MAS435   Algebraic Topology   (20 credits)

Description

This unit will cover algebraic topology, following on from MAS331: Metric Spaces. Topology studies the shape of space, with examples such as spheres, the Mobius Band, the Klein bottle, the torus and other surfaces. The first task is to formalise this notion of space, and to work out when a given space can be smoothly deformed into another, where stretching and bending is allowed, but cutting and glueing is not. Algebraic topology builds a powerful bridge between space and algebra, enabling the use familiar algebraic techniques from group theory to study spaces and their deformations.

Reading List