The homology of manifolds enjoys a remarkable symmetry: Poincaré duality. If the manifold is triangulated, then this duality can be established by associating to a s- plex its dual block in the barycentric subdivision. In a manifold, the dual block is a cell, so the chain complex based on the dual blocks computes the homology of the manifold. Poincaré duality then serves as a cornerstone of manifold classi cation theory. One reason is that it enables the de nition of a fundamental bordism inva- ant, the signature. Classifying manifolds via the surgery program relies on modifying a manifold by executing geometric surgeries. The trace of the surgery is a bordism between the original manifold and the result of surgery. Since the signature is a b- dism invariant, it does not change under surgery and is thus a basic obstruction to performing surgery. Inspired by Hirzebruchs signature theorem, a method of Thom constructs characteristic homology classes using the bordism invariance of the s- nature. These classes are not in general homotopy invariants and consequently are ne enough to distinguish manifolds within the same homotopy type. Singular spaces do not enjoy Poincaré duality in ordinary homology. After all, the dual blocks are not cells anymore, but cones on spaces that may not be spheres. This book discusses when, and how, the invariants for manifolds described above can be established for singular spaces.

EMPLOYMENT: Since 2004: Professor at the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Germany
2002 - 2004: Assistant Professor (tenure track) at the University of Cincinnati, USA
1999 - 2002: Van Vleck Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, USA

EDUCATION: Ph.D. Mathematics, Courant Institute (New York University), May 1999.
Field: Topology.
Dissertation Title: Extending Intersection Homology Type Invariants to non-Witt Spaces.

RESEARCH AREA: Algebraic and Geometric Topology, Stratified Spaces.

Elementary Sheaf Theory.- Homological Algebra.- Verdier Duality.- Intersection Homology.- Characteristic Classes and Smooth Manifolds.- Invariants of Witt Spaces.- T-Structures.- Methods of Computation.- Invariants of Non-Witt Spaces.- L2 Cohomology.