On proving the problem that $\pi_1(X,x_0)$ is Abelian iff for every pair $\alpha$ and $\beta$ if paths form $x_0$to$x_1$, we have $\hat \alpha=\hat\beta$ where $X$ is path-connected space ,
I'm curious of meaning for what fundamental group is Abelian. If possible, could you explain the case of product of given two distinct loop would not be commutable on the $R^2$?.
A non-Abelian fundamental group $\pi_1(X, x_0)$ means that there are two loops $\alpha, \beta: [0,1] \to X$, so continuous with $\alpha(0) = \alpha(1) =\beta(0) = \beta(1) = x_0$, such that there is no ($x_0$-fixing) homotopy between $\alpha \cdot \beta$ and $\beta \cdot \alpha$, where $\alpha \cdot \beta$ is (the homotopy class of) the map that sends $t$ to $\alpha(2t)$ for $0 \le t \le \frac12$ and to $\beta(2t-1)$ for $\frac12 \le t \le 1$, as usual, and $\beta \cdot \alpha$ is the similarly glued map in the other order. This just follows from the definitions.