Topology

Topology is the study of shapes and spaces. The methods developed in topology have wide consequences also for other fields in that many problems can be encoded by means of spaces (examples range from space itself and phase spaces in physics to classifyin g spaces in algebra). A fascinating new phenomenon emerging is a sort of "arithmetic" and "geometry" for topology, where deeper structures of spaces are peeled off. A large part of the research encompassed in this project is placed within this program. This will have deep consequences for our understanding, as well as with the interactions with as separate fields as quantum field theory and geometric number theory. This project has as main objective to strengthen research, cooperation and recruitment in topology in Norway.