Math 5345 (Introduction to Topology)
MWF 1: 25 PM
Vincent 209

Instructor: Professor Joel Roberts

• Vincent 351
• 625-1076
• e-mail: roberts@math.umn.edu
• URL: http://www.math.umn.edu/~roberts
• Office hours
• MW 2:30 p.m.
• Friday 9:05 a.m.
• Tuesday and/or Thursday office hours may be set up later.
  Also, if the established hours don't fit your schedule, please get in touch with me
  (625-1076 or roberts@math.umn.edu) to arrange an appointment.

Text: Topology, by D.W. Kahn. Dover, 1995

Class webpage: http://www.math.umn.edu/~roberts/math5345/
Check this page regularly for important information about the class.

Subject matter:

1. Background material from set theory and logic.
2. Metric spaces: open and closed sets, continuous maps.
3. General topological spaces: basic properties.
4. Compactness and connectedness.
5. Criteria for metrizibility (including Urysohn's theorem).
6. Quotient spaces, local compactness, complete metric spaces.
7. Other topics as time permits.

• Learning to read, understand, and write proofs of propositions in mathematics. This can be difficult if you haven’t previously taken abstract math courses; therefore I will try to help you learn to do this by giving appropriate feedback about the homework and by being available to answer questions during office hours.

Prerequisite:

• Sophomore level math, including multivariable calculus
• Math 2283 or Math 3283 (Sequences, Series and Foundations) [ or concurrent registration in that course ]
  (If you took the honors version of sophomore calculus, then a lot of the material from Math 2283/Math3283 may have been covered there.)

  Required work:

  • Homework assignments: About 2 assignments each 3 weeks, for a total of 10 assignments.
     
  • A midterm test: Actual date is Wednesday, October 25
     
  • Final exam:Tuesday, December 19,   1:30pm to 3:30pm
    

  Grading policies (corrected October 12, 2000):

  • The midterm test will count for 30% of the grade.
  • The final exam will count for 40% of the grade.
  • Homework will count for 30% of the grade.

  Other policies:

  • Late homeworkwill be accepted until the third class meeting after the due date, but will notbe accepted after that time.
    We can, however, drop up to 2 missing assignments or the 2 lowest homework assignment grades.
     
  • Exams must be taken on the scheduled date except for serious emergencies, for example illness that requires medical attention. Prompt notification is required.
     
  • An Incomplete is given only when most of the required work for the course has been completed with passing grades and there is a reasonable expectation that the missing work can be made up.
     

  ---

  Comments and questions to:  roberts@math.umn.edu

  ---

  Back to the class homepage.