From the Preface: "This book was written for the active reader. The first part consists of problems, frequently preceded by definitions and motivation, and sometimes followed by corollaries and historical remarks... The second part, a very short one, consists of hints... The third part, the longest, consists of solutions: proofs, answers, or contructions, depending on the nature of the problem....

This is not an introduction to Hilbert space theory. Some knowledge of that subject is a prerequisite: at the very least, a study of the elements of Hilbert space theory should proceed...

The theory of Boolean algebras was created in 1847 by the English mat- matician George Boole. He conceived it as a calculus (or arithmetic) suitable for a mathematical analysis of logic. The form of his calculus was rather di?erent from the modern version, which came into being during the - riod 1864-1895 through the contributions of William Stanley Jevons, Aug- tus De Morgan, Charles Sanders Peirce, and Ernst Schr] oder. A foundation of the calculus as an abstract algebraic discipline, axiomatized by a set of equations, and admitting many di?erent interpretations, was carried out by Edward...

IN 1959 I lectured on Boolean algebras at the University of Chicago. A mimeographed version of the notes on which the lectures were based circulated for about two years; this volume contains those notes, corrected and revised. Most of the corrections were suggested by Peter Crawley. To judge by his detailed and precise suggestions, he must have read every word, checked every reference, and weighed every argument, and I am lIery grateful to hirn for his help. This is not to say that he is to be held responsible for the imperfec- tions that remain, and, in particular, I alone am responsible for...

"The theory is systematically developed by the axiomatic method that has, since von Neumann, dominated the general approach to linear functional analysis and that achieves here a high degree of lucidity and clarity. The presentation is never awkward or dry, as it sometimes is in other "modern" textbooks; it is as unconventional as one has come to expect from the author. The book contains about 350 well placed and instructive problems, which cover a considerable part of the subject. All in all, this is an excellent work, of equally high value for both student and teacher." Zentralblatt fur...

A selection of the mathematical writings of Paul R. Halmos (1916 - 2006) is presented in two Volumes. Volume I consists of research publications plus two papers of a more expository nature on Hilbert Space. The remaining expository articles and all the popular writings appear in this second volume. It comprises 27 articles, written between 1949 and 1981, and also a transcript of an interview.

This volume and its companion present a selection of the mathematical writings of P. R. Halmos. The present volume consists of research publications plus two papers which, although of a more expository nature, were deemed primarily of interest to the specialist ("Ten Problems in Hilbert Space" (1970d), and" Ten Years in Hilbert Space" (1979b)). The remaining expository and all the popular writings are in the second volume. The papers in the present volume are arranged chronologically. As it happens, that arrangement also groups the papers according to subject matter: those published before...