General Topology-book recommendations [duplicate]
I am a graduate student of math right now but I was not able to get a topology subject in my undergrad... I just would like to know if you guys know the best one..
As an introductory book, "Topology without tears" by S. Morris. You can download PDF for free, but you might need to obtain a key to read the file from the author. (He wants to make sure it will be used for self-studying.)
Note: The version of the book at the link given above is not printable. Here is the link to the printable version but you will need to get the password from the author by following the instructions he has provided here.
Also, another great introductory book is Munkres, Topology.
On graduate level (non-introductory books) are Kelley and Dugunji (or Dugundji?).
Munkres said when he started writing his Topology, there wasn't anything accessible on undergrad level, and both Kelley and Dugunji wasn't really undergrad books. He wanted to write something any undergrad student with an appropriate background (like the first 6-7 chapters of Rudin's Principles of Analysis) can read. He also wanted to focus on Topological spaces and deal with metric spaces mostly from the perspective "whether topological space is metrizable". That's the first half of the book. The second part is a nice introduction to Algebraic Topology. Again, quoting Munkres, at the time he was writing the book he knew very little of Algebraic Topology, his speciality was General (point-set) topology. So, he was writing that second half as he was learning some basics of algebraic topology. So, as he said, "think of this second half as an attempt by someone with general topology background, to explore the Algebraic Topology.
I would suggest the following options:
Topology by James Munkres
General Topology by Stephen Willard
Basic Topology by M.A. Armstrong
Perhaps you can take a look at Allen Hatcher's webpage for more books on introductory topology. He has a .pdf file containing some very good books.
Singer and Thorpe, Lecture Notes on Elementary Topology and Geometry.
A slim book that gives an intro to point-set, algebraic and differential topology and differential geometry. It does not have any exercises and is very tersely written, so it is not a substitute for a standard text like Munkres, but as a beginner I liked this book because it gave me the big picture in one place without many prerequisites.
I know a lot of people like Munkres, but I've never been one of them. When I read sections on Munkres about things I've known for years, the explanations still seem turgid and overcomplicated.
I like John Kelley's book General Topology a lot. I find the writing stunningly clear. It has been in print for sixty years. You should at least take a look at it.
Remark: This answer was also posted here, on a question which is now closed.
I also like Bourbaki's treatise, but some times it is a bit too logical.
Introduction to Topology and Modern Analysis by G F Simmons
Also, "A topological picture book" by George K. Francis.
K Jänich Topology.
J. Kelley General topology.