This may be a naive question, but since first learning homology I considered it as a tool which counts appropriate holes in your space (on top of orientation and torsion phenomena). Then, in undergrad I was introduced to homology of groups, and now Floer/Morse homologies in grad school. Do these homologies still count "holes" in some fashion?.
In the case of group homology, $H_\ast(G)\cong H_\ast(BG)$, so we can view this homology as a count of holes in the Milnor construction (CW-complex assembled from points in the discrete group with the group structure).
In Floer homology we're counting holomorphic curves (flow-lines in Morse homology), but it isn't viewed as having these curves "wrap around holes", so I am not sure if this hole-detecting view of homology breaks down here or simply should never be used unless considering singular/cellular homology.
Other Homology Theories still Count Holes?
Chris Gerig
- 17.5k
- 2
- 71
- 116