A Topological Aperitif

This is a book of elementary geometric topology, in which geometry, frequently illustrated, guides calculation. The book starts with a wealth of examples, often subtle, of how to be mathematically certain whether two objects are the same from the point of view of topology.

After introducing surfaces, such as the Klein bottle, the book explores the properties of polyhedra drawn on these surfaces. More refined tools are developed in a chapter on winding number, and an appendix gives a glimpse of knot theory. Moreover, in this revised edition, a new section gives a geometrical description of part of the Classification Theorem for surfaces. Several striking new pictures show how given a sphere with any number of ordinary handles and at least one Klein handle, all the ordinary handles can be converted into Klein handles.

Numerous examples and exercises make this a useful textbook for a first undergraduate course in topology, providing a firm geometrical foundation for further study. For much of the book the prerequisites are slight, though, so anyone with curiosity and tenacity will be able to enjoy the Aperitif.

"...distinguished by clear and wonderful exposition and laden with informal motivation, visual aids, cool (and beautifully rendered) pictures...This is a terrific book and I recommend it very highly."

MAA Online

"Aperitif conjures up exactly the right impression of this book. The high ratio of illustrations to text makes it a quick read and its engaging style and subject matter whet the tastebuds for a range of possible main courses."

Mathematical Gazette

"A Topological Aperitif provides a marvellous introduction to the subject, with many different tastes of ideas."

Professor Sir Roger Penrose OM FRS, Mathematical Institute, Oxford, UK

Texte du rabat

Topologyhasbeenreferredtoas"rubber-sheetgeometry".Thenameisapt,for the subject is concerned with properties of an object that would be preserved, no matter how much it is stretched, squashed, or distorted, so long as it is not in any way torn apart or glued together. One's ?rst reaction might be that such animprecise-soundingsubjectcouldhardlybepartofseriousmathematics,and wouldbeunlikelytohaveapplicationsbeyondtheamusementofsimpleparlour games. This reaction could hardly be further from the truth. Topology is one of the most important and broad-ranging disciplines of modern mathematics. It is a subject of great precision and of breadth of development. It has vastly many applications, some of great importance, ranging from particle physics to cosmology, and from hydrodynamics to algebra and number theory. It is also a subject of great beauty and depth. To appreciate something of this, it is not necessary to delve into the more obscure aspects of mathematical formalism. For topology is, at least initially, a very visual subject. Some of its concepts apply to spaces of large numbers of dimensions, and therefore do not easily submit to reasoning that depends upon direct pictorial representation. But even in such cases, important insights can be obtained from the visual - rusal of a simple geometrical con?guration. Although much modern topology depends upon ?nely tuned abstract algebraic machinery of great mathematical sophistication, the underlying ideas are often very simple and can be appre- ated by the examination of properties of elementary-looking drawings.

Contenu

Homeomorphic Sets.- Topological Properties.- Equivalent Subsets.- Surfaces and Spaces.- Polyhedra.- Winding Number.