ALGEBRAIC TOPOLOGY QUALIFYING EXAM SYLLABUS

 

Elementary point set topology:

 

This material is from our undergraduate course. Although this material is technically not part of the graduate syllabus it may be on the exam because it is a prerequisite.

Topological Spaces and Continuous Functions

Connectedness and Compactness

Countability and Separation Axioms

Fundamental Group and Covering Spaces


Reference:

Munkres, Topology, first 4 Chapters and Chapters 9 and 13

 

 

Algebraic Topology
 

The graduate level Algebraic Topology material is basic Homology Theory.

Sinplicial Complexes, Simplicial Homology

Betti numbers, Euler characteristic

Singular Homology and Cohomology, with Coefficients

CW-complexes, cellular homology

Excision, Mayer-Vietoris exact sequences

Eilenberg-Steenrod Axioms for Homology and Cohomology

Tor, Ext, Universal Coefficient Theorems, Kunneth Theorem

Manifolds, orientation, Elementary Poincare Duality

References:

Hatcher, Algebraic Topology

Greenberg and Harper, Algebraic Topology:  A First Course

Spanier, Algebraic Topology

Dold, Lectures on Algebraic Topology

Munkres, Elements of Algebraic Topology