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Lecture 1: The Euler Characteristic: Isabel K. Darcy

The document introduces the Euler characteristic, which is a topological invariant that can be used to classify shapes and graphs. It is defined as the number of vertices minus the number of edges plus the number of faces, written as |V| - |E| + |F|. The Euler characteristic is the same for objects that have the same topological properties, even if their geometric appearances differ. It can be used to distinguish trees from non-tree graphs and to classify surfaces and objects.

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PROF. CARLOS IBARRA
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27 views

Lecture 1: The Euler Characteristic: Isabel K. Darcy

The document introduces the Euler characteristic, which is a topological invariant that can be used to classify shapes and graphs. It is defined as the number of vertices minus the number of edges plus the number of faces, written as |V| - |E| + |F|. The Euler characteristic is the same for objects that have the same topological properties, even if their geometric appearances differ. It can be used to distinguish trees from non-tree graphs and to classify surfaces and objects.

Uploaded by

PROF. CARLOS IBARRA
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lecture 1: The Euler characteristic

of a series of preparatory lectures for the Fall 2013 online course


MATH:7450 (22M:305) Topics in Topology: Scientific and Engineering
Applications of Algebraic Topology

Target Audience: Anyone interested in topological data analysis


including graduate students, faculty, industrial researchers in
bioinformatics, biology, computer science, cosmology, engineering,
imaging, mathematics, neurology, physics, statistics, etc.

Isabel K. Darcy
Mathematics Department/Applied Mathematical & Computational Sciences
University of Iowa

http://www.math.uiowa.edu/~idarcy/AppliedTopology.html
We wish to count: Example:

vertex

edge

7 vertices,
face 9 edges,
2 faces.
3 vertices, 6 vertices,
3 edges, 9 edges,
1 face. 4 faces.
Euler characteristic (simple form):

= number of vertices – number of edges + number of faces

Or in short-hand,

= |V| - |E| + |F|


where V = set of vertices
E = set of edges
F = set of faces
& the notation |X| = the number of elements in the set X.
3 vertices, 6 vertices,
3 edges, 9 edges,
1 face. 4 faces.
= |V| – |E| + |F| = = |V| – |E| + |F| =
3 – 3 + 1 =1 6 – 9 + 4 =1

Note: 3 – 3 + 1 = 1 = 6 – 9 + 4
3 vertices, 6 vertices,
3 edges, 9 edges,
1 face. 4 faces.
= |V| – |E| + |F| = = |V| – |E| + |F| =
3 – 3 + 1 =1 6 – 9 + 4 =1

Note: 3 – 3 + 1 = 1 = 6 – 9 + 4
3 vertices, 6 vertices,
3 edges, 9 edges,
1 face. 4 faces.
= |V| – |E| + |F| = = |V| – |E| + |F| =
3 – 3 + 1 =1 6 – 9 + 4 =1

Note: 3 – 3 + 1 = 1 = 6 – 9 + 4
3 vertices, 6 vertices,
3 edges, 9 edges,
1 face. 4 faces.
= |V| – |E| + |F| = = |V| – |E| + |F| =
3 – 3 + 1 =1 6 – 9 + 4 =1

Note: 3 – 3 + 1 = 1 = 6 – 9 + 4
3 vertices, 6 vertices,
3 edges, 9 edges,
1 face. 4 faces.
= |V| – |E| + |F| = = |V| – |E| + |F| =
3 – 3 + 1 =1 6 – 9 + 4 =1

Note: 3 – 3 + 1 = 1 = 6 – 9 + 4
=3–3+1=1 =6–9+4=1

= 7 – 11 + 5 = 1

= |V| – |E| + |F|


=3–3+1=1 =6–9+4=1

= 7 – 11 + 5 = 1

= |V| – |E| + |F|


= =
= =
Video Insert illustrating topology

Note a coffee cup is topologically


equivalent to a donut

gif from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/


File:Mug_and_Torus_morph.gif
= =
=3–3+1=1 =6–9+4=1

= 7 – 11 + 5 = 1

= |V| – |E| + |F|


The Euler characteristic
is a topological invariant

That means that if two objects are


topologically the same, they have the
same Euler characteristic.
=1 =1

=1
=1 =1

=1 =1
The Euler characteristic
is a topological invariant

That means that if two objects are


topologically the same, they have the
same Euler characteristic.

Example:

=1 =1
Euler
characteristic
sphere
2
= { x in R3 : ||x || = 1 }

1 ball
= { x in R3 : ||x || ≤ 1 }
disk
= { x in R2 : ||x || ≤ 1 }
closed interval
= { x in R : ||x || ≤ 1 }
The Euler characteristic
is a topological invariant
That means that if two objects are topologically
the same, they have the same Euler
characteristic.
But objects with the same Euler
characteristic need not be topologically
equivalent. ≠ ≠ =1
Let R be a subset of X
A deformation retract of X onto R is a continuous
map F: X × [0, 1]  X, F(x, t) = ft(x) such that
f0 is the identity map,
f1(X) = R, and
ft(r) = r for all r in R.

If R is a deformation retract of X, then (R) = (X).


Let R be a subset of X
A deformation retract of X onto R is a
continuous map F: X × [0, 1]  X, F(x, t) = ft(x)
such that f0 is the identity map,
f1(X) = R, and
ft(r) = r for all r in R.

If R is a deformation retract of X, then (R) = (X).


Euler
characteristic
S1 = circle
0 = { x in R2 : ||x || = 1 }

Annulus

Mobius band

Solid torus = S1 x disk

Torus = S1 x S1
Mobius band and torus images from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler_characteristic
Euler
characteristic

-1 Solid double torus

The graph:

Double torus =
-2 genus 2 torus =
boundary of solid
double torus
Genus n tori images from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler_characteristic
Euler 2-dimensional orientable surface
characteristic without boundary

2 sphere

0 S1 x S1 = torus

-2 genus 2 torus

-4 genus 3 torus
Genus n tori images from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler_characteristic
Graphs: Identifying Trees
Defn: A tree is a connected graph that does
not contain a cycle

=8–7=1 =8–8=0 = 8 – 9 = -1
= |V| – |E| + |F|

=2
= |V| – |E| + |F|

=2–1=1
= |V| – |E| + |F|

=3–1=2
= |V| – |E| + |F|

=3–2=1
= |V| – |E| + |F|

=4–3=1
= |V| – |E| + |F|

=5–4=1
= |V| – |E| + |F|

=8–7=1
= |V| – |E| + |F|

=8–8=0
= |V| – |E| + |F|

= 8 – 9 = -1

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