4. A chain complex C(X) is a notation to encode information about a space X. It comes as a list of abelian-, which are very simple, groups
... E_2 -> E_1 -> E_0 -> 0
connected by maps (differentials, boundary operators), one for every arrow:
d_1: E_1 -> E_0
such that applying two consecutive ones to any element yields an identity element:
d_1(d_2(e)) = id_E_0
For example: ... (read on)