Robert Kropholler's Home Page








A vague description of topics covered each class:

Lecture 1: Basic Topology and Graphs



Lecture 2: Simplicial Complexes



Lecture 3: Cell complexes



Lecture 4: Homotopy of maps



Lecture 5: Homotopy equivalence of spaces



Lecture 6: The simplicial approximation theorem



Lecture 7: The simplicial approximation theorem 2



Lecture 8: The fundamental group: Basics



Lecture 9: Functoriality of the fundamental group



Lecture 10: Edge loop group



Lecture 11: The fundamental group of the circle and the fundamental theorem of algebra



Lecture 12: Free groups: 3 definitions



Lecture 13: Free groups: Equivalence of definitions



Lecture 14: Group presentations: Basic properties



Lecture 15: Group presentations: Tietze transformations and van Dyk's lemma



Lecture 16: Free products and their universal property



Lecture 17: Push outs: Presentations and universal properties



Lecture 18: The Seifert van Kampen Theorem: Statement and applications



Lecture 19: A sketch of the proof of the Seifert van Kampen theorem



Lecture 20: Review of homework problems



Lecture 21 & 22: Covering spaces: Definitions and statement of properties



Lecture 23: Covering spaces: Proof of path lifting and uniquesness of lifts



Lecture 24: Covering spaces: Homotopy lifting and applications