THE FUNDAMENTAL GROUP IN FIBRATIONS

Abstract

A generalized Mayer-Vietoris sequence involving crossed homomorphisms is established and the construction is applied to the homotopy sequence of the CW-pair (X.X¹) to relate the homotopy sequences of (X.X¹) and the fibre bundle F → E → X in low dimensions. If there is a partial cross-section of E → X over X², the classical form, π₁ E ∼ π₁ [xtilde] π₁ F as a semidirect product, results. In case there is no extension over X² of any cross-section of the restricted bundle χ:π₂ (x², x¹) → X¹ the corresponding obstruction map X_E:π₂(x²,x¹) → π₁F is non-trivial and in case F → E → X is an SO(n)-bundle (n ≥ 3), χ_E maps into a subgroup of the centre, Z(π₁ F), of order at most 2.