Instructor: Alexander Gorodnik
Office: 172 Sloan
Phone: 395-4325
E-mail: gorodnik "at" caltech "dot" edu
Office Hours: MW 9-10am and by appointment
TA: Dongping Zhuang
E-mail: dongping "at" caltech "dot" edu
Course Objective: Math 109a is the first of three courses in the 109 sequence, and is an introduction to topology. Topology studies geometrical properties of objects that are preserved under continuous deformations.
We will cover the following topics:
Prerequisites: Ma 2 or equivalent, and Ma 108 must be taken previously or concurrently.
Book:
V. A. Vassiliev, Introduction to Topology, AMS, 2001.
Our approach will deviate slightly from the one in this book.
We might discuss some of the topics that are not in the book and cover several
topics from a different prospective.
Grading Policy: Weekly homework (30%), a midterm (30%) and a final (40%). Late work will only be accepted with a valid and well-documented explanation. Please, contact Dongping Zhuang to submit late homework.
Collaboration Policy: You may discuss homework problems with other students, but solutions should be written up individually in your own words. Take-home exams must be your own work, with outside references properly attributed.
