Synopses & Reviews
gentle introduction to the subject, leading the reader to understand the notion of what is important in topology with regard to geometry. Divided into three sections - The line and the plane, Metric spaces and Topological spaces -, the book eases the move into higher levels of abstraction. Students are thereby informally assisted in learning new ideas while remaining on familiar territory. The authors do not assume previous knowledge of axiomatic approach or set theory. Similarly, they have restricted the mathematical vocabulary in the book so as to avoid overwhelming the reader, and the concept of convergence is employed to allow students to focus on a central theme while moving to a natural understanding of the notion of topology. The pace of the book is relaxed with gradual acceleration: the first nine sections form a balanced course in metric spaces for undergraduates while also containing ample material for a two-semester graduate course. Finally, the book illustrates the many connections between topology and other subjects, such as analysis and set theory, via the inclusion of "Extras" at the end of each chapter presenting a brief foray outside topology.
Synopsis
This book is a text, not a reference, on Point-set Thpology. It addresses itself to the student who is proficient in Calculus and has some experience with mathematical rigor, acquired, e.g., via a course in Advanced Calculus or Linear Algebra. Th most beginners, Thpology offers a double challenge. In addition to the strangeness of concepts and techniques presented by any new subject, there is an abrupt rise of the level of abstraction. It is a bad idea to teach a student two things at the same moment. Th mitigate the culture shock, we move from the special to the general, dividing the book into three parts: 1. The Line and the Plane 2. Metric Spaces 3. Thpological Spaces. In this way, the student has ample time to get acquainted with new ideas while still on familiar territory. Only after that, the transition to a more abstract point of view takes place. Elementary Thpology preeminently is a subject with an extensive ar ray of technical terms indicating properties of topological spaces. In the main body of the text, we have purposely restricted our mathematical vocabulary as much as is reasonably possible. Such an enterprise is risky. Doubtlessly, many readers will find us too thrifty. Th meet them halfway, in Chapter 18 we briefly introduce and discuss a number of topological properties, but even there we do not touch on paracompactness, com plete normality, and extremal disconnectedness-just to mention three terms that are not really esoteric."
Synopsis
Topological Spaces: From Distance to Neighborhood is a gentle introduction to topological spaces leading the reader to understand the notion of what is important in topology vis-a-vis geometry. The authors have carefully divided the book into three sections; The line and the plane, Metric spaces and Topological spaces, in order to mitigate the the move into higher levels of abstraction. Students will be very attracted to this presentation.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 306) and indexes.
Table of Contents
Contents: Preface.- The Line and the Plane. What Topology is about; Axioms for R.; Convergent sequences and continuity; Curves in the plane.- Metric Spaces. Metrics; Open and closed sets; Completeness; Uniform convergence; Sequential compactness; Convergent nets; Transition to Topology.- Topological Spaces. Topological spaces; Compactness and the Hausdorff property; Products and quotients; The Hahn-Tietze-Tong-Urysohn Theorems; Connectedness; Tychonoff's Theorem.- Postscript. A Smorgasbord for further study; Countable sets.- A Farewell to the Reader.- Literature.- Index of Symbols.- Index of Terms.