Plus construction
In mathematics, the plus construction is a method for simplifying the fundamental group of a space without changing its homology and cohomology groups. It was introduced by, and was used by Daniel Quillen to define algebraic K-theory. Given a perfect normal subgroup of the fundamental group of a connected CW complex, attach two-cells along loops in whose images in the fundamental group generate the subgroup. This operation generally changes the homology of the space, but these changes can be reversed by the addition of three-cells.
The most common application of the plus construction is in algebraic K-theory. If is a unital ring, we denote by the group of invertible -by- matrices with elements in. embeds in by attaching a along the diagonal and s elsewhere. The direct limit of these groups via these maps is denoted and its classifying space is denoted. The plus construction may then be applied to the perfect normal subgroup of, generated by matrices which only differ from the identity matrix in one off-diagonal entry. For, the -th homotopy group of the resulting space,, is isomorphic the -th -group of, that is,
