TITLE: Fundamental group obtained by glueing two mobius bands
QUESTION [5 upvotes]: Let us glue two Mobius Bands $A$, $B$ together along their boundaries. We want to apply Van-Kampen's theorem to their union. The intersection $L$ is homotopic to $S^1$. So we get
$$\pi_1(X) = \mathbb{Z}*_\mathbb{Z}\mathbb{Z}$$
We look at what happens when we include the boundary into each space. Let $\pi_1(A)$ have generator $a$, $\pi_1(B)$ have generator $b$, $\pi_1(L)$ have generator $\sigma$. As the boundary goes around the generator twice, we get
$$i^*(\sigma)=a^2$$
$$j^*(\sigma) = b^2$$
Where $i,j$ the natural inclusions. Therefore
$$\pi_1(X) = \langle a,b \mid a^2=b^2 \rangle $$.
But this doesn't seem right, as (apparently) $X$ is just the Klein bottle $K$ and $$\pi_1(K) = \langle  a,b\mid abab^{-1} = 1 \rangle$$
But these groups don't look the same.

REPLY [5 votes]: I'll use two different sets of letters to make the map clearer. You have, on one hand, $X=\langle a,b\;|\;a^2=b^2 \rangle $, and on the other hand, $K=\langle x,y\;|\;xyx=y \rangle$. Consider the map $f:X\to K$, $a\to xy$, $b\to y$. Now 
$$
f(a^2)=(xy)^2=xyxy=(xyx)y=y^2, 
$$
so that $a^2b^{-2}$ lies in the kernel, and the map is indeed well defined. 
To get an inverse map, we simply send $x\to ab^{-1}$ and $y$ to $b$. Again, this sends $xyx$ to $(ab^{-1})b(ab^{-1})=a^2b^{-1}=b^2b^{-1}=b$, so the map is well defined.