The comparison of topologies related to various concepts of generalized covering spaces (Q2451997)

For a given pointed topological space \((X,x_{0}),\) denote by \(PX\) the collection of paths in \(X\) starting in \(x_{0},\) i.e. \(PX=\left\{ \alpha:\left[ 0,1\right] \rightarrow X\mid\alpha(0)=x_{0}\right\} ,\) and let \(\widetilde{X}\) be the space obtained from \(PX\) by identifying paths that are homotopic \((\)relatively to the endpoints\().\) There are three topologies that have been applied to \(\widetilde{X}\): the Whisker topology\(,\) the Lasso topology and the \(CO\)-topology. In the Whisker topology a neighborhood of a homotopy class of a path consists of all paths obtained by prolonging the original path by a small amount. In the Lasso topology a neighborhood of a homotopy class of a path consists of all paths obtained by inserting sufficiently small loops at any point of the path and by prolonging the original path by a small amount. It is apparent that the Whisker topology is in general strictly finer than the Lasso topology. The third one, the \(CO\)-topology is defined to be the quotient of the compact open topology on \(PX\) induced by the natural map \(q:PX\rightarrow\widetilde{X},\) which identifies homotopic \((\)rel. endpoints\()\) paths. In the case of path-connected\(,\) locally path-connected\(,\) semilocally simply connected spaces \(X\) all three topologies correspond to the usual topology on the universal covering space \(\widetilde{X}.\) This paper is devoted to a further deeper investigation of the relationship between these three topologies following a partial comparison previously given by N. Brodsky, J. Dydak, B. Labuz and A. Mitra. By constructing suitable interesting examples the authors show the following: the \(CO\)-topology is not \((\)in general\()\) finer than neither the Lasso topology nor the Whisker topology and the Lasso topology is not \((\)in general\()\) finer than neither the \(CO\)-topology nor the Whisker topology. In addition\(,\) the authors prove that the Whisker topology is in general strictly finer than the \(CO\)-topology and the \(CO\)-topology is finer than the Lasso topology for locally path-connected spaces \(X\).