Description: An essential element of advanced studies in mathematics, topology tends to receive a highly formal and abstract treatment, discouraging students from grasping even the simpler ideas or getting any real "feel" for the subject. This volume, on the other hand, offers students a bridge from the familiar concepts of geometry to the formalized study of topology. It begins by exploring simple transformations of familiar figures in ordinary Euclidean space and develops the idea of congruence classes. By gradually expanding the number of "permitted" transformations, these classes increase and their relationships to topological properties develop in an intuitive manner. Imaginative introductions to selected topological subjects complete the intuitive approach, and students then advance to a more conventional presentation. An invaluable initiation into the formal study of topology for prospective and first-year mathematics students.

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