Mayer-Vietoris sequences in homotopy of 2-complexes and in homology of groups (Q1184022): Difference between revisions

The Mayer-Vietoris sequence deals with the situation of a CW-complex \(K=K_ 1\cup K_ 2\), and determines invariants of \(K\) in terms of those of \(K_ 1,K_ 2,K_ 0=K_ 1\cap K_ 2\) and morphisms induced by inclusion. For second relative homotopy groups, a 2-dimensional version of the van Kampen Theorem, due to the reviewer and \textit{P. J. Higgins} [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc., III. Ser. 36, 192-212 (1978; Zbl 0405.55015)], implies that the natural morphism \(\sigma:\pi_ 2(K_ 1,K_ 0)\circ\pi_ 2(K_ 2,K_ 0)\to\pi_ 2(K,K_ 0)\) is an isomorphism of crossed \(\pi_ 1K_ 0\)-modules, if all the spaces are connected, and \((K_ 1,K_ 0)\), \((K_ 2,K_ 0)\) are 1-connected. Here \(\circ\) denotes the coproduct of these crossed \(\pi_ 1K_ 0\)-modules. This paper uses this result, and deals with related situations. For example if \(R\), \(S\) are normal subgroups of a free group \(F\), an eight term exact homology sequence is obtained involving the low dimensional homologies of \(F/R\), \(F/S\), \(F/RS\). A consequence is that if \(F/R\), \(F/S\) are also free, then \(H_ 3(F/RS)\) is isomorphic to the group \((R\cap S\cap[F,F]/([R,S][F,R\cap S])\). This recovers the case \(n=3\) of the generalized Hopf formula for \(H_ n(G)\) due to the reviewer and \textit{G. J. Ellis} [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 20, 124-128 (1988; Zbl 0611.20032)]. Another result gives conditions under which the above map is an isomorphism in the case when \(K\) is a 2- complex. Methods here include results on projective crossed modules, due to \textit{M. Dyer} [Combinatorial group theory and topology, Ann. Math. Stud. 111, 255-264 (1987; Zbl 0643.57005)]. A number of group-theoretic examples are given illustrating the results.