MATH 6457

Introduction to Geometry and Topology I

Fall 2013 Course Information

Instructor: Thang Le
Office: Skiles 102B
Office hours: TR 10-11 am, and by appointment (to be arranged via an email, or in class).
Phone: (404) 385-0054 (I do not check voicemail).
Email: letu at math.gatech.edu (This is the best way to contact me).

Lectures: TR 3:05 pm - 4:25 pm, Skiles 255.

Prerequisite: I will be assuming you are familiar with fundamentals of Analysis and General Topology (e.g. Math 4317). I will review basic concepts of General Topology during the first couple of lectures.

Textbooks: The textbooks for this class are Differential Topology by V. Guillemin/A. Pollack and Algebraic Topology by Hatcher (available on-line). Another book you might find useful: Differential Manifolds by Lawrence Conlon. We will be covering the basics of fundamental groups and covering spaces from Hatcher's book, and smooth manifolds, transversality and intersections, vector fields, differential forms and integration on manifolds from Guillemin & Pollack's book.

Grading and homework: Grading for the class will be based on approximately six homework assignments, one in class exam and one take-home exam, and class attendance/participation. The assignments will be posted here and will be due in class on the day indicated on the assignment. You may collaborate with other students on these assignments but you must write up your own solutions.