consists of two disjoint copies of $X$. Any orientation of $X^w$ that we choose should involve giving the two copies of $X$ opposite orientations, otherwise this will not correspond to a non-zero fundamental class with respect to twisted coefficients.
</wikitex>
</wikitex>

Revision as of 15:17, 21 May 2013

This page has not been refereed. The information given here might be incomplete or provisional.

Contents

1 Introduction

This page is based on [Ranicki2002, Definition 4.56]. Let p:\widetilde{X} \to X be a regular covering of a connected space with orientation character w(X)\in H^1(X;\Zz_2) = \Hom(\pi_1(X),\Zz_2). Let \pi denote the group of covering translations. Since \widetilde{X} is a regular cover \pi_1(\widetilde{X}) is a normal subgroup of \pi_1(X) and \pi \cong \pi_1(X)/\pi_1(\widetilde{X}) (See [Hatcher2002, Proposition 1.39]). Let q: \pi_1(X) \to \pi denote the quotient map. The orientation character of the cover factors as
\displaystyle w(\widetilde{X}) = w(X)\circ p_*,
which corresponds to the intuition that the cover \widetilde{X} is orientable if all loops in \widetilde{X} project to orientable loops in X.

Lemma 1.1. The cover \widetilde{X} is orientable if and only if the orientation character w(X) factors through \pi.

Proof. Consider the diagram

\displaystyle \xymatrix{ \pi_1(\widetilde{X}) \ar[dr]^-{w(\widetilde{X})} \ar[d] ^-{p_*}& \\ \pi_1(X) \ar[d]^-{q}\ar[r]^{w(X)} & \Zz_2 \\ \pi \ar@{-->}[ur]^-{w} &  }

If there exists a w such that w(X) = w\circ q, then w(\widetilde{X}) = w\circ q\circ p_* = 0. Conversely if w(\widetilde{X}) = 0 then the map

\displaystyle \begin{array}{rcl} w:\pi & \to & \Zz_2 \\ {[\alpha]} & \mapsto & w(X)(\alpha)\end{array}

for any representative \alpha\in \pi_1(X) of [\alpha]\in \pi is well defined and factors w(X).

\square

In light of this we make the following definition.

2 Definition

An orientable cover (\widetilde{X},\pi,w) of a (connected) space X with an orientation character w(X)\in H^1(X;\Zz_2) = \Hom(\pi_1(X),\Zz_2) is a regular covering of X with group of covering translations \pi, together with an orientation character w:\pi \to \Zz_2 such that

\displaystyle \xymatrix{   w(X): \pi_1(X) \ar[r] & \pi \ar[r]^-{w} & \Zz_2.  }
An oriented cover is an orientable cover together with a choice of orientation.

3 Examples

The two most important examples of oriented covers are the universal cover (\widetilde{X},\pi_1(X),w(X)) and the orientation double cover (X^w,\Zz_2,\id_{\Zz_2}). These correspond to the two extreme cases of factoring the orientation character via \pi_1(X) and \Zz_2 respectively. Every oriented cover is a regular cover of X^w and has \widetilde{X} as a regular cover - this is a consequence of the fact that if H_1, H_2 are normal subgroups of G with H_1 a subgroup of H_2 then H_1 is a normal subgroup of H_2.

4 Convention

In the case that X is already orientatable, the orientation double cover (X^w,\Zz_2,\id_{\Zz_2}) of X consists of two disjoint copies of X. Any orientation of X^w that we choose should involve giving the two copies of X opposite orientations, otherwise this will not correspond to a non-zero fundamental class with respect to twisted coefficients.

5 References

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