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$\require{AMScd}$ I am working on the following task:

Let $\mathcal{H}_*$ be a homology theory and let $X \neq \emptyset$ be a space. Construct an isomorphism $\mathcal{H}_n(X) \cong \widetilde{\mathcal{H}}_n(X) \oplus \mathcal{H}_n(*)$, where $\widetilde{\mathcal{H}}_*$ is reduced homology theory and $*$ is a point. Can this isomorphism be chosen natural in $X$?

Edit: As was pointed out in the comments, by "homology theory $\mathcal{H}_*$" I mean a generalized homology theory satisfying the Eilenberg-Steenrod axioms, but not necessarily the dimension axiom. I denote by $H_*$ simplicial homology.

I am able to show the first part, but I'm unsure about naturality: assume that the isomorphism were natural. Then for any spaces $X,Y$ and map $f : X \to Y$ there should exist a unique ("natural") isomorphism $t : \mathcal{H}_n(-) \to \widetilde{\mathcal{H}}_n(-) \oplus \mathcal{H}_n(*)$ such that the following diagram commutes:

\begin{CD} \mathcal{H}_n(X) @>f_*>> \mathcal{H}_n(Y)\\ @Vt_XVV @VVt_YV \\ \widetilde{\mathcal{H}}_n(X) \oplus \mathcal{H}_n(*) @>f_*\oplus \text{id}>> \widetilde{\mathcal{H}}_n(Y) \oplus \mathcal{H}_n(*) \end{CD}

However, if we choose $X=Y=S^1$, $f=\text{id}$ and $\mathcal{H}_* = H_*$ as simplicial homology, so that we can assume the dimension axiom, then we get for $n=1$ that $H_1(S^1) \cong \mathbb{Z}$, $H_1(*) \cong 0$ and $f_*=\text{id}_\mathbb{Z}$. So we get the following diagram:

\begin{CD} \mathbb{Z} @>\text{id}_\mathbb{Z}>> \mathbb{Z}\\ @Vt_{S^1}VV @VVt_{S^1}V \\ \mathbb{Z} \oplus 0 @>\text{id}_\mathbb{Z}\oplus 0>> \mathbb{Z} \oplus 0 \end{CD}

But now we see that we could choose $t_{S^1}$ as the isomorphism $n \mapsto (n,0)$ or $n \mapsto (-n,0)$ and the above diagram would commute in both cases. Therefore, since we have a choice for $t_{S^1}$, the isomorphism is not natural in $X$.

Is my reasoning correct?

jasnee
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    The diagram you wrote with $\mathbb{Z}$ trivially commutes (always). – Арсений Кряжев Dec 29 '21 at 20:52
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    OP, that's not what natural transformation means. It's not about uniqueness, that's hardly ever true. It is about choosing such isomorphism for each object in the category, so that appropriate diagrams commute. What you did is that you found two possible candidates for such isomorphism between $\mathcal{H}_1(S^1)$ and $\widetilde{\mathcal{H}}_1(S^1) \oplus \mathcal{H}_1(*)$. The question is whether this can be done globally and consistently? Which I don't know. – freakish Dec 29 '21 at 21:22
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    natural = make no choices, and respect morphisms. Sort of. Not an answer (I don't know, homology is too long ago for me) but to clarify. – Henno Brandsma Dec 29 '21 at 22:36
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    By a homology theory you mean any generalized homology theory satisfying the Eilenberg-Steenrod axioms except possibly the dimension axiom? Ìf so, what is your definition of $\tilde H_n(X)$? – Paul Frost Dec 29 '21 at 23:17
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    @freakish Thank you for clarifying! – jasnee Dec 30 '21 at 08:49
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    @PaulFrost Yes, that's indeed what I mean. We defined $\tilde{H}_n(X)$ as $\text{ker}(H_n(X) \to H_n())$, where this map is simply the one induced by the unique map $X \to $. – jasnee Dec 30 '21 at 08:52
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    @jasnee You should edit your question to include this essential information. – Paul Frost Dec 30 '21 at 09:14

1 Answers1

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Let us first understand the isomorphism $\mathcal{H}_n(X) \cong \widetilde{\mathcal{H}}_n(X) \oplus \mathcal{H}_n(*)$. You define reduced homology groups by $$\widetilde{\mathcal{H}}_n(X) = \ker (c_* : \mathcal{H}_n(X) \to \mathcal H_n(*)) \tag{R}$$ where $c : X\to *$ denotes the unique map to the one-point space $*$.

Clearly each $f : X \to Y$ has the property $f_*(\widetilde{\mathcal{H}}_n(X)) \subset \widetilde{\mathcal{H}}_n(Y)$, i.e. we get an induced homomorphism $\widetilde f_* : \widetilde{\mathcal{H}}_n(X) \to \widetilde{\mathcal{H}}_n(Y)$ which satisfies $i_Y \widetilde f_* = f_* i_X$. It is easy to see that this construction gives us functors $\widetilde{\mathcal{H}}_n$.

