Branches of Mathematic

Algebraic Topology

Topology

Algebraic topology is the branch of mathematics that studies topological spaces by attaching algebraic invariants, such as groups, to them, so that continuous shape can be probed by computation. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Central Question
Which algebraic invariants classify topological spaces up to homeomorphism, or at least up to the coarser equivalence of homotopy, and how much of a space's shape survives translation into algebra. 1
Key Debate
Whether purely algebraic reasoning can settle questions that geometric construction alone cannot. L. E. J. Brouwer's fixed-point theorem, proving that every continuous map of a disk to itself fixes some point, was an early demonstration that tracking how a map acts on a space's algebraic invariants could decide a question no direct construction had settled. 1
Classification
Pure or Applied
Pure Mathematics 1
Connections

Associated With

Includes

Source Armand Borel (Wikipedia)
Additional Source Brouwer Fixed-Point Theorem (Wikipedia)First proofs subsection
Source Brown's representability theorem (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: Edgar H. Brown
Source Edwin Spanier (MacTutor)
Source Eilenberg-Ganea conjecture (Wikipedia)
Source Eilenberg Zilber theorem (Wikipedia)
Source Wolfram MathWorld: Freudenthal Suspension Theorem
Source National Academy of Sciences: George W. Whitehead Jr. 1918-2004, A Biographical Memoir
Source Guy Hirsch (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: Hans Freudenthal
Source Henri Cartan (Wikipedia)
Source Hermann Künneth (Wikipedia)
Source Hurewicz theorem, Wikipedia
Source Wikipedia: J. H. C. Whitehead
Source Jean Leray, Wikipedia
Source MacTutor biography of Jean-Pierre Serre, St Andrews
Source Princeton University Department of Mathematics: John C. Moore
Source Professor John Hubbuck (University of Aberdeen)
Source Leopold Vietoris, Biography (MacTutor History of Mathematics)
Source Lev Pontryagin (Wikipedia)
Manifold, Concepts
Source Max Karoubi (Wikipedia)
Source Mayer-Vietoris Theorem (Wikipedia)
Source Mikhail Mikhailovich Postnikov (MacTutor)
Source MacTutor History of Mathematics: Norman Steenrod
Source Homology sphere (Wikipedia)
Source Riemann-Hurwitz formula, Wikipedia
Source Ruth Lawrence (Wikipedia)
Source Sergei Novikov (mathematician) (Wikipedia)
Source Shaun Wylie (MacTutor)
Source Wikipedia: Solomon Lefschetz
Source Vladimir Rokhlin (Wikipedia)
Source Vladimir Voevodsky (Wikipedia)
Source Whitehead Conjecture (Wikipedia)
Source MacTutor History of Mathematics: William Browder
Source William Richard Maximilian Hugo Threlfall (MacTutor)
Source Witold Hurewicz (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Algebraic Topology
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Opening paragraph
    Algebraic topology is a branch of mathematics that uses tools from abstract algebra to study topological spaces.
  • Method of algebraic invariants section
    In the algebraic approach, one finds a correspondence between spaces and groups that respects the relation of homeomorphism (or more general homotopy) of spaces.
  • Setting in category theory section
    They defined homology and cohomology as functors equipped with natural transformations subject to certain axioms (e.g., a weak equivalence of spaces passes to an isomorphism of homology groups), verified that all existing (co)homology theories satisfied these axioms, and then proved that such an axiomatization uniquely characterized the theory.
  • Lead section
    The basic goal is to find algebraic invariants that classify topological spaces up to homeomorphism, though usually most classify up to homotopy equivalence.
  • Applications
    The Brouwer fixed point theorem: every continuous map from the unit n-disk to itself has a fixed point.
  • In Group: Foundations and Algebraic Topology, lead paragraph
    Algebraic topology is a branch of mathematics that uses tools from abstract algebra to study topological spaces.
View the Source
Brouwer Fixed-Point Theorem (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Brouwer Fixed-Point Theorem, First proofs subsection
Quote, Includes: Brouwer Fixed-Point Theorem, First proofs subsection
one of the early achievements of algebraic topology
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Brown's representability theorem (Wikipedia)
Includes: Brown Representability Theorem, Lead
Quote, Includes: Brown Representability Theorem, Lead
Brown's representability theorem in homotopy theory gives necessary and sufficient conditions
