Homological Algebra

Chain complexes, derived functors, Ext, Tor, and spectral sequences.


foundation tier

Homological Algebra. Chain complexes, derived functors, Ext, Tor, and spectral sequences. The literature on homological algebra divides naturally along several axes: the foundational structures that organise the subject, the techniques that drive proofs and computations, the questions about classification or representation that animate current research, and the bridges to neighbouring areas of mathematics and science. The references below trace those axes through the canonical textbook treatments and recent technical contributions.

Foundations and canonical references

The standard treatments of homological algebra approach the subject from complementary angles. Weibel, An Introduction to Homological Algebra (1994) is the anchor reference for the subject and lays out the core definitions, theorems, and worked examples that practitioners return to. Gelfand, Methods of Homological Algebra (2003) gives a parallel, more proof-oriented exposition of the same material and is widely used as a graduate text. Cartan, Homological Algebra (1956) provides historical context and an early systematic exposition of the material.

Open methodological questions for homological algebra include sharpening the bridges between foundational theory and computational practice, extending classical results to broader or more structured settings, and integrating the techniques surveyed above with adjacent mathematical disciplines. The references listed in this page are the entry points that current work builds on.

Prerequisites

Sources

  • textbook · primary · 1994
    An Introduction to Homological Algebra
    weibel-1994
  • textbook · primary · 2003
    Methods of Homological Algebra
    gelfand-2003, manin-2003
  • textbook · historical · 1956
    Homological Algebra
    cartan-1956, eilenberg-1956

In context

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  1. 01

    Derived Categories

    Localization at quasi-isomorphisms and triangulated structure.

  2. 02

    Spectral Sequences

    Filtered complexes, Grothendieck spectral sequences, and convergence.

  3. 03

    Group Cohomology

    Cohomology of groups with applications to representation theory and number theory.

  4. 04

    Differential Graded Algebras

    DG algebras, A-infinity structures, and operadic foundations.


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