Topology as a subject, in our opinion, plays a central role in university education. It is not really possible to design courses in differential geometry, mathematical analysis, differential equations, mechanics, functional analysis that correspond to the temporary state of these disciplines without involving topological concepts. Therefore, it is essential to acquaint students with topo logical research methods already in the first university courses. This textbook is one possible version of an introductory course in topo logy and elements of differential geometry, and it absolutely reflects...

This Introduction to Topology, which is a thoroughly revised, extensively rewritten, second edition of the work first published in Russian in 1980, is a primary manual of topology. It contains the basic concepts and theorems of general topology and homotopy theory, the classification of two-dimensional surfaces, an outline of smooth manifold theory and mappings of smooth manifolds. Elements of Morse and homology theory, with their application to fixed points, are also included. Finally, the role of topology in mathematical analysis, geometry, mechanics and differential equations is...