It is the author's aim to give a systematic account of the most im portant ideas, methods and results of the theory of topological vector spaces. After a rapid development during the last 15 years, this theory has now achieved a form which makes such an account seem both possible and desirable. This present first volume begins with the fundamental ideas of general topology. These are of crucial importance for the theory that follows, and so it seems necessary to give a concise account, giving complete proofs. This also has the advantage that the only preliminary knowledge required for reading...