If we have a covering $p:H\rightarrow G$ where $G$ is a topological group, then $H$ is also a topological group. The multiplication function can be defined as follows. Consider the map $f:H\times H \rightarrow G$ which is a composition of the map $p\times p$ and the multiplication function on $G$. Choose $h\in p^{-1}(e)$ where $e$ is the identity element of $G$. If $f_* (\pi_1(H\times H,(h,h))) \subset p_*(\pi_1(H,h)),$ then $f$ can be lifted to a map $g:H\times H \rightarrow H$ such that $p\circ g = f$ and $g(h,h) = h$. Suppose we have shown the "if" part, then $g$ should function as our multiplication map on $H$. But given any $x\in H$, why do we know that $g(x,h) = x$ and that $g(x,h)$ does not equal any other element of $p^{-1}(p(x))$?
Covering of a topological group is a topological group
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general-topology
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1Though this question is old, anyone who reads it should note that the claim in the title, as written, is not necessarily true. It is certainly true when $G$ is path-connected and locally path-connected and presumably the OP has assumed this. The general statement for connected groups $G$ is (remarkably) an open question. – 2016-02-01
1 Answers
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Consider the map $k: H\to H$ given by $k(x) = g(x,h)$. Then for any $x\in H$, we have $p\circ k(x) = p\circ g(x,h) = m\circ (p\times p)(x,h) = m(p(x),e) = p(x),$ which implies that $k$ is an automorphism of the covering $p$ (which you can also think of as a lift of $p$). Note also that $k(h) = g(h,h) = h$. Thus $k$ and the identity are both automorphisms of $p$ that agree at a point, so they are equal. This implies $g(x,h)=x$ for all $x$.
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0You are correct, professor Lee, for some reaso$n$ forgot that part... – 2010-09-28