By definition $\text{(R)}$ we get the short exact sequence $$0 \to \widetilde{\mathcal{H}}_n(X) \stackrel{i}{\hookrightarrow} \mathcal{H}_n(X) \stackrel{c_*}{\to} \mathcal H_n(*) \to 0 \tag{E}$$ Note that $c_*$ is an epimorphism because it has a right inverse. In fact, each map $j : * \to X$ has the property $c_* j_* = id$. The latter also shows that $\text{(E)}$ is a split short exact sequence.

Therefore each $j : * \to X$ induces an isomorphism $$j_\# : \widetilde{\mathcal{H}}_n(X) \oplus \mathcal H_n(*) \to \mathcal H_n(X), j_\#(a,b) = i(a) + j_*(b) \tag{S}$$ More generally we could take any right inverse $\iota : \mathcal H_n(*) \to \mathcal H_n(X)$ of $c_*$ to produce an isomorphism $$\iota_\# : \widetilde{\mathcal{H}}_n(X) \oplus \mathcal H_n(*) \to \mathcal H_n(X), \iota_\#(a,b) = i(a) + \iota(b) \tag{S'}$$ In general not all of these $\iota$ will have the form $\iota = j_*$ for some $j$. Anyway, the assocation $\iota \mapsto i_\#$ described in $\text{(S')}$ establishes a bijection from the set of right inverses $\iota$ of $c_*$ to the set of isomorphisms $\widetilde{\mathcal{H}}_n(X) \oplus \mathcal H_n(*) \to \mathcal H_n(X)$.

For a path-connected $X$ all maps $j: * \to X$ are homotopic, i.e. $j_*$ does not depend on the choice of $j$. We therefore get a canical isomorphism $J = J_X : \widetilde{\mathcal{H}}_n(X) \oplus \mathcal H_n(*) \to \mathcal H_n(X)$ which has the form $J =j_\#$ for any choice of $j$.

On the full subcategory of path-connected spaces the above $J_X$ form a natural isomorphism. This follows from

Lemma. Let $Y$ be path connected, $f : X \to Y$ and $j_X : * \to X$. Then $J_Y (\widetilde f_* \oplus id) = f_*(j_X)_\#$.

Proof. We have $J_Y = (j_Y)_\#$ with $j_Y = f j_X$ and we get $$J_Y(\widetilde f_* \oplus id)(a,b) = (j_Y)_\# (\widetilde f_* \oplus id)(a,b) = (j_Y)_\#(\widetilde f_*(a),b) = i_Y \widetilde f_*(a) + (j_Y)_*(b) \\= f_*i_X(a) + (fj_X)_*(b) = f_*i_X(a) + f_*(j_X)_*(b) = f_*(i_X(a) + (j_X)_*(b)) = f_*(j_X)_\#(a,b) .$$

For the general case we have

Theorem. There exists a natural isomorphism $t_X : \widetilde{\mathcal{H}}_n(X) \oplus \mathcal H_n(*) \to \mathcal H_n(X)$ on the category of all toplogical spaces if and only if $\mathcal H_n(*) = 0$. NB: $\mathcal H_n(*) = 0$ does not imply that $\mathcal H_n(X) = 0$ for all $X$.

Proof. If $\mathcal H_n(*) = 0$, then $\widetilde{\mathcal{H}}_n(X) = \mathcal H_n(X)$. We can take $t_X = id$.

Now let $\mathcal{H}_n(*) \ne 0$. Then $\widetilde{\mathcal{H}}_n(*) = 0$. Consider $Y = \{1,2\}$ with the discrete topology. We have two maps $f_i : * \to Y$ given by $f_i(*) = i$. The excision axiom gives us an isomorphism $\phi : \mathcal{H}_n(Y) \to \mathcal{H}_n(*) \oplus \mathcal{H}_n(*)$ which has the property that $\phi (f_i)_*$ is the inclusion in the $i$-th summand. Thus $(f_1)_* \ne (f_2)_*$. If there would exist a natural isomorphism $t_X$, we would get two commutative diagrams

\begin{CD} \mathcal{H}_n(*) @>(f_i)_*>> \mathcal{H}_n(Y)\\ @Vt_*VV @VVt_YV \\ 0 \oplus \mathcal{H}_n(*) @>\widetilde{(f_i)}_*\oplus \text{id}>> \widetilde{\mathcal{H}}_n(Y) \oplus \mathcal{H}_n(*) \end{CD} But this is impossible because $t_Y(f_1)_* \ne t_Y(f_2)_*$, but $\widetilde{(f_1)}_* = \widetilde{(f_2)}_* = 0$.

Paul Frost
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