| Summary: | For each manifold or effective orbifold $Y$ and commutative ring $R$, we define a new homology theory $MH_*(Y;R)$, $M$-$homology$, and a new cohomology theory $MH^*(Y;R)$, $M$-$cohomology$. For $MH_*(Y;R)$ the chain complex $(MC_*(Y;R),\partial)$ is generated by quadruples $[V,n,s,t]$ satisfying relations, where $V$ is an oriented manifold with corners, $n\in\mathbb N$, and $s:V\to{\mathbb R}^n$, $t:V\to Y$ are smooth with $s$ proper near 0 in ${\mathbb R}^n$. We show that $MH_*(Y;R),MH^*(Y;R)$ satisfy the Eilenberg-Steenrod axioms, and so are canonically isomorphic to conventional (co)homology. The usual operations on (co)homology -- pushforwards $f_*$, pullbacks $f^*$, fundamental classes $[Y]$ for compact oriented $Y$, cup, cap and cross products $\cup,\cap,\times$ -- are all defined and well-behaved at the (co)chain level. Chains $MC_*(Y;R)$ form flabby cosheaves on $Y$, and cochains $MC^*(Y;R)$ form soft sheaves on $Y$, so they have good gluing properties. We also define $compactly$-$supported$ $M$-$cohomology$ $MH^*_{cs}(Y;R)$, $locally$ $finite$ $M$-$homology$ $MH_*^{lf}(Y;R)$ (a kind of Borel-Moore homology), and two variations on the entire theory, $rational$ $M$-($co$)$homology$ and $de$ $Rham$ $M$-($co$)$homology$. All of these are canonically isomorphic to the corresponding type of conventional (co)homology. The reason for doing this is that our M-(co)homology theories are very well behaved at the (co)chain level, and will be better than other (co)homology theories for some purposes, particularly in problems involving transversality. In a sequel we will construct virtual classes and virtual chains for Kuranishi spaces in M-(co)homology, with a view to applications of M-(co)homology in areas of Symplectic Geometry involving moduli spaces of $J$-holomorphic curves.
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