Contractible Space

Contractible Space

In mathematics, a topological space X is contractible if the identity map on X is null-homotopic, i.e. if it is homotopic to some constant map. Intuitively, a contractible space is one that can be continuously shrunk to a point.

A contractible space is precisely one with the homotopy type of a point. It follows that all the homotopy groups of a contractible space are trivial. Therefore any space with a nontrivial homotopy group cannot be contractible. Similarly, since singular homology is a homotopy invariant, the reduced homology groups of a contractible space are all trivial.

For a topological space X the following are all equivalent (here Y is an arbitrary topological space):

• X is contractible (i.e. the identity map is null-homotopic).
• X is homotopy equivalent to a one-point space.
• X deformation retracts onto a point. (However, there exist contractible spaces which do not strongly deformation retract to a point.)
• Any two maps f,g : Y → X are homotopic.
• Any map f : Y → X is null-homotopic.

The cone on a space X is always contractible. Therefore any space can be embedded in a contractible one (which also illustrates that subspaces of contractible spaces need not be contractible).

Furthermore, X is contractible if and only if there exists a retraction from the cone of X to X.

Every contractible space is path connected and simply connected. Moreover, since all the higher homotopy groups vanish, every contractible space is n-connected for all n ≥ 0.