The Bockstein homomorphism is a tool in algebraic topology, specifically in the study of cohomology theories and exact sequences of coefficients. It often appears in the context of Singular Cohomology and Cohomology with local coefficients. To understand the Bockstein homomorphism, it helps to start with the following concepts: 1. **Exact Sequence**: The Bockstein homomorphism is most commonly associated with a short exact sequence of abelian groups (or modules).
A CW complex (pronounced "C-W complex") is a type of topological space that is particularly useful in algebraic topology. The term "CW" stands for "cellular" and "weak," referring to the construction method used to create such complexes. A CW complex is constructed using "cells," which are basic building blocks, typically in the shape of disks of different dimensions.
The "calculus of functors" is a concept from category theory, a branch of mathematics that deals with abstract structures and the relationships between them. In more detail, it refers to methods and techniques for manipulating functors, which are mappings between categories that preserve the structures of those categories. ### Key Concepts: 1. **Categories**: A category consists of objects and morphisms (arrows) between those objects that satisfy certain properties (e.g., composition and identity).
The Cartan model typically refers to a technique in differential geometry and algebraic topology that is used to compute the homology of certain types of spaces. Named after the French mathematician Henri Cartan, this model is particularly prominent in the context of the study of differential forms and de Rham cohomology.
Categorification is a process in mathematics where concepts that are usually expressed in terms of sets or individual objects are translated or "lifted" to a higher level of abstraction using category theory. The idea is to replace certain algebraic structures with categorical counterparts, leading to richer structures and insights.
The category of compactly generated weak Hausdorff spaces is a specific category in the field of topology that consists of certain types of topological spaces. Here are some details about this category: 1. **Objects**: The objects in this category are compactly generated spaces that are also weak Hausdorff.
In algebraic topology, a **chain** refers to a formal sum of simplices (or other geometric objects) that is used to construct algebraic invariants of topological spaces, typically within the framework of **singular homology** or **simplicial homology**. ### Key Concepts: 1. **Simplicial Complex**: A simplicial complex is a collection of vertices, edges, triangles, and higher-dimensional simplices that are glued together in a specific way.
"Change of fiber" typically refers to a process or event in which the characteristics or properties of fiber material are altered, transformed, or switched. This term can have a few different interpretations depending on the context in which it is used: 1. **Textiles and Manufacturing**: In the context of textiles, a "change of fiber" may refer to the substitution of one type of fiber for another in the production of fabrics or materials.
In mathematics, particularly in topology and algebraic topology, a **classifying space** is a specific type of topological space that allows one to classify certain types of mathematical structures up to isomorphism using principal bundles. The concept is most commonly associated with fiber bundles, especially vector bundles and principal G-bundles, where \( G \) is a topological group.
In topology, a classifying space for a topological group provides a way to classify principal bundles associated with that group. For the orthogonal group \( O(n) \), the classifying space is denoted \( BO(n) \). ### Understanding \( BO(n) \): 1. **Definition**: The classifying space \( BO(n) \) is defined as the space of all oriented real n-dimensional vector bundles.
In the context of graph theory and topology, a **clique complex** is a type of simplicial complex that is constructed from the cliques of a graph. A clique, in graph terminology, refers to a subset of vertices that are all adjacent to each other, meaning there is an edge between every pair of vertices in that subset.
The cobordism ring is an algebraic structure that arises in the study of manifolds in topology, particularly in the context of cobordism theory. In broad terms, cobordism is an equivalence relation on compact manifolds, which provides a way to categorize manifolds according to their geometric properties. ### Definition 1.
In category theory, a *cocycle category* often refers to a category that encapsulates the notion of cocycles in a certain context, particularly in algebraic topology, homological algebra, or related fields. However, the precise meaning can vary depending on the specific area of application. Generally speaking, cocycles are used to define cohomology theories, and they represent classes of cochains that satisfy certain conditions.
Cohomology operations are algebraic tools used in algebraic topology and related fields to study the properties of topological spaces through their cohomology groups. Cohomology itself is a mathematical concept that associates a series of abelian groups or vector spaces with a topological space, capturing information about its structure and features.
In topology, "collapse" generally refers to a process in which a space is transformed into a simpler space by identifying or merging certain points. More formally, it often involves a kind of equivalence relation on a topological space that leads to a new space, typically by collapsing a subspace of points into a single point or by collapsing all points in a certain way. One specific example of collapsing is the creation of a quotient space.
A combinatorial map is a mathematical structure used primarily in the field of topology and combinatorial geometry. It provides a way to represent and manipulate geometrical objects, particularly in the context of surfaces and subdivision of spaces. The main features of a combinatorial map include: 1. **Vertex-Edge-Face Representation**: Combinatorial maps describe the relationships between vertices (0-dimension), edges (1-dimension), and faces (2-dimension).
In the context of stable homotopy theory, a **commutative ring spectrum** is a type of spectrum that captures both the combinatorial aspects of algebra and the topological aspects of stable homotopy theory. ### Basic Concepts 1. **Spectrum**: A spectrum is a sequence of spaces (or pointed topological spaces) that are connected by stable homotopy equivalences.
A comodule over a Hopf algebroid is a mathematical structure that generalizes the notion of a comodule over a Hopf algebra. Hopf algebras are algebraic structures that combine aspects of both algebra and coalgebra with additional properties (like the existence of an antipode). A Hopf algebroid is a more general structure that facilitates the study of categories and schemes over a base algebra.
Complex-oriented cohomology theories are a class of cohomology theories in algebraic topology that are designed to systematically generalize the notion of complex vector bundles and complex-oriented cohomology in spaces. At their core, these theories provide a way to study the topology of spaces using complex vector bundles and cohomological methods.
Complex cobordism is a concept from algebraic topology, a branch of mathematics that studies topological spaces with the methods of abstract algebra. Specifically, complex cobordism is concerned with the relationships between different manifolds (smooth, differentiable structures) via a kind of equivalence that is defined through the notion of cobordism.