Homotopy Theory: An Introduction to Algebraic Topology

This is a book in pure mathematics dealing with homotopy theory, one of the main branches of algebraic topology. The principal topics are as follows: Basic Homotopy; H-spaces and co-H-spaces; fibrations and cofibrations; exact sequences of homotopy sets, actions, and coactions; homotopy pushouts and pullbacks; classical theorems, including those of Serre, Hurewicz, Blakers-Massey, and Whitehead; homotopy Sets; homotopy and homology decompositions of spaces and maps; and obstruction theory. The underlying theme of the entire book is the Eckmann-Hilton duality theory. The book can be used as a text for the second semester of an advanced ungraduate or graduate algebraic topology course.

This introduction to some basic ideas in algebraic topology is devoted to the foundations and applications of homology theory. After the essentials of singular homology and some important applications are given, successive topics covered include attaching spaces, finite CW complexes, cohomology products, manifolds, Poincare duality, and fixed point theory. This second edition includes a chapter on covering spaces and many new exercises.

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.

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

Based on lectures to advanced undergraduate and first-year graduate students, this is a thorough, sophisticated, and modern treatment of elementary algebraic topology, essentially from a homotopy theoretic viewpoint. Author C.R.F. Maunder provides examples and exercises; and notes and references at the end of each chapter trace the historical development of the subject.

The core of classical homotopy theory is a body of ideas and theorems that emerged in the 1950s and was later largely codified in the notion of a model category. This core includes the notions of fibration and cofibration; CW complexes; long fiber and cofiber sequences; loop spaces and suspensions; and so on. Brown's representability theorems show that homology and cohomology are also contained in classical homotopy theory. This text develops classical homotopy theory from a modern point of view, meaning that the exposition is informed by the theory of model categories and that homotopy limits and colimits play central roles. The exposition is guided by the principle that it is generally preferable to prove topological results using topology (rather than algebra). The language and basic theory of homotopy limits and colimits make it possible to penetrate deep into the subject with just the rudiments of algebra. The text does reach advanced territory, including the Steenrod algebra, Bott periodicity, localization, the Exponent Theorem of Cohen, Moore, and Neisendorfer, and Miller's Theorem on the Sullivan Conjecture. Thus the reader is given the tools needed to understand and participate in research at (part of) the current frontier of homotopy theory. Proofs are not provided outright. Rather, they are presented in the form of directed problem sets. To the expert, these read as terse proofs; to novices they are challenges that draw them in and help them to thoroughly understand the arguments.