Mikhail Gromov introduced pseudo-holomorphic curves into symplectic geometry in 1985. This book aims to present in detail the original proof for Gromov's compactness theorum for pseudo-holomorphic curves. Local properties of pseudo-holomorphic curves are investigated and proved from a geometric viewpoint. Properties of particular interest are isoperimetric inequalities, a monotonicity formula, gradient bounds and the removal of singularities. A special chapter is devoted to relevant features of hyperbolic surfaces, where thick-thin decomposition is described. This text should be accessible to...

This book presents the original proof of Gromov's compactness theorem for pseudo-holomorphic curves in detail. Local properties of pseudo-holomorphic curves are investigated and proved from a geometric viewpoint. Properties of particular interest are isoperimetric inequalities, a monotonicity formula, gradient bounds and the removal of singularities.