Which is a better textbook - Dugundji or Munkres? I'm concerned with clarity of exposition and explanation of motivation, etc.
Choosing a text for a First Course in Topology
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3It would be a good idea for you to give some sense of your level, e.g. what other undergrad-level courses you've taken. – 2010-07-28
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1linear algebra, alegbra- – 2010-07-28
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2I liked Munkres; I'm not familiar with Dugundji. – 2010-07-28
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1Nicolas Bourbaki's Topologie Generale, Kelley's General Topology, or Munkres. – 2010-07-28
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0It also depends on your goal. Kelley is especially good for people interested in analysis, and has exercises and some sections focusing on things that come up there, Munkres will likely be more helpful for those who are inclined to go on to algebraic topology (it covers the fundamental group a bit at the end, and is a good bridge to Hatcher), etc. – 2010-07-28
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2Willard is also very nice. – 2010-07-28
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0I used the book by Paul Shick, "Topology-point set and geometric" as a first course. I don't know your level and how far you want to go, but this book is nice as a baby introduction. It requires very little background(no analysis, algebra, just a little set theory) and gives a lot of intuition. I will concede that it doesnt cover as much as Munkres or Willard. I used Willard later for a more serious treatment, but I am glad to have started with a lower level text to get my feet wet. – 2010-08-05