Null homotopic maps need not be homotopic

algebraic-topologycomplex-analysisgeneral-topologyhomological-algebrahomotopy-theory

Let $Y$ is a disconnected space.

Let $y_0, y_1$ belong to distinct path components of $Y$.

First, I want to know why such points will exist?

Now, let $X$ be any topological space and $f$ and $g$ be two constant functions such that $x \rightarrow y_0$ and $x \rightarrow y_1$ respectively.

Then how to show that $f$ and $g$ are not homotopic?

Best Answer

A path $y_0 \rightarrow y_1$ is the same as a homotopy between the maps $x_0 \rightarrow y_0$ and $x_0 \rightarrow y_1$ since $I \times \{x_0 \} \approx I$. So if you have two maps $f,g:X \rightarrow Y$ with the properties you mention you precompose them with any inclusion $i:\{x_0 \} \rightarrow X$ to get the contradiction. If $f \simeq g$ then $f \circ i \simeq g \circ i$ which would mean that there exists a path between $y_0$ and $y_1$.

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