# Homology and cohomology of compact vs non compact spaces

What is special about the homology of the compact spaces, what are the most elementary properties that are verified by homology of compact spaces that are not true for the homology of non compact spaces ? I'm asking because i read that Euler characteristic is not easily defined for non compact spaces while it is straightforward for compact spaces and i also read that we have a homology theory that is better suited for noncompact spaces rather than singular homology, what is making this difference between compact and noncompact spaces regarding homology and cohomology ? Thank you for your help !

• When your spaces are compact, you have that various (co)homology groups are finite dimensional (necessary for the usual definitions of Euler characteristic), and also that you can integrate cochains over chains to make a pairing between homology and cohomology. Depending on what context you are working in (simplicial sets/complexes, CW-complexes, manifolds, topological spaces, etc.), you may be able to talk about (co)homology with compact support, or Borel-Moore (co)homology or some other theory that makes things work better. – Aaron Nov 9 '17 at 17:19
• I thought the homology groups are finite dimensional when $X$ is compact manifold but when $X$ is a compact space i'm not able to find the result in Hatcher or other references, could you please give me a reference to read on this fact, thanks in advance – palio Nov 9 '17 at 17:48
• It depends what you mean by space. Take a product of a cantor set and a circle. This space will have infinite rank $H_0$ and $H_1$ and it is clearly compact. Obviously, it is not homotopy equivalent to a CW complex however, so you may want to restrict to this class. (or if you don't like a Cantor set, take the one-point compactification of $\mathbb{N}$ as your first factor for the product). – Dan Rust Nov 9 '17 at 17:53
• My statement might not have been correct in full generality. I do not have a reference, and so if I misspoke, I apologize. It has been a long time since I have thought about general topological space. – Aaron Nov 9 '17 at 17:53