Cohomology operations are at the center of a major area of activity in algebraic topology. This treatment explores the single most important variety of operations, the Steenrod squares. It constructs these operations, proves their major properties, and provides numerous applications, including several different techniques of homotopy theory useful for computation. 1968 edition.

Although the theory and applications of secondary cohomology operations are an important part of an advanced graduate-level algebraic topology course, there are few books on the subject. The AMS now fills that gap with the publication of the present volume. The author's main purpose in this book is to develop the theory of secondary cohomology operations for singular cohomology theory, which is treated in terms of elementary constructions from general homotopy theory. Among manyapplications considered are the Hopf invariant one theorem (for all primes $p$, including $p = 2$), Browder's theorem on higher Bockstein operations, and cohomology theory of Massey-Peterson fibrations. Numerous examples and exercises help readers to gain a working knowledge of the theory. A summary ofmore advanced parts of the core material is included in the first chapter. Prerequisite is basic algebraic topology, including the Steenrod operations. The book is geared toward graduate students and research mathematicians interested in algebraic topology and can be used for self-study or as a textbook for an advanced course on the topic. It is available in both hardcover and softcover editions.

Offers a summary for students and non-specialists who are interested in learning the basics of algebraic topology. This book covers fibrations and cofibrations, Hurewicz and cellular approximation theorems, topics in classical homotopy theory, simplicial sets, fiber bundles, Hopf algebras, and generalized homology and cohomology operations.

J. Frank Adams, the founder of stable homotopy theory, gave a lecture series at the University of Chicago in 1967, 1970, and 1971, the well-written notes of which are published in this classic in algebraic topology. The three series focused on Novikov's work on operations in complex cobordism, Quillen's work on formal groups and complex cobordism, and stable homotopy and generalized homology. Adams's exposition of the first two topics played a vital role in setting the stage for modern work on periodicity phenomena in stable homotopy theory. His exposition on the third topic occupies the bulk of the book and gives his definitive treatment of the Adams spectral sequence along with many detailed examples and calculations in KU-theory that help give a feel for the subject.

Since the publication of its first edition, this book has served as one of the few available on the classical Adams spectral sequence, and is the best account on the Adams-Novikov spectral sequence. This new edition has been updated in many places, especially the final chapter, which has been completely rewritten with an eye toward future research in the field. It remains the definitive reference on the stable homotopy groups of spheres. The first three chapters introduce the homotopy groups of spheres and take the reader from the classical results in the field though the computational aspects of the classical Adams spectral sequence and its modifications, which are the main tools topologists have to investigate the homotopy groups of spheres. Nowadays, the most efficient tools are the Brown-Peterson theory, the Adams-Novikov spectral sequence, and the chromatic spectral sequence, a device for analyzing the global structure of the stable homotopy groups of spheres and relating them to the cohomology of the Morava stabilizer groups. These topics are described in detail in Chapters 4 to 6. The revamped Chapter 7 is the computational payoff of the book, yielding a lot of information about the stable homotopy group of spheres. Appendices follow, giving self-contained accounts of the theory of formal group laws and the homological algebra associated with Hopf algebras and Hopf algebroids. The book is intended for anyone wishing to study computational stable homotopy theory. It is accessible to graduate students with a knowledge of algebraic topology and recommended to anyone wishing to venture into the frontiers of the subject.

From the reviews: "The author has attempted an ambitious and most commendable project. [...] The book contains much material that has not previously appeared in this format. The writing is clean and clear and the exposition is well motivated. [...] This book is, all in all, a very admirable work and a valuable addition to the literature." Mathematical Reviews