How surfaces intersect in space: an introduction to topology

J. Scott Carter9789810210502, 9810210507, 9789810220822, 9810220820, 9810220669

This text presents pictures that illustrates standard examples in low dimensional topology. It begins at the most basic level (the intersection of coordinate planes) and gives hands on constructions of examples in topology: the projective plane, Poincare’s example of a homology sphere, lens spaces, knotted surfaces, 2-sphere eversions and higher dimensional manifolds. The text explains the importance of the examples and the techniques without being bogged down in technicalities. The book is a guide to a wide variety of topics. It should be of use to undergraduates who want to learn geometric topology and to graduate students who want examples with which they can make computations and who need an elementary description of topological spaces. It should also be interesting to other scientists and mathematicians who want to learn some examples of topological spaces.