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The most deadly example I know is the Hauptvermutung in dimensions 2 and 3 (in dimension $>3$, it is the ultimate "obvious but false" theorem). The Hauptvermutung, or "Main Conjecture" states that any two triangulations of a polyhedron are combinatorially equivalent, i.e. they become isomorphic after subdivision.
The Hauptvermutung is so obvious that it gets taken for granted everywhere, and most of us learn algebraic topology without ever noticing this huge gap in its foundations (of the text-book standard simplicial approach). It is implicit every time one states that a homotopy invariant of a simplicial complex, such as simplicial homology, is in fact a homotopy invariant of a polyhedron, unless one also proves independence relative to the choice of simplicial approximationtriangulation.
The Hauptvermutung for 2-manifolds was proven by Radó, and for 3-manifolds by Moïse in 1953. It is a genuinely deep, difficult theorem.
Edit: This answer is essentially taken from Page 4 of The Hauptvermutung Book.

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The most deadly example I know is the Hauptvermutung in dimensions 2 and 3 (in dimension $>3$, it is the ultimate "obvious but false" theorem). The Hauptvermutung, or "Main Conjecture" states that any two triangulations of a polyhedron are combinatorially equivalent, i.e. they become isomorphic after subdivision.
The Hauptvermutung is so obvious that it gets taken for granted everywhere, and most of us learn algebraic topology without ever noticing this huge gap in its foundations (of the text-book standard simplicial approach). It is implicit every time one states that a homotopy invariant of a simplicial complex, such as simplicial homology, is in fact a homotopy invariant of a polyhedron, unless one also proves independence relative to the choice of simplicial subdivisionapproximation.
The Hauptvermutung for 2-manifolds was proven by Radó, and for 3-manifolds by Moïse in 1953. It is a genuinely deep, difficult theorem.
Edit: This answer is essentially taken from Page 4 of The Hauptvermutung Book.

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The most deadly example I know is the Hauptvermutung in dimensions 2 and 3 (in dimension $>3$, it is the ultimate "obvious but false" theorem). The Hauptvermutung, or "Main Conjecture" states that any two triangulations of a polyhedron are combinatorially equivalent, i.e. they become isomorphic after subdivision.
The Hauptvermutung is so obvious that it gets taken for granted everywhere, and most of us learn algebraic topology without ever noticing this huge gap in its foundations (of the text-book standard simplicial approach). It is implicit every time one states that a homotopy invariant of a simplicial complex, such as simplicial homology, is in fact a homotopy invariant of a polyhedron, unless one also proves independence relative to simplicial subdivision.
The Hauptvermutung for 2-manifolds was proven by Radó, and for 3-manifolds by Moïse in 1953. It is a genuinely deep, difficult theorem.
Edit: This answer is essentially taken from Page 4 of The Hauptvermutung Book.

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