For a pair (X,A), let X∪CA be X with a cone on A attached.
(a) Show that X is a retract of X∪CA iff A is contractible in X: There is a homotopy ft:A→X with f0 the inclusion A↪X and f1 a constant map.
(b) Show that if A is contractible in X then Hn(X,A)≈Hn(X)⊕Hn−1(A), using the fact that (X∪CA)/X is the suspension SA of A.