Math 782, Algebraic topology
Spring 2008


Lectures: MW 2:30-3:45, LGRT 1322.


Instructor: Mike Sullivan     Office: LGRT 1544      Phone: 545-1909     email: my last name <at> math <at> umass <at> edu


Office hours: Monday 3:45-5:25 on weeks when HW is due. Or by appointment on Monday before noon or Wednesday before 11:30 any week.


Text
Required: Algebraic Topology , by Allen Hatcher. It costs about $22-$35 on Amazon.com, for example. This text can also be legally downloaded for free at Hatcher's website.
Recommended: Geometry and Topology , by Glen Bredon. It costs about $37-$75 at Amazon.com, for example. The text is also on reserve at the library.


Description: This course will be centered on Chapters 1 (fundamental group), 2 (homology) and 3 (cohomology) of the Hatcher text. Ideally, if time permits, there will be some topics/examples on differential topology coming from the Bredon text. The grade will be based on the timely completion of several homeworks. Prerequisites are Math 671 which is point set topology, and a few definitions from algebra like groups, rings, and homomorphisms.


Announcements:

05/05: HW 5 due date has been pushed back two days to Friday May 16, 2pm.
03/24: We will not meet on Monday May 11. Instead there will be a make-up class on Monday Arpil 7, 3:50-5:05 (immediately following the regular class).
02/25: By popular demand, HW 2 is now due on Monday 3/3
02/11: By popular demand, HW 1 is now due on Tuesday 2/19 (which is a ``Monday").
02/05: I just realized I have a job talk to attend at 4-5pm on Monday 02/11, so those office hours will be rescheduled to 10:45-11:45am and 5:00-5:25pm, same day.
01/30: Check out the links to covering spaces of S^1 and the fundamental group of T^2. (Thanks Aaron)


Homework

HW 1: Due Weds 2/13 in class. NOW DUE TUES 2/19 in class.
#3, 6, 16 in Section 1.1 (of Hatcher, unless otherwise indicated)
#7, 10, 17 in Section 1.2

HW 2: Due Weds 2/27 in class.
#4, 12, 14, 18, 27 in Section 1.3
Prove that the fundamental group of a topological group, with base point the identity element, is abelian.

HW 3: Either the first five problems by Weds 3/5, or all 6 problems by Weds 3/19.
#8, 12, 14 (last question only), 17b (compute H_n(X,A) only), 18, 27 in Section 2.1.
Hint for 17b: the inclusion i:A ->X induces the zero map i_*:H_1(A) -> H_1(X).

HW 4: Either the first five problems (3 from Hatcher + first two from class) by Weds 4/9, or all 6 problems by Weds 4/16.
#2, 8, 17 in Section 2.2
The three problems written down in class on Weds 3/26.

HW 5: Due May 16 by 2pm. If you turn it in at the last class on May 7 you do not need to do Section 3.3 # 5 and the last in-class problem. This is the last homework and will be weighted as 1.5 HWs
#20, 22 in Section 2.2
#5 in Section 2.C
#1, 11 in Section 3.2
#5 in Section 3.3
The 3 problems written down in class on Weds 4/16.