[Math] homeomorphism between $\Bbb R^2/$~ and unit square

general-topology

I want to show that the quotient space $\Bbb R^2/$~, with equivalence relation ~ given by
$$(x,y)\text~(x+n,y+m)\quad\quad\forall n, m \in \Bbb Z$$ is homeomorphic to the unit square under quotient topology.

Can anybody please give me a bit of hint please? I still cannot quite understand "quotient topology" and how the map between these two spaces would go.

Thanks a lot.

Best Answer

Let $X=\mathbb{R}^2/{\sim}$ where $(x,y)\sim(x+n,y+m)$ for all $n,m\in\mathbb{Z}$ and let $Y=([0,1]\times[0,1])/{\sim}'$ where $(x,0)\sim'(x,1)$ and $(0,y)\sim'(1,y)$.

Let $f\colon X\rightarrow Y$ be given by $f([x]_{\sim},[y]_{\sim})=([\{x\}]_{\sim'},[\{y\}]_{\sim'})$ for all $x,y\in\mathbb{R}$, where $\{-\}$ is the fractional part of a real number and the square brackets denote the equivalence class with respect to the indexed equivalence relation.

You have a few things to prove now.

  • You have to show that $f$ is well-defined. That is, for $x'\in[x]_{\sim}$ and $y'\in[y]_{\sim}$ we have $([\{x\}]_{\sim'},[\{y\}]_{\sim'})=([\{x'\}]_{\sim'},[\{y'\}]_{\sim'})$.
  • You have to show that $f$ is continuous.
  • You have to show that $f$ is a bijection (i.e show that $f$ has a well-defined inverse).
  • You have to show that $f^{-1}$ is continuous.
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