Simplicial Structures in Topology
Simplicial Structures in Topology
Simplicial Structures in Topology
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78 II <strong>Simplicial</strong> Complexes<br />
In the context of the categories Csim and CCsim, the naturality of the connect<strong>in</strong>g<br />
homomorphism<br />
λn : Hn(K,L;Z) → Hn−1(L;Z)<br />
can be expla<strong>in</strong>ed as follows. We start with a result whose proof is easily obta<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
from the given def<strong>in</strong>itions and is left to the reader.<br />
(II.4.2) Theorem. Let (k,ℓ): (K,L) → (K ′ ,L ′ ) be a given simplicial function.<br />
Then, for every n ≥ 1, the follow<strong>in</strong>g diagram commutes.<br />
Let<br />
be the functor def<strong>in</strong>ed by<br />
Hn(K,L;Z)<br />
Hn(k,ℓ)<br />
��<br />
Hn(K ′ ,L ′ ;Z)<br />
λn ��<br />
λn<br />
Hn−1(L;Z)<br />
Hn−1(ℓ)<br />
��<br />
��<br />
Hn−1(L ′ ;Z)<br />
pr2 : CCsim → Csim<br />
(∀(K,L) ∈ CCsim) pr2(K,L)=L<br />
and<br />
(∀(k,ℓ) ∈ CCsim((K,L),(K ′ ,L ′ ))) pr2(k,ℓ)=ℓ.<br />
For each n ≥ 0, take the covariant functors<br />
Hn(−,−): CCsim → Gr<br />
and<br />
Hn−1(−) ◦ pr2 : CCsim → Gr .<br />
Theorem (II.3.3) states that<br />
λn : Hn(−,−;Z) → Hn−1(−;Z) ◦ pr2<br />
is a natural transformation (see the def<strong>in</strong>ition of natural transformation of functors<br />
<strong>in</strong> Sect. I.2).<br />
Comput<strong>in</strong>g the homology of a complex K can be made easier by the exact homology<br />
sequence, provided that we can compute the homology of L and the relative<br />
homology of (K,L). Another very useful technique for comput<strong>in</strong>g the homology of<br />
a simplicial complex is us<strong>in</strong>g the Mayer–Vietoris sequence. Consider two simplicial<br />
complexes K1 =(X1,Φ1) and K2 =(X2,Φ2) such that K1 ∩ K2 and K1 ∪ K2 are<br />
simplicial complexes; <strong>in</strong> addition, K1 ∩K2 must be a subcomplex of both K1 and K2.<br />
The <strong>in</strong>clusions<br />
Φ1 ∩ Φ2 ↩→ Φα , Φα ↩→ Φ1 ∪ Φ2 , α = 1,2