Covering of Klein Bottle by Torus

algebraic-topologycovering-spacesfundamental-groups

I have to show there is a covering of the Klein Bottle by the Torus. I realize this has been answered here: Two-sheeted covering of the Klein bottle by the torus.

However, by the Galois Correspondence we know that covering maps of the Klein Bottle correspond bijectively with subgroups of the fundamental group of the Klein Bottle. If we let $T$ denote the Torus and $K$ the Klein Bottle, then $\pi_1(T) \cong \mathbb{Z} \times \mathbb{Z}$ and $\pi_1(K) \cong \langle a,b: abab^{-1} = 1 \rangle$. To show that there is a covering of the Torus by the Klein Bottle would it be enough to show that $\langle a,b: abab^{-1} = 1 \rangle$ has a subgroup isomorphic to $\mathbb{Z} \times \mathbb{Z}$? Moreover, if this is the case, is this an easier problem to handle?

Best Answer

One subgroup of $\langle a, b\ |\ abab^{-1} = 1 \rangle $ that is isomorphic to $\mathbb{Z}\times \mathbb{Z}$ is the subgroup generated by $a$ and $b^2$. Indeed these elements commute: $ab^2 = ba^{-1}b = b^2 a$, and as this is a finite-index sub-group of a surface group it is also a surface group, so in particular it only has one relation. In general you could take $a^m$ and $b^{2n}$.

In an answer to a related question (Is there a non-trivial covering of the Klein bottle by the Klein bottle?) I gave a few families of subgroups and determined the total spaces of the corresponding cover space in those cases, maybe you will find it useful.