Requirement for Connected Domain to be Simply Connected Domain

Simply Connectedness Requirement
Let $D \subseteq \C$ be a connected domain. For $D$ to be simply connected, it is required that two paths $\gamma, \sigma$ in $D$ with the same initial points and final points are freely homotopic.

Let $\gamma: \closedint a b \to D$ and $\sigma: \closedint c d \to D$ be two such paths with $\map \gamma a = \map \sigma c$ and $\map \gamma b = \map \sigma d$.

Then $D$ is simply connected there exists a continuous function $H: \closedint 0 1 \times \closedint 0 1 \to D$ such that:


 * $\map H {t, 0} = \map \gamma t$ for all $t \in \closedint 0 1$
 * $\map H {t, 1} = \map \sigma t$ for all $t \in \closedint 0 1$.

The function $H$ is called a (free) homotopy.

It follows from Homotopy Characterisation of Simply Connected Sets that this definition of a simply connected set is equal to the standard definition of a simply connected set.