The Square Root of 2 : A Dialogue Concerning a Number and a Sequence
The square root of 2 is a fascinating number – if a little less famous than such mathematical stars as pi, the number e, the golden ratio, or the square root of –1. (Each of these has been honored by at least one recent book.) Here, in an imaginary dialogue between teacher and student, readers will learn why v2 is an important number in its own right, and how, in puzzling out its special qualities, mathematicians gained insights into the illusive nature of irrational numbers. Using no more than basic high school algebra and geometry, David Flannery manages to convey not just why v2 is fascinating and significant, but how the whole enterprise of mathematical thinking can be played out in a dialogue that is imaginative, intriguing, and engaging.
The Random-Cluster Model
The random-cluster model has emerged in recent years as a key tool in the mathematical study of ferromagnetism. It may be viewed as an extension of percolation to include Ising and Potts models, and its analysis is a mix of arguments from probability and geometry. This systematic study includes accounts of the subcritical and supercritical phases, together with clear statements of important open problems. There is an extensive treatment of the first-order (discontinuous) phase transition, as well as a chapter devoted to applications of the random-cluster method to other models of statistical physics.
The Novikov Conjecture : Geometry and Algebra
These lecture notes contain a guided tour to the Novikov Conjecture and related conjectures due to Baum-Connes, Borel and Farrell-Jones. They begin with basics about higher signatures, Whitehead torsion and the s-Cobordism Theorem. Then an introduction to surgery theory and a version of the assembly map is presented. Using the solution of the Novikov conjecture for special groups some applications to the classification of low dimensional manifolds are given.
The Monodromy Group
In singularity theory and algebraic geometry, the monodromy group is embodied in the Picard-Lefschetz formula and the Picard-Fuchs equations. There is a deep connection of monodromy theory with Galois theory of differential equations and algebraic functions.
The Mathematics of Minkowski Space-Time : With an Introduction to Commutative Hypercomplex Numbers
Hyperbolic numbers are proposed for a rigorous geometric formalization of the space-time symmetry of two-dimensional Special Relativity. The system of hyperbolic numbers as a simple extension of the field of complex numbers is extensively studied in the book. In particular, an exhaustive solution of the "twin paradox" is given, followed by a detailed exposition of space-time geometry and trigonometry. Finally, an appendix on general properties of commutative hypercomplex systems with four unities is presented.
The Math Problems Notebook
The problems cover many topics, including number theory, algebra, combinatorics, geometry and analysis, of varying levels of difficulty. The presentation of each topic begins with simple exercises and follows with more difficult problems, challenging enough even for the experienced problem solver. The easier problems focus on basic methods and tools, while the more advanced problems develop problem-solving techniques, intuition and promote further research.
The Many Faces of Maxwell, Dirac and Einstein Equations : A Clifford Bundle Approach
This book is a thoughtful exposition of the algebra and calculus of differential forms, the Clifford and Spin-Clifford bundles formalisms with emphasis in calculation procedures, and vistas to a formulation of some important concepts of differential geometry necessary for a deep understanding of spacetime physics.
The Legacy of Mario Pieri in Geometry and Arithmetic
The Italian mathematician Mario Pieri (1860-1913) played an integral part in the research groups of Corrado Segre and Giuseppe Peano, and thus had a significant, yet somewhat underappreciated impact on several branches of mathematics, particularly on the development of algebraic geometry and the foundations of mathematics in the years around the turn of the 20th century. This book is the first in a series of three volumes that are dedicated to countering that neglect and comprehensively examining Pieri’s life, mathematical work, and influence in such diverse fields as mathematical logic, algebraic geometry, number theory, inversive geometry, vector analysis, and differential geometry.
The Last Recreations : Hydras, Eggs, and Other Mathematical Mystifications
Of all of Martin Gardner's writings, none gained him a wider audience or was more central to his reputation than his Mathematical Recreations column in "Scientific American", which virtually defined the genre of popular mathematics writing for a generation. Flatland, Hydras and Eggs: Mathematical Mystifications will be the final collection of these columns, covering a period roughly from 1979 to Gardner's retirement as a regular columnist in 1986. The notable trend over Gardner's career is the increasing sophistication of the mathematics he has been able to translate into his famously lucid prose. These columns show him at the top of his form and are not to be missed by anyone with an interest in mathematics. As always in his published collections, Gardner includes letters received from mathematicians and other commenting on the ideas presented in the columns.
The IMO Compendium : A collection of problems suggested for the International Mathematical Olympiads, 1959-2004
The IMO has sparked off a burst of creativity among enthusiasts in creating new and interesting mathematics problems. In an extremely stiff competition, only six problems are chosen each year to appear on the IMO. The total number of problems proposed for the IMOs up to this point is staggering Until now it has been almost impossible to obtain a complete collection of the problems proposed at the IMO in book form. "The IMO Compendium" is the result of a two year long collaboration between four former IMO participants from Yugoslavia, now Serbia and Montenegro, to rescue these problems from old and scattered manuscripts, and produce the ultimate source of IMO practice problems.
The Heart of Cohomology
Fundamental notions in cohomology for examples, functors, representable functors, Yoneda embedding, derived functors, spectral sequences, derived categories are explained in elementary fashion. Applications to sheaf cohomology are given. Also cohomological aspects of D-modules and of the computation of zeta functions of the Weierstrass family are provided.
