Paper 3, Section II, G

Algebraic Topology | Part II, 2012

State the Mayer-Vietoris Theorem for a simplicial complex KK expressed as the union of two subcomplexes LL and MM. Explain briefly how the connecting homomorphism δ∗:Hn(K)→Hn−1(L∩M)\delta_{*}: H_{n}(K) \rightarrow H_{n-1}(L \cap M), which appears in the theorem, is defined. [You should include a proof that δ∗\delta_{*} is well-defined, but need not verify that it is a homomorphism.]

Now suppose that ∣K∣≅S3|K| \cong S^{3}, that ∣L∣|L| is a solid torus S1×B2S^{1} \times B^{2}, and that ∣L∩M∣|L \cap M| is the boundary torus of ∣L∣|L|. Show that δ∗:H3(K)→H2(L∩M)\delta_{*}: H_{3}(K) \rightarrow H_{2}(L \cap M) is an isomorphism, and hence calculate the homology groups of MM. [You may assume that a generator of H3(K)H_{3}(K) may be represented by a 3 -cycle which is the sum of all the 3 -simplices of KK, with 'matching' orientations.]

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