Changes in algebraic geometry have made the subject increasingly inaccessible to all but specialists in the field. This comprehensive, self-contained monograph presents some of the main, general results of the theory accompanied by, and with emphasis on, their applications to the study of interesting examples and to the development of computational tools. The effective utilization of the techniques of elementary complex analysis and topology synthesize the classical and the modern into a cohesive presentation.

In virtually all the literary traditions of the world there are works of verbal art that depend for part of their effect on the juxtaposition of prose and verse. This volume takes the first step towards a comparative study of -prosimetrum-, the mixture of prose and verse, with essays by leading linguists and literary scholars of a selection of prosimetrical traditions. The nature of what constitutes verse or prose is one underlying question addressed. An outline of historical developments emerges, especially for Europe and the Near East, with articles on classical, medieval and...