This introductory textbook for a graduate course in pure mathematics provides a gateway into the two difficult fields of algebraic geometry and commutative algebra. Algebraic geometry, supported fundamentally by commutative algebra, is a cornerstone of pure mathematics.

Along the lines developed by Grothendieck, this book delves into the rich interplay between algebraic geometry and commutative algebra. A selection is made from the wealth of material in the discipline, along with concise yet clear definitions and synopses.

The subject matter in this volume is Schwarz's lemma which has become a crucial theme in many branches of research in mathematics for more than a hundred years to date. This volume of lecture notes focuses on its differential geometric developments by several excellent authors including, but not limited to, L Ahlfors, S S Chern, Y C Lu, S T Yau and H L Royden.

This volume can be approached by a reader who has basic knowledge on complex analysis and Riemannian geometry. It contains major historic differential geometric generalizations on Schwarz's lemma and provides the necessary...