A First Course in Topology

A Course in Topological Combinatorics is the first undergraduate textbook on the field of topological combinatorics, a subject that has become an active and innovative research area in mathematics over the last thirty years with growing applications in math, computer science, and other applied areas.

A Course in Topological Combinatorics is the first undergraduate textbook on the field of topological combinatorics, a subject that has become an active and innovative research area in mathematics over the last thirty years with growing applications in math, computer science, and other applied areas.

by Stephen Huggett (Author), David Jordan (Author)
Takes a new approach to the subject by choosing a geometrical rather than an algebraic or combinatorial approach
Contains many examples to develop the student's grasp of the subject and their ability to produce rigorous arguments
Includes a foreword written by Roger Penrose
Co-written by Stephen Huggett, a leader in the field, whose work includes the 2007 lecture on "Knots", which is available on DVD through the LMS Popular Lecture series

This English edition could serve as a text for a first year graduate course on differential geometry, as did for a long time the Chicago Notes of Chern mentioned in the Preface to the German Edition. Suitable references for ordin­ ary differential equations are Hurewicz, W. Lectures on ordinary differential equations. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass., 1958, and for the topology of surfaces: Massey, Algebraic Topology, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1977. Upon David Hoffman fell the difficult task of transforming the tightly constructed German text into one which would mesh well with the more relaxed format of the Graduate Texts in Mathematics series. There are some e1aborations and several new figures have been added. I trust that the merits of the German edition have survived whereas at the same time the efforts of David helped to elucidate the general conception of the Course where we tried to put Geometry before Formalism without giving up mathematical rigour. 1 wish to thank David for his work and his enthusiasm during the whole period of our collaboration. At the same time I would like to commend the editors of Springer-Verlag for their patience and good advice. Bonn Wilhelm Klingenberg June,1977 vii From the Preface to the German Edition This book has its origins in a one-semester course in differential geometry which 1 have given many times at Gottingen, Mainz, and Bonn.

This English edition could serve as a text for a first year graduate course on differential geometry, as did for a long time the Chicago Notes of Chern mentioned in the Preface to the German Edition. Suitable references for ordin­ ary differential equations are Hurewicz, W. Lectures on ordinary differential equations. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass., 1958, and for the topology of surfaces: Massey, Algebraic Topology, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1977. Upon David Hoffman fell the difficult task of transforming the tightly constructed German text into one which would mesh well with the more relaxed format of the Graduate Texts in Mathematics series. There are some e1aborations and several new figures have been added. I trust that the merits of the German edition have survived whereas at the same time the efforts of David helped to elucidate the general conception of the Course where we tried to put Geometry before Formalism without giving up mathematical rigour. 1 wish to thank David for his work and his enthusiasm during the whole period of our collaboration. At the same time I would like to commend the editors of Springer-Verlag for their patience and good advice. Bonn Wilhelm Klingenberg June,1977 vii From the Preface to the German Edition This book has its origins in a one-semester course in differential geometry which 1 have given many times at Gottingen, Mainz, and Bonn.