Handbook

The study of low-dimensional topology is the study of spaces of dimensions 2, 3, and 4, including the study of surfaces and their symmetries, knots and links, and structures on 3 and 4-manifolds. It has applications to mathematical fields such as geometry and dynamics; it also has modern applications to fields such as microbiology, physics, and computing. The unit will cover core concepts in low-dimensional topology such as surfaces and the mapping class group, descriptions of 3-manifolds by Heegaard splittings and Dehn fillings, cobordism in 4-dimensions. Additional topics may include prime and torus decompositions of 3-manifolds, knot and link invariants, contact and symplectic structures on manifolds, foliations, 3-manifold geometries, and applications to mathematical physics.