Title of the course: An Introduction to Morse Theory
Instructor: Dr. Bahar Acu
Institution: Pitzer College of the Claremont Colleges
Dates: 3-8 August 2026
Prerequisites: Multivariable Calculus (Calculus III) and working knowledge of groups, quotient spaces, homeomorphisms, embeddings, compactness, manifolds with boundary, and tangent spaces.
Level: Graduate, advanced undergraduate
Abstract: This course is designed as an introductory course in geometric topology. Morse theory is the study of the topology of manifolds by means of special smooth functions (called Morse functions) defined on them. In this course, we will study Morse functions and the fundamental properties of Morse functions and introduce the construction of handlebody decompositions of topological manifolds via Morse functions. Finally, after a brief intrduction to homology, we will conclude with Morse homology and its relation to other homology theories.
Language: EN