Persistence length

In mathematics, in the area of algebraic topology, the homotopy extension property indicates which homotopies defined on a subspace can be extended to a homotopy defined on a larger space.

Definition

Let $X\,\!$ be a topological space, and let $A\subset X$. We say that the pair $(X,A)\,\!$ has the homotopy extension property if, given a homotopy $f_{t}\colon A\rightarrow Y$ and a map $F_{0}\colon X\rightarrow Y$ such that $F_{0}|_{A}=f_{0}$, there exists an extension of $F_{0}$ to a homotopy $F_{t}\colon X\rightarrow Y$ such that $F_{t}|_{A}=f_{t}$.

That is, the pair $(X,A)\,\!$ has the homotopy extension property if any map $G\colon (X\times \{0\}\cup A\times I)\rightarrow Y$ can be extended to a map $G'\colon X\times I\rightarrow Y$ (i.e. $G\,\!$ and $G'\,\!$ agree on their common domain).

If the pair has this property only for a certain codomain $Y\,\!$, we say that $(X,A)\,\!$ has the homotopy extension property with respect to $Y\,\!$.

Visualisation

The homotopy extension property is depicted in the following diagram

If the above diagram (without the dashed map) commutes, which is equivalent to the conditions above, then there exists a map ${\tilde {f}}$ which makes the diagram commute. By currying, note that a map ${\tilde {f}}\colon X\to Y^{I}$ is the same as a map ${\tilde {f}}\colon X\times I\to Y$.

Also compare this to the visualization of the homotopy lifting property.

Properties

• If $X\,\!$ is a cell complex and $A\,\!$ is a subcomplex of $X\,\!$, then the pair $(X,A)\,\!$ has the homotopy extension property.

• A pair $(X,A)\,\!$ has the homotopy extension property if and only if $(X\times \{0\}\cup A\times I)$ is a retract of $X\times I.$

Other

If $\mathbf {\mathit {(X,A)}}$ has the homotopy extension property, then the simple inclusion map $i:A\to X$ is a cofibration.

In fact, if you consider any cofibration $i:Y\to Z$, then we have that $\mathbf {\mathit {Y}}$ is homeomorphic to its image under $\mathbf {\mathit {i}}$. This implies that any cofibration can be treated as an inclusion map, and therefore it can be treated as having the homotopy extension property.

See also

• Homotopy lifting property

References

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