Topology I

Welcome to Topology I!

This course is the first half of a year long introduction to topology. In this first half of the course, we will primarily discuss point set topology. The main part of the course will cover most of chapters 2-4 and chapter 9 of Munkres' textbook and parts of chapters 0-1 of Hatcher's book, including: basic definitions and examples of topological spaces and continuous functions, properties of topological spaces used to distinguish between shapes (such as connectedness, compactness, separability), deforming one space into another ("homotopy"), the fundamental group, and applications. The central learning objective of the course is to develop skills in logical reasoning and reading and writing proofs.



Course expectations: Attendance is expected, as much as possible, but please do not attend class if you are feeling ill. By enrolling in this class, you are agreeing to be an engaged student, to come to class with a learner's attitude, and to encourage your fellow students to do the same. Regular class attendance and participation, and working through the homework, are your best methods for insuring that you will keep up with the material, and to make sure that you understand all of the concepts.
You are encouraged to work on the problem sets together in groups, or discuss them with me; you should however write up your own solutions. You are also encouraged to use our course materials while working on the problem sets, especially our class notes. See our course syllabus for the AI policy for this class.

Office Hours: Mondays 5 – 6 pm and Fridays 10:30 – 11:30 am.