[Math] Difference between cellular and simplicial homology

algebraic-topologyhomology-cohomology

Can someone tell me if there is any difference between cellular and simplicial homology?

It seems to me that when I calculate for example the homology groups of the torus it makes no conceptual difference whether I use cellular or simplicial homology. By that I mean: If I think of a zero cell as a vertex, a $1$-cell as an edge and a $2$-cell as an area then these are all simplices. As a consequence, if for example we want to argue that $C_2(T) = \mathbb Z$ then it is enough to either note that there is only one $2$-cell or, equivalently, that there is only one $2$-simplex.

Best Answer

All the cellular and simplicial homology groups of any (triangulable) space are isomorphic. For a proof see e.g. Hatcher.