High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! In the area of mathematics known as homological algebra, especially in algebraic topology and group cohomology, a spectral sequence is a means of computing homology groups by taking successive approximations. Spectral sequences are a generalization of exact sequences, and since their introduction by Jean Leray in 1946, they have become an important research tool, particularly in homotopy theory. However, they have a reputation for being abstruse and difficult to comprehend.