Topospaces:Guided tour for beginners
Whom this guided tour is for
Thus guided tour is for beginners, viz., people who:
- Are new to point-set topology in the abstract
- Are from disciplines related to mathematics where topological concepts and terms are applied, but have no formal training in topology
- Want to brush up point-set topology to undertake further study in analysis, algebraic topology, or some other discipline
How to start
Typical ways to learn topology
Topology is a subject rich in definitions, examples, riders, and counter-examples. It combines geometric intuition with logical rigour, and is eminently suited for faithfully following a good textbook, understanding the definitions and ploughing through the riders. A standard course in the subject could also be helpful, though at the level of point-set topology, self-study is probably more effective.
How a wiki comes in
The main advantage of the wiki is:
- Very easy and fast lookup of definitions, facts etc.
- The ability to relate, compare, and move between topics and ideas
Locating pages
Whenever searching for the definition of a term, type the term in the "Search" bar on the left and press "Go" or alternatively type the url
http://topospaces.wiki-site.com/index.php/Termname
with Termname being replaced by the name of the term.
Apart from locating arbitrary pages, you may also be able to locate simple definitions and facts by looking at the listings of the following categories:
If these fail to house what you're looking for, then some other places to check for definitions are:
Other places to check for facts are:
To make each page as self-contained as possible and minimize the need to keep switching across pages, we have tried to put all relevant information on the page itself, with other pages only needed for people who want to understand the idea in greater detail. For instance, in the statement of any important result relating the meanings of some terms, the definitions applied for each of the terms are clearly specified.
When you see some other definition related to the term/fact being defined or discussed, and you want to read it, please open it in a new tab (or new window if tabbed browsing is not allowed in your browser).