Cohomology Operations And Applications In Homotopy Theory

Cohomology operations are at the center of a major area of activity in algebraic topology. This treatment explores the single most important variety of operations, the Steenrod squares. It constructs these operations, proves their major properties, and provides numerous applications, including several different techniques of homotopy theory useful for computation. 1968 edition.

Although the theory and applications of secondary cohomology operations are an important part of an advanced graduate-level algebraic topology course, there are few books on the subject. The AMS now fills that gap with the publication of the present volume. The author's main purpose in this book is to develop the theory of secondary cohomology operations for singular cohomology theory, which is treated in terms of elementary constructions from general homotopy theory. Among manyapplications considered are the Hopf invariant one theorem (for all primes $p$, including $p = 2$), Browder's theorem on higher Bockstein operations, and cohomology theory of Massey-Peterson fibrations. Numerous examples and exercises help readers to gain a working knowledge of the theory. A summary ofmore advanced parts of the core material is included in the first chapter. Prerequisite is basic algebraic topology, including the Steenrod operations. The book is geared toward graduate students and research mathematicians interested in algebraic topology and can be used for self-study or as a textbook for an advanced course on the topic. It is available in both hardcover and softcover editions.

The algebra of primary cohomology operations computed by the well-known Steenrod algebra is one of the most powerful tools of algebraic topology. This book computes the algebra of secondary cohomology operations which enriches the structure of the Steenrod algebra in a new and unexpected way. The book solves a long-standing problem on the algebra of secondary cohomology operations by developing a new algebraic theory of such operations. The results have strong impact on the Adams spectral sequence and hence on the computation of homotopy groups of spheres.

Homotopy Theory: An Introduction to Algebraic Topology

Offers a summary for students and non-specialists who are interested in learning the basics of algebraic topology. This book covers fibrations and cofibrations, Hurewicz and cellular approximation theorems, topics in classical homotopy theory, simplicial sets, fiber bundles, Hopf algebras, and generalized homology and cohomology operations.

From the reviews: "The author has attempted an ambitious and most commendable project. [...] The book contains much material that has not previously appeared in this format. The writing is clean and clear and the exposition is well motivated. [...] This book is, all in all, a very admirable work and a valuable addition to the literature." Mathematical Reviews

J. Frank Adams, the founder of stable homotopy theory, gave a lecture series at the University of Chicago in 1967, 1970, and 1971, the well-written notes of which are published in this classic in algebraic topology. The three series focused on Novikov's work on operations in complex cobordism, Quillen's work on formal groups and complex cobordism, and stable homotopy and generalized homology. Adams's exposition of the first two topics played a vital role in setting the stage for modern work on periodicity phenomena in stable homotopy theory. His exposition on the third topic occupies the bulk of the book and gives his definitive treatment of the Adams spectral sequence along with many detailed examples and calculations in KU-theory that help give a feel for the subject.

This book is the result of a conference held to examine developments in homotopy theory in honor of Samuel Gitler in July 1993 (Cocoyoc, Mexico). It includes several research papers and three expository papers on various topics in homotopy theory. The research papers discuss the following: BL application of homotopy theory to group theory BL fiber bundle theory BL homotopy theory The expository papers consider the following topics: BL the Atiyah-Jones conjecture (by C. Boyer) BL classifying spaces of finite groups (by J. Martino) BL instanton moduli spaces (by J. Milgram) Homotopy Theory and Its Applications offers a distinctive account of how homotopy theoretic methods can be applied to a variety of interesting problems.