This book presents, in a clear and structured way, the set function \mathcal{T} and how it evolved since its inception by Professor F. Burton Jones in the 1940s. It starts with a very solid introductory chapter, with all the prerequisite material for navigating through the rest of the book. It then gradually advances towards the main properties, Decomposition theorems, \mathcal{T}-closed sets, continuity and images, to modern applications. The set function \mathcal{T} has been used by many mathematicians as a tool to prove results about the semigroup structure of the continua, and about the existence of a metric continuum that cannot be mapped onto its cone or to characterize spheres. Nowadays, it has been used by topologists worldwide to investigate open problems in continuum theory. This book can be of interest to both advanced undergraduate and graduate students, and to experienced researchers as well. Its well-defined structure make this book suitable not only for self-study but also as support material to seminars on the subject. Its many open problems can potentially encourage mathematicians to contribute with further advancements in the field.

Specialized as it might be, continuum theory is one of the most intriguing areas in mathematics. However, despite being popular journal fare, few books have thoroughly explored this interesting aspect of topology. In Topics on Continua, Sergio Macias, one of the field's leading scholars, presents four of his favorite continuum topics: inverse limits, Jones's set function T, homogenous continua, and n-fold hyperspaces, and in doing so, presents the most complete set of theorems and proofs ever contained in a single topology volume. Many of the results presented have previously appeared only in research papers, and some appear here for the first time. After building the requisite background and exploring the inverse limits of continua, the discussions focus on Professor Jones's set function T and continua for which T is continuous. An introduction to topological groups and group actions lead to a proof of Effros's Theorem, followed by a presentation of two decomposition theorems. The author then offers an in-depth study of n-fold hyperspaces. This includes their general properties, conditions that allow points of n-fold symmetric products to be arcwise accessible from their complement, points that arcwise disconnect the n-fold hyperspaces, the n-fold hyperspaces of graphs, and theorems relating n-fold hyperspaces and cones. The concluding chapter presents a series of open questions on each topic discussed in the book. With more than a decade of teaching experience, Macias is able to put forth exceptionally cogent discussions that not only give beginning mathematicians a strong grounding in continuum theory, but also form an authoritative, single-source guide through some of topology's most captivating facets.

This book is a significant companion text to the existing literature on continuum theory. It opens with background information of continuum theory, so often missing from the preceding publications, and then explores the following topics: inverse limits, the Jones set function T, homogenous continua, and n-fold hyperspaces. In this new edition of the book, the author builds on the aforementioned topics, including the unprecedented presentation of n-fold hyperspace suspensions and induced maps on n-fold hyperspaces. The first edition of the book has had a remarkable impact on the continuum theory community. After twelve years, this updated version will also prove to be an excellent resource within the field of topology.

This book presents, in a clear and structured way, the set function \mathcal{T} and how it evolved since its inception by Professor F. Burton Jones in the 1940s. It starts with a very solid introductory chapter, with all the prerequisite material for navigating through the rest of the book. It then gradually advances towards the main properties, Decomposition theorems, \mathcal{T}-closed sets, continuity and images, to modern applications. The set function \mathcal{T} has been used by many mathematicians as a tool to prove results about the semigroup structure of the continua, and about the existence of a metric continuum that cannot be mapped onto its cone or to characterize spheres. Nowadays, it has been used by topologists worldwide to investigate open problems in continuum theory. This book can be of interest to both advanced undergraduate and graduate students, and to experienced researchers as well. Its well-defined structure make this book suitable not only for self-study but also as support material to seminars on the subject. Its many open problems can potentially encourage mathematicians to contribute with further advancements in the field.

This book is a significant companion text to the existing literature on continuum theory. It opens with background information of continuum theory, so often missing from the preceding publications, and then explores the following topics: inverse limits, the Jones set function T, homogenous continua, and n-fold hyperspaces. In this new edition of the book, the author builds on the aforementioned topics, including the unprecedented presentation of n-fold hyperspace suspensions and induced maps on n-fold hyperspaces. The first edition of the book has had a remarkable impact on the continuum theory community. After twelve years, this updated version will also prove to be an excellent resource within the field of topology.

Specialized as it might be, continuum theory is one of the most intriguing areas in mathematics. However, despite being popular journal fare, few books have thoroughly explored this interesting aspect of topology.

In Topics on Continua, Sergio Macias, one of the field's leading scholars, presents four of his favorite continuum topics: inverse limits, Jones's set function "T," homogenous continua, and "n"-fold hyperspaces, and in doing so, presents the most complete set of theorems and proofs ever contained in a single topology volume. Many of the results presented have previously appeared only in research papers, and some appear here for the first time.

After building the requisite background and exploring the inverse limits of continua, the discussions focus on Professor Jones's set function "T "and continua for which "T" is continuous. An introduction to topological groups and group actions lead to a proof of Effros's Theorem, followed by a presentation of two decomposition theorems. The author then offers an in-depth study of "n"-fold hyperspaces. This includes their general properties, conditions that allow points of "n"-fold symmetric products to be arcwise accessible from their complement, points that arcwise disconnect the "n"-fold hyperspaces, the "n"-fold hyperspaces of graphs, and theorems relating "n"-fold hyperspaces and cones. The concluding chapter presents a series of open questions on each topic discussed in the book.

With more than a decade of teaching experience, Macias is able to put forth exceptionally cogent discussions that not only give beginning mathematicians a strong grounding in continuum theory, but also form an authoritative, single-source guidethrough some of topology's most captivating facets.