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Armand Borel (Wikipedia)
Includes: Armand Borel, Lead
Quote, Includes: Armand Borel, Lead
He worked in algebraic topology, in the theory of Lie groups
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Jean Leray, Wikipedia
Includes: Jean Leray, Lead, algebraic topology
Quote, Includes: Jean Leray, Lead, algebraic topology
was a French mathematician, who worked on both partial differential equations and algebraic topology
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Guy Hirsch (Wikipedia)
Includes: Guy Hirsch, Lead, fields of work
Quote, Includes: Guy Hirsch, Lead, fields of work
who worked on algebraic topology and epistemology of mathematics
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Hermann Künneth (Wikipedia)
Includes: Hermann Künneth, Lead
Quote, Includes: Hermann Künneth, Lead
a German mathematician and renowned algebraic topologist
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Sergei Novikov (mathematician) (Wikipedia)
Includes: Sergei Novikov, Lead
Quote, Includes: Sergei Novikov, Lead
noted for work in both algebraic topology and soliton theory
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Witold Hurewicz (Wikipedia)
Includes: Witold Hurewicz, Lead
Quote, Includes: Witold Hurewicz, Lead
who worked in general topology, algebraic topology and dimension theory
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Henri Cartan (Wikipedia)
Includes: Henri Cartan, Lead
Quote, Includes: Henri Cartan, Lead
made substantial contributions to algebraic topology
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Lev Pontryagin (Wikipedia)
Includes: Lev Pontryagin, Lead
Quote, Includes: Lev Pontryagin, Lead
including algebraic topology, differential topology and optimal control
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Vladimir Voevodsky (Wikipedia)
Includes: Vladimir Voevodsky, Work
Quote, Includes: Vladimir Voevodsky, Work
Voevodsky's work was in the intersection of algebraic geometry with algebraic topology
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MacTutor History of Mathematics: William Browder
MacTutor History of MathematicsIncludes: William Browder, Summary
Quote, Includes: William Browder, Summary
specialising in algebraic topology, differential topology and differential geometry
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Max Karoubi (Wikipedia)
Includes: Max Karoubi, Lead, topologist
Quote, Includes: Max Karoubi, Lead, topologist
is a French mathematician, topologist, who works on K-theory
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Princeton University Department of Mathematics: John C. Moore
Princeton University Department of MathematicsIncludes: John Coleman Moore, Memorial, legacy
Quote, Includes: John Coleman Moore, Memorial, legacy
His legacy lives on in modern algebraic topology
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National Academy of Sciences: George W. Whitehead Jr. 1918-2004, A Biographical Memoir
National Academy of SciencesIncludes: George W. Whitehead, PDF page 4, Work
Quote, Includes: George W. Whitehead, PDF page 4, Work
George Whitehead was instrumental in shepherding homotopy theory
View the Source
MacTutor History of Mathematics: Norman Steenrod
MacTutor History of MathematicsIncludes: Norman Steenrod, Summary
Quote, Includes: Norman Steenrod, Summary
who worked in algebraic topology and was one of the founders of homological algebra
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Ruth Lawrence (Wikipedia)
Includes: Ruth Lawrence, Lead, algebraic topology
Quote, Includes: Ruth Lawrence, Lead, algebraic topology
a researcher in knot theory and algebraic topology
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Professor John Hubbuck (University of Aberdeen)
Includes: John Hubbuck, Research Overview
Quote, Includes: John Hubbuck, Research Overview
main research interests are in algebraic topology
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Shaun Wylie (MacTutor)
Includes: Shaun Wylie, Summary
Quote, Includes: Shaun Wylie, Summary
He wrote an important text-book on algebraic topology.
View the Source
Vladimir Rokhlin (Wikipedia)
Includes: Vladimir Rokhlin, Lead, contributions
Quote, Includes: Vladimir Rokhlin, Lead, contributions
made numerous contributions in algebraic topology, geometry, measure theory, probability theory, ergodic theory and entropy theory
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William Richard Maximilian Hugo Threlfall (MacTutor)
