# Math Help - Equivalent Subspaces

1. ## Equivalent Subspaces

For each $n\in\mathbb{N}$ give examples of subspaces of $\mathbb{R}^n$, which are homotopy equivalent but not homeomorphic to each other.

Any help would be great. Thanks

2. Originally Posted by ejgmath
For each $n\in\mathbb{N}$ give examples of subspaces of $\mathbb{R}^n$, which are homotopy equivalent but not homeomorphic to each other.

Any help would be great. Thanks

One open and and one closed intervals (balls if $n>1$): they're trivially homotopic but not homeomorphic.

Tonio

3. Okay, so if I take an open ball $B_r({\bf{x}})$ in $\mathbb{R}^n$ this is clearly not homeomorphic to a point ${\bf{y}}$ in $\mathbb{R}^n$ as any continous map is not bijective.

So take a map $f:B_r({\bf{x}})\rightarrow {\bf{y}}$ given by $f({\bf{v}})={\bf{y}}$ for ${\bf{v}}\in B_r({\bf{x}})$ and then take another map $g:{\bf{y}}\rightarrow B_r({\bf{x}})$ given by $g({\bf{y}})={\bf{x}}$

How do I should that $g\circ f$ and $f\circ g$ are homotopic to the respective identities?