Lovasz' Conjecture and Other Applications of Topological Methods in Discrete Mathematics

Abstract

In 20th century mathematics, the field of topology, which concerns the properties of geometric objects under continuous transformation, has proved surprisingly useful in application to the study of discrete mathematics, such as combinatorics, graph theory, and theoretical computer science. In this paper, we seek to provide an introduction to the relevant topological concepts to non-specialists, as well as a selection of some existing applications to theorems in discrete mathematics.