MATH 663-ALGEBRAIC TOPOLOGY I-FALL 2025-A. FREIRE

Syllabus
(includes a list of references)

Course log:

8/19  Simplicial homology: main definitions, simplicial approximation theorem (statement), finite generation

Ref: [Rotman], p.131--p.145; [HiltonWylie], sect. 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.7 (to p.35), 1.8, 2.2

8/21  Simplicial homology: subcomplexes, star of a face, cone over a complex (its homology), barycentric
subdivision, chain homomorphism from C(K) to C(K'). Ref: [Rotman]

Simplicial homology notes
(in progress--version date 8/26, 3:20PM.)

Simplicial homology: problems

8/26: diameter reduction under subdivision/proof of simplicial approximation/induced map in simplicial homology,
contiguous simplicial maps. Examples: homology of the boundary of a simplex/ euler characteristic
Ref: [Rotman], p. 139, p. 146/ notes.


8/28 Singular homology: Eilenberg-Steenrod `axioms', zeroth homology group, homology of path components, long exact sequence.
Long exact sequence in homology (geometric proof)
(includes one problem.)

9/2 Singular homology: geometric meaning of relative homology (esp, the case of H_n(X,x_0))/Reduced homology/The Hurewicz homomorphism
from the fundamental group to first homology.

9/4 Poincare's theorem (fundamental group and first homology)/homotopy invariance of homology
Ref: Rotman, Hatcher

9/9 Excision in simplicial and singular homology/Mayer-Vietoris.
Notes on the excision theorem.
(final version: 9/13, 12:30 AM) Includes three problems.

9/11 Proof of excision theorem (ref. [Rotman], ch.6)

9/16 Excision and Mayer-Vietoris: examples
relative homology of `good pairs'/local homology/equivalence of singular and simplicial homology

9/18 Class cancelled

9/23: Excision and Mayer-Vietoris: examples
homology of sphere minus disk, sphere minus surface/invariance of domain/degree and local degree

9/25: homology sequence of cell attachment/examples: real and complex projective spaces
Ref: Rotman, p. 180--193.
additional problems on homology: [Hatcher] p. 155: 2, 3, 4, 7, 31/ [Rotman] 6.17, 6.18, 6.20, 6. 23, 8.17

9/30: DeRham cohomology on manifolds: definitions, map induced in cohomology, homotopy invariance
Ref: Bott-Tu, ch. 1.

10/2 DeRham cohomology: Mayer-Vietoris sequence/examples/de Rham cohomology with compact supports

10/7 FALL BREAK (No lecture, first five problems due)

10/9 proper maps, compact support examples

10/14 compact support: homotopy invariance, Mayer-Vietoris sequence

10/16: oriented manifolds, integration, Stokes' theorem/Poincare duality (start)

10/21: class canceled

10/23: Poincare duality in de Rham cohomology (proof)
de Rham cohomology: problems

10/28 Degree formula (integral of the pullback)/ singular cohomology (basic def'ns)

10/30 Universal coefficient theorem in cohomology; Ext(H; G).

makeup class: review of manifolds, transversality, differential forms

11/2 ELECTION DAY--no classes at UTK

11/4 Sufficiency of smooth chains and cochains
Smooth chains suffice

11/9 Proof of deRham's theorem