IN PERSON: How can you tell if our universe is infinite or finite? Curved or flat? Why are donuts and coffee cups topologically equivalent? What is a torus? A Klein bottle? Starting with one-dimensional and two-dimensional universes and ending with three dimensions, we will investigate various properties of a universe and how a person embedded in a universe can discover certain topological properties about it. This lecture-based course assumes participants have very basic knowledge of mathematics. We will approach topology in a conceptual and qualitative manner with lots of diagrams. We will also investigate the impact of various topologies on familiar games such as tic-tac-toe and chess. Students will learn about intrinsic and extrinsic properties, manifolds, orientability and other topological properties, as we explore the weird and crazy world of topology. | Lecture + Q&A.
Max enrollment: 30.
Location: Judea Reform Congregation, 1933 W. Cornwallis Rd, Durham NC 27705
