Eckmann–Hilton argument
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the notion of duality in algebraic topology, see Eckmann–Hilton duality.
In mathematics, the Eckmann–Hilton argument (or Eckmann–Hilton principle or Eckmann–Hilton theorem) is an argument about two unital magma structures on a set where one is a homomorphism for the other. Given this, the structures are the same, and the resulting magma is a commutative monoid. This can then be used to prove the commutativity of the higher homotopy groups. The principle is named after Beno Eckmann and Peter Hilton, who used it in a 1962 paper.