Scribd
Upload
96 views

What Is Topology

Topology studies properties of spaces that are invariant under continuous deformation, such as a square being deformable into a circle but not a figure 8. The document discusses several subfields of topology including general topology, combinatorial topology, algebraic topology, and differential topology.

Uploaded by

Payal Udicha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
96 views

What Is Topology

Topology studies properties of spaces that are invariant under continuous deformation, such as a square being deformable into a circle but not a figure 8. The document discusses several subfields of topology including general topology, combinatorial topology, algebraic topology, and differential topology.

Uploaded by

Payal Udicha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

WHAT IS TOPOLOGY?

Topology studies properties of spaces that are invariant under any continuous
deformation. It is sometimes called "rubber-sheet geometry" because the objects can
be stretched and contracted like rubber, but cannot be broken. For example, a square
can be deformed into a circle without breaking it, but a figure 8 cannot. Hence a
square is topologically equivalent to a circle, but different from a figure 8.

The following are some of the subfields of topology.


General Topology or Point Set Topology.
 General topology normally considers local properties of spaces, and is closely related
to analysis. It generalizes the concept of continuity to define topological spaces, in
which limits of sequences can be considered. Sometimes distances can be defined in
these spaces, in which case they are called metric spaces; sometimes no concept of
distance makes sense.

Combinatorial Topology.
 Combinatorial topology considers the global properties of spaces, built up from a
network of vertices, edges, and faces. This is the oldest branch of topology, and dates
back to Euler. It has been shown that topologically equivalent spaces have the same
numerical invariant, which we now call the Euler characteristic. This is the number
(V - E + F), where V, E, and F are the number of vertices, edges, and faces of an
object. For example, a tetrahedron and a cube are topologically equivalent to a
sphere, and any “triangulation” of a sphere will have a Euler characteristic of 2.

Algebraic Topology.
 Algebraic topology also considers the global properties of spaces, and uses algebraic
objects such as groups and rings to answer topological questions. Algebraic topology
converts a topological problem into an algebraic problem that is hopefully easier to
solve. For example, a group called a homology group can be associated to each space,
and the torus and the Klein bottle can be distinguished from each other because they
have different homology groups.
Differential Topology.
 Differential topology considers spaces with some kind of smoothness associated to
each point. In this case, the square and the circle would not be smoothly (or
differentiably) equivalent to each other. Differential topology is useful for studying
properties of vector fields, such as a magnetic or electric fields.

You might also like