[Math] Should I read about Manifolds or Algebraic Topology

advicealgebraic-topologydifferential-topologyself-learning

I really enjoy doing maths and it fills quite a lot of my spare time. I'm starting my first year in the university on october and I probably won't have that much time for independent reading once there.

I have been reading maths (on and off) for years now and have the necessary background in topology, analysis (although i would say my grip on analysis ins't the best – i.e. I wouldn't be able to really enjoy a serious book on functional analysis) and algebra to read in one of two categories that interest me:

(1) Differential Topology\Manifolds – (co-)tangent space, fibre bundles, vector fields… etc.

(2) Algebraic Topology – (co-)homology, homotopy, covering spaces… etc.

My question is what of the two would I be more likely to encounter in my future studies?

In other words: what will be more valuable for me to study independently while i still have the time?

I already have books I like but am unsure about what topic to pick.

The books are: Manifolds and Differential Geometry, Elements of Algebraic Topology.

Best Answer

Read about both simultaneously in the same book: Differential forms in Algebraic Topology !
(Bott was one of the best twentieth century geometers, and it shows in this extraordinary book)