Hatcher chapter 0 exercise.

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Show that $f:X \rightarrow Y$ is a homotopy equivalence if there exist maps $g,h:Y \rightarrow X$ such that $fg \simeq \mathbb{1}$ and $hf \simeq \mathbb{1}$.

Why isn't this trivial. Surely if f is a homotopy equivalence we get the maps for free with say g=h.

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This answer assumes the following theorem, so if it's not something you feel you can use you'll need to prove it first:

If $f_1,g_1\colon X\to Y$ are homotopic, and $f_2,g_2\colon Y\to Z$ are homotopic, then the compositions $f_2\circ f_1$ and $g_2\circ g_1$ are also homotopic.

Assuming this theorem, we show that if $fg\backsimeq1$ and $hf\backsimeq1$ then $g\backsimeq h$, so $1\backsimeq fg\backsimeq fh$ and $f$ is by definition a homotopy equivalence (with inverse homotopy equivalence $h$). To do this, we use the above theorem and the associativity of composition to find:

$$h=h\circ 1\backsimeq h(fg)=(hf)g\backsimeq 1\circ g=g$$

So $g\backsimeq h$ and we have the result as above.