The Grothendieck Festschrift Vol. III : A Collection of Articles Written in Honor of the 60th Birthday of Alexander Grothendieck
The many diverse articles presented in these three volumes, collected on the occasion of Alexander Grothendieck’s sixtieth birthday and originally published in 1990, were offered as a tribute to one of the world’s greatest living mathematicians. Grothendieck changed the very way we think about many branches of mathematics. Many of his ideas, revolutionary when introduced, now seem so natural as to have been inevitable. Indeed, it is difficult to fully grasp the influence his vast contributions to modern mathematics have subsequently had on new generations of mathematicians.
The Grothendieck Festschrift II : A Collection of Articles Written in Honor of the 60th Birthday of Alexander Grothendieck
The many diverse articles presented in these three volumes, collected on the occasion of Alexander Grothendieck’s sixtieth birthday and originally published in 1990, were offered as a tribute to one of the world’s greatest living mathematicians. Grothendieck changed the very way we think about many branches of mathematics. Many of his ideas, revolutionary when introduced, now seem so natural as to have been inevitable. Indeed, it is difficult to fully grasp the influence his vast contributions to modern mathematics have subsequently had on new generations of mathematicians.
The Grammar of Graphics
Presents a unique foundation for producing almost every quantitative graphic found in scientific journals, newspapers, statistical packages, and data visualization systems. While the tangible results of this work have been several visualization software libraries, this book focuses on the deep structures involved in producing quantitative graphics from data. What are the rules that underlie the production of pie charts, bar charts, scatterplots, function plots, maps, mosaics, and radar charts? Those less interested in the theoretical and mathematical foundations can still get a sense of the richness and structure of the system by examining the numerous and often unique color graphics it can produce. The second edition is almost twice the size of the original, with six new chapters and substantial revision. Much of the added material makes this book suitable for survey courses in visualization and statistical graphics.
The Geometry of the Word Problem for Finitely Generated Groups
The advanced course on The geometry of the word problem for fnitely presented groups was held July 5-15, 2005, at the Centre de Recerca Matematica ̀ in B- laterra (Barcelona). It was aimed at young researchersand recent graduates int- ested in geometricapproachesto grouptheory,in particular,to the wordproblem. Three eight-hour lecture series were delivered and are the origin of these notes. There were also problem sessions and eight contributed talks. The course was the closing activity of a research program on The geometry of the word problem, held during the academic year 2004-05 .
The Geometry of Syzygies : A Second Course in Algebraic Geometry and Commutative Algebra
Algebraic Geometry often seems very abstract, but in fact it is full of concrete examples and problems. This side of the subject can be approached through the equations of a variety, and the syzygies of these equations are a necessary part of the study. This book illustrates the use of syzygies in many concrete geometric considerations, from interpolation to the study of canonical curves.It is also suitable for self-study by a reader who knows a little commutative algebra and algebraic geometry already. As an aid to the reader, an appendix provides a summary of commutative algebra, tying together examples and major results from a wide range of topics.
The Geometry of an Art : The History of the Mathematical Theory of Perspective from Alberti to Monge
Describes how the understanding of the geometry behind perspective evolved between the years 1435 and 1800 and how new insights within the mathematical theory of perspective influenced the way the discipline was presented in textbooks.In fact, the last issue is touched upon so often that a considerable part of this book could be seen as a case study of the difficulties in bridging the gap between those with mathematical knowledge and the mathematically untrained practitioners who wish to use this knowledge.
The Fourfold Way in Real Analysis : An Alternative to the Metaplectic Representation
The fourfold way starts with the consideration of entire functions of one variable satisfying specific estimates at infinity, both on the real line and the pure imaginary line. A major part of classical analysis, mainly that which deals with Fourier analysis and related concepts, can then be given a parameter-dependent analogue. The parameter is some real number modulo 2, the classical case being obtained when it is an integer. The space L2(R) has to give way to a pseudo-Hilbert space, on which a new translation-invariant integral still exists. All this extends to the n-dimensional case, and in the alternative to the metaplectic representation so obtained, it is the space of Lagrangian subspaces of R2n that plays the usual role of the complex Siegel domain. In fourfold analysis, the spectrum of the harmonic oscillator can be an arbitrary class modulo the integers.
The Four Pillars of Geometry
The Four Pillars of Geometry approaches geometry in four different ways, spending two chapters on each. This makes the subject accessible to readers of all mathematical tastes, from the visual to the algebraic. Not only does each approach offer a different view; the combination of viewpoints yields insights not available in most books at this level. For example, it is shown how algebra emerges from projective geometry, and how the hyperbolic plane emerges from the real projective line.The author begins with Euclid-style construction and axiomatics, then proceeds to linear algebra when it becomes convenient to replace tortuous arguments with simple calculations. Next, he uses projective geometry to explain why objects look the way they do, as well as to explain why geometry is entangled with algebra. And lastly, the author introduces transformation groups---not only to clarify the differences between geometries, but also to exhibit geometries that are unexpectedly the same.
The Breadth of Symplectic and Poisson Geometry : Festschrift in Honor of Alan Weinstein
One of the world’s foremost geometers, Alan Weinstein has made deep contributions to symplectic and differential geometry, Lie theory, mechanics, and related fields. Written in his honor, the invited papers in this volume reflect the active and vibrant research in these areas and are a tribute to Weinstein’s ongoing influence.The text cover a broad range of topics: Induction and reduction for systems with symmetry, symplectic geometry and topology, geometric quantization, the Weinstein Conjecture, Poisson algebra and geometry, Dirac structures, deformations for Lie group actions, Kähler geometry of moduli spaces, theory and applications of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics and dynamics, symplectic and Poisson groupoids, and quantum representations.



















