18.901  Introduction to Topology

Hi,
I put online your percentage from the Psets. This number is counted as follows
P=100*(sum of points for psets-points for worst pset)/(sum of maximal points for psets-max points for worst pset)

Your final points will be calculated using the formula: 0.5P+0.2M+0.3F

where P is the above number
M is the percentage of the midterm
F is the percentage of the final

The average for P is 91
for M is 80

Prepare well for the exam.
The last office hour is on Friday 3-4

FILL OUT THE EVALUATION!!!

Hi,
Two announcements:

1)Please fill in the "Subject Evaluation" on

https://sisapp.mit.edu/subjeval-rpt/responserate.htm

Your feedback is ver important!

2) Wednesday it's our last class. Please bring in questions/topics you want to see once more.
Most of the class will be about your questions. So please prepare some.

Thanks,
Vera

There is no Pset assigned for next week, so I thought it is better to change my office hours, so it is easier to study for the final.
Here are the times:

T 12-1
F 3-4

Friday will be the last office hour before the Exam, so please do let me know if you would like to but cannot make it.

I just posted a practice final with solution. The length and hardness of the 'real' final should be similar. There are problems in the practice final, that ask you to reprove some facts, that were also proved during class, I don't expect you to study any of the proofs, I believe that you should be able to produce these proofs just by understanding the material.

Approximately 1/3 of the final will be about point set topology, the other 2/3 is about Algebraic topology.

You should know all the definitions, Theorems, and examples in point set topology (exactly the same as for the midterm).

From algebraic topology here are the sections we have covered (will cover):

Chapter 9

51 homotopies

52 fundamental group

53 covering spaces

54 fundamental group of the circle

55 retractions and fixed points

56 the fundamental theorem of algebra

57 the borsuk ulam theorem

58 deformation retract and homotopy type

59 the fundamental group of S^n

some of Chapter 11 (only study the examples)

The final will be a 3 your closed book exam.

Hi,
This week Monday-Tuesday and Wednesday there will be 3 interesting lectures by Laszlo Lovasz from 4:30-5:30
(http://math.mit.edu/news/simons/)
we should have office hours afterwards on Monday: 5:30-6:30
and beforehand on Tuesday: 3:00-4:00
Let me know if it doesn't work for you, and we could try to setup another time.
Vera