In India, generally during the graduate years, we follow a course work pattern, unlike many places in the U.S where students are exposed to research during their undergraduate years itself.
As, a graduate student, we have basic courses like, Algebra, Analysis, Rings and Modules, Measure theory, Topology, functional analysis etc.. Generally topology is one subject, which i don't find that much of interest. But in some universities, students are forced to take Topology, and Algebraic topology, during their graduate years, and i have seen many students facing trouble, as they have to study a subject which is not of their interests. My question, would be, for a student whose research are in Analytic and Algebraic Number theory, does he needs to know Algebraic Topology?