Includes: William Threlfall, Summary
Quote, Includes: William Threlfall, Summary
William Threlfall was a German mathematician who worked on algebraic topology.
View the Source
Edwin Spanier (MacTutor)
Includes: Edwin Spanier, Summary
Quote, Includes: Edwin Spanier, Summary
Edwin Spanier was an American mathematician who worked in algebraic topology.
View the Source
Mikhail Mikhailovich Postnikov (MacTutor)
Includes: Mikhail Postnikov, Summary, algebraic topology
Quote, Includes: Mikhail Postnikov, Summary, algebraic topology
Mikhail Postnikov was a Soviet mathematician who worked in algebraic and differential topology.
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Homology sphere (Wikipedia)
Includes: Poincare Homology Sphere, Lead sentence
Quote, Includes: Poincare Homology Sphere, Lead sentence
In algebraic topology, a homology sphere is an n-manifold X having the homology groups of an n-sphere, for some integer n ≥ 1 .
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Hurewicz theorem, Wikipedia
Includes: Hurewicz Theorem, Lead sentence
Quote, Includes: Hurewicz Theorem, Lead sentence
matics, the Hurewicz theorem is a basic result of algebraic topology, connecting homotopy theory with homology theory via a map kn
View the Source
Eilenberg-Ganea conjecture (Wikipedia)
Includes: Eilenberg-Ganea Conjecture, Lead sentenceView the Source
Whitehead Conjecture (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Whitehead Conjecture, Lead sentence
Quote, Includes: Whitehead Conjecture, Lead sentence
e Whitehead asphericity conjecture) is a claim in algebraic topology.
View the Source
Mayer-Vietoris Theorem (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Mayer-Vietoris Theorem, Lead sentenceView the Source
Eilenberg Zilber theorem (Wikipedia)
Includes: Eilenberg-Zilber Theorem, Lead sentenceView the Source
Wikipedia: J. H. C. Whitehead
Includes: J. H. C. Whitehead, Lead
Quote, Includes: J. H. C. Whitehead, Lead
John Henry Constantine Whitehead (11 November 1904-8 May 1960), known as "Henry", was a British mathematician and was one of the founders of homotopy theory.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Hans Freudenthal
Includes: Hans Freudenthal, Lead
Quote, Includes: Hans Freudenthal, Lead
He made substantial contributions to algebraic topology and also took an interest in literature, philosophy, history and mathematics education.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Edgar H. Brown
Includes: Edgar H. Brown, Lead
Quote, Includes: Edgar H. Brown, Lead
Edgar Henry Brown, Jr. (December 27, 1926, December 22, 2021) was an American mathematician specializing in algebraic topology, and for many years a professor at Brandeis University. == Life == Brown was born in Oak Park, Illinois.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Solomon Lefschetz
Includes: Solomon Lefschetz, Lead
Quote, Includes: Solomon Lefschetz, Lead
Соломо́н Ле́фшец; 3 September 1884-5 October 1972) was a Russian-born American mathematician who did fundamental work on algebraic topology, its applications to algebraic geometry, and the theory of non-linear ordinary differential equations. == Life == He was born in Moscow, the son of Alexander
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Riemann-Hurwitz formula, Wikipedia
Includes: Riemann-Hurwitz Formula, Lead paragraph
Quote, Includes: Riemann-Hurwitz Formula, Lead paragraph
It therefore connects ramification with algebraic topology, in this case.
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Wolfram MathWorld: Freudenthal Suspension Theorem
Wolfram MathWorldIncludes: Freudenthal Suspension Theorem, Subject classifications
Quote, Includes: Freudenthal Suspension Theorem, Subject classifications
Topology Algebraic Topology
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MacTutor biography of Jean-Pierre Serre, St Andrews
Includes: Jean-Pierre Serre, Summary
Quote, Includes: Jean-Pierre Serre, Summary
Jean-Pierre Serre is a French mathematician who has made important contributions to algebraic topology, algebraic geometry, and algebraic number theory.
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Leopold Vietoris, Biography (MacTutor History of Mathematics)
Includes: Leopold Vietoris, Summary
Quote, Includes: Leopold Vietoris, Summary
Leopold Vietoris was a long-lived Austrian mathematician best known for his contributions to topology, especially the Mayer-Vietoris sequence. He was also interested in mathematical history.
View the Source
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