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TheoremStatement: Literature-sourcedProof: AI-adaptedPipeline-generatedprecheck passjudge pass (gpt-5.6-terra)audited 2026-09-05
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The singular boundary squares to zero

Statement

For every topological space X, every abelian group G, and every integer n≥1, ∂n−1∂n=0:Cn(X;G)→Cn−2(X;G). In degree 0, the boundary is already the zero map.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: A topological space X, an abelian group G, and an integer n≥0.

[L1]

The singular boundary is the alternating sum of affine face restrictions (The singular boundary operator).

[L2]

For i<j, the affine face maps satisfy δjδi=δiδj−1 (The affine face maps satisfy the cosimplicial identities).

Proof

technique · direct
1.1L1given

If n=0, then ∂0=0 by [L1], so the degree-zero boundary is already zero. If n=1 and σ:Δ1→X is a singular 1-simplex, then ∂0∂1σ=∂0(σδ0−σδ1)=0, again because ∂0=0. Thus the claim holds in the two low degrees.

1.2L1L2givenalgebra

Assume n≥2 and let σ:Δn→X be a singular n-simplex. Expanding twice with [L1] gives ∂n−1∂nσ=∑i=0n∑j=0n−1(−1)i+jσδiδj. Reindex the terms by pairs 0≤j<i≤n and 0≤i≤j≤n−1. By [L2], the term σδiδj with j<i equals σδjδi−1, but the two appearances carry opposite signs because (−1)i+j=−(−1)j+(i−1). Hence every codimension-two face occurs twice with opposite coefficients, so the whole sum is zero.

2.1step 1.1step 1.2∎

Since singular simplices generate Cn(X;Z) and the coefficient version is obtained by tensor extension, steps 1.1 and 1.2 imply ∂n−1∂n=0 on Cn(X;G) for every n≥1, with degree 0 handled separately in step 1.1.

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Used by

Dependency tree · two levels

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Sources