This book provides an informal and geodesic introduction to factorization homology, focusing on providing intuition through simple examples. Along the way, the reader is also introduced to modern ideas in homotopy theory and category theory, particularly as it relates to the use of infinity-categories. As with the original lectures, the text is meant to be a leisurely read suitable for advanced graduate students and interested researchers in topology and adjacent fields.
"These lecture notes provide an introduction to factorization homology ... . These are very much lecture notes - the chapters were clearly written to accompany lectures. ... For me, the highlight of these notes are the numerous exercises of various levels of difficulty, designed to give the reader the tools to work in the field. These, together with a good technical discussion ... make these notes a valuable tool for the serious reader seeking to learn factorization homology and related topics." (Daniel Moskovich, zbMATH 1529.55001, 2024)
"The reader with no prior knowledge of the subjects in the title of the book will ... have an idea of topological field theory, an appreciation of the utility of -categories, and the ability to articulate the definition of the new and exciting factorization homology theory. ... A more experienced reader is likely to quite enjoy the ride that ties together various classical notions through one single Kan extension." (Ittay Weiss, MAA Reviews, May 9, 2021)
"The reader with no prior knowledge of the subjects in the title of the book will ... have an idea of topological field theory, an appreciation of the utility of -categories, and the ability to articulate the definition of the new and exciting factorization homology theory. ... A more experienced reader is likely to quite enjoy the ride that ties together various classical notions through one single Kan extension." (Ittay Weiss, MAA Reviews, May 9, 2021)