The p-adic numbers, the earliest of local fields, were introduced by Hensel some 70 years ago as a natural tool in algebra number theory. Today the use of this and other local fields pervades much of mathematics, yet these simple and natural concepts, which often provide remarkably easy solutions to complex problems, are not as familiar as they should be. This book, based on postgraduate lectures at Cambridge, is meant to rectify this situation by providing a fairly elementary and self-contained introduction to local fields. After a general introduction, attention centres on the p-adic...

Naber provides an elementary introduction to the geometrical methods and notions used in special and general relativity. Particular emphasis is placed on the ideas concerned with the structure of space-time and that play a role in the Penrose-Hawking singularity theorems. The author's primary purpose is to give a rigorous proof of the simplest of these theorems, by the one that is representative of the whole. He provides exercises and examples at the end of each chapter. No previous exposure either to relativity theory of differential geometry is required of the reader, as necessary concepts...

Algebraic geometry is, essentially, the study of the solution of equations and occupies a central position in pure mathematics. With the minimum of prerequisites, Dr. Reid introduces the reader to the basic concepts of algebraic geometry, including: plane conics, cubics and the group law, affine and projective varieties, and nonsingularity and dimension. He stresses the connections the subject has with commutative algebra as well as its relation to topology, differential geometry, and number theory. The book contains numerous examples and exercises illustrating the theory.

This introduction to the theory of quantum fields in curved spacetime, intended for mathematicians, arose from a course taught to graduate students and is designed for self-study or advanced courses in relativity and quantum field theory. The style is informal and some knowledge of general relativity and differential geometry is assumed, yet the author does supply background material on function analysis and quantum field theory as required. Physicists should also gain a sound grasp of various aspects of the theory, some of which have not been particularly emphasized in the existing review...

This book is based on a graduate course taught by the author at the University of Maryland. The lecture notes have been revised and augmented by examples. The first two chapters develop the elementary theory of Artin Braid groups, both geometrically and via homotopy theory, and discuss the link between knot theory and the combinatorics of braid groups through Markou's Theorem. The final two chapters give a detailed investigation of polynomial covering maps, which may be viewed as a homomorphism of the fundamental group of the base space into the Artin Braid group on n strings.

In this well-written introduction to commutative algebra, the author shows the link between commutative ring theory and algebraic geometry. In addition to standard material, the book contrasts the methods and ideology of modern abstract algebra with concrete applications in algebraic geometry and number theory. Professor Reid begins with a discussion of modules and Noetherian rings before moving on to finite extensions and the Noether normalization. Sections on the nullstellensatz and rings of fractions precede sections on primary decomposition and normal integral domains. This book is ideal...

This text on analysis on Riemannian manifolds is a thorough introduction to topics covered in advanced research monographs on Atiyah-Singer index theory. The main theme is the study of heat flow associated to the Laplacians on differential forms. This provides a unified treatment of Hodge theory and the supersymmetric proof of the Chern-Gauss-Bonnet theorem. In particular, there is a careful treatment of the heat kernel for the Laplacian on functions. The author develops the Atiyah-Singer index theorem and its applications (without complete proofs) via the heat equation method. Rosenberg also...

Ransford provides an introduction to the subject, concentrating on the important case of two dimensions, and emphasizing its links with complex analysis. This is reflected in the large number of applications, which include Picard's theorem, the Phragmen-Lindelof principle, the Rado-Stout theorem, Lindelof's theory of asymptotic values, the Riemann mapping theorem (including continuity at the boundary), the Koebe one-quarter theorem, Hilbert's lemniscate theorem, and the sharp quantitative form of Runge's theorem. In addition, there is a chapter on connections with functional analysis and...

This text on analysis on Riemannian manifolds is a thorough introduction to topics covered in advanced research monographs on Atiyah-Singer index theory. The main theme is the study of heat flow associated to the Laplacians on differential forms. This provides a unified treatment of Hodge theory and the supersymmetric proof of the Chern-Gauss-Bonnet theorem. In particular, there is a careful treatment of the heat kernel for the Laplacian on functions. The author develops the Atiyah-Singer index theorem and its applications (without complete proofs) via the heat equation method. Rosenberg also...

The classification of algebraic surfaces is an intricate and fascinating branch of mathematics, developed over more than a century and still an active area of research today. In this book, Professor Beauville gives a lucid and concise account of the subject, expressed simply in the language of modern topology and sheaf theory, and accessible to any budding geometer. A chapter on preliminary material ensures that this volume is self-contained while the exercises succeed both in giving the flavor of the classical subject, and in equipping the reader with the techniques needed for research. The...