AMAT 342 : Elementary Topology

Fall 2019, Class #1907

Tuesday, Thursday 10:15-11:35 in ES 108

Instructor: Michael Lesnick
mlesnick [at] albany [dot] [the usual thing]
Office: Earth Sciences 120D
Office Hours: Tuesday 4:15-5:15, Friday 1:00-2:00, and by appointment
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Lecture Notes

Homework

Exam Dates :
Midterm I: Thursday October 10 (tentative),
Midterm II: Tue, November 12 (tentative),
Final: Tues. Dec 17th, 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

About this Course:
This course will introduce some of the key ideas of topology. Topology studies the properties of geometric objects that are preserved under "continuous deformations." Informally speaking, continous deformations include bending, twisting, and stretching of the object, but not tearing or puncturing.

Topology is one of the major areas of modern mathematics. It is a beautiful subject in its own right and it plays an important role in other parts of mathematics, the sciences, and engineering.

Course Textbook:
The required textbook is "Topology of Surfaces, Knots, and Manifolds" by Stephan C. Carlson. I might also assign other readings throughout the course; for these, I will provide handouts or links to online material.

I plan to post copies of my (handwritten) lecture notes after each class, usually on the same day as the lecture.

Prerequisites:
AMAT 214, AMAT 220, and AMAT 299.

Homework and Quizzes:
Homework will be assigned reguarly. You may discuss the homework with others, but you must complete all of the assignments yourself. In addition, we may occasionally have quizzes.

Grading:
The class will use the university's A-E grading scheme.

25%: Homework and Quizzes
20%: Midterm I
20%: Midterm II
35%: Final
2% (bonus): Class participation / engagement.

Each homework and quiz will be weighted equally, and the lowest two homework/quiz scores will be dropped.

NOTE: The midterm and final may be curved, but not downward.

Academic Regulations:
Naturally, SUNY Albany's Undergraduate Academic Regulations apply to this course, and students are expected to be familiar with these. The regulations concern academic integrity and missing/rescheduling exams, among other things. Students should also be aware of the University's Medical Excuse Policy.

There will be no leeway on missed exams or last-minute exam rescheduling, except as noted in the regulations. If you anticipate an issue with the timing of an exam, please let me know as soon as possible.