Provides a clear introduction to one of the important subjects in modern mathematics. Beginning with basic concepts such as diffeomorphisms and smooth manifolds, this book goes on to examine tangent spaces, oriented manifolds, and vector fields. It discusses concepts such as homotopy, the index number of a map, and the Pontryagin construction.



This elegant book by distinguished mathematician John Milnor, provides a clear and succinct introduction to one of the most important subjects in modern mathematics. Beginning with basic concepts such as diffeomorphisms and smooth manifolds, he goes on to examine tangent spaces, oriented manifolds, and vector fields. Key concepts such as homotopy, the index number of a map, and the Pontryagin construction are discussed. The author presents proofs of Sard's theorem and the Hopf theorem.