Frances Kirwan - Böcker

Complex algebraic curves were developed in the nineteenth century. They have many fascinating properties and crop up in various areas of mathematics, from number theory to theoretical physics, and are the subject of much research. By using only the basic techniques acquired by most undergraduate courses in mathematics, Dr Kirwan introduces the theory, observes the algebraic and topological properties of complex algebraic curves, and shows how they are related to complex analysis. This book grew from a lecture course given by Dr Kirwan at Oxford University and will be an excellent companion for final year undergraduates and graduates who are studying complex algebraic curves.

Now more that a quarter of a century old, intersection homology theory has proven to be a powerful tool in the study of the topology of singular spaces, with deep links to many other areas of mathematics, including combinatorics, differential equations, group representations, and number theory.Like its predecessor, An Introduction to Intersection Homology Theory, Second Edition introduces the power and beauty of intersection homology, explaining the main ideas and omitting, or merely sketching, the difficult proofs. It treats both the basics of the subject and a wide range of applications, providing lucid overviews of highly technical areas that make the subject accessible and prepare readers for more advanced work in the area. This second edition contains entirely new chapters introducing the theory of Witt spaces, perverse sheaves, and the combinatorial intersection cohomology of fans.Intersection homology is a large and growing subject that touches on many aspects of topology, geometry, and algebra. With its clear explanations of the main ideas, this book builds the confidence needed to tackle more specialist, technical texts and provides a framework within which to place them.

"Geometric Invariant Theory" by Mumford/Fogarty (the first edition was published in 1965, a second, enlarged editon appeared in 1982) is the standard reference on applications of invariant theory to the construction of moduli spaces. This third, revised edition has been long awaited for by the mathematical community. It is now appearing in a completely updated and enlarged version with an additional chapter on the moment map by Prof. Frances Kirwan (Oxford) and a fully updated bibliography of work in this area. The book deals firstly with actions of algebraic groups on algebraic varieties, separating orbits by invariants and construction quotient spaces; and secondly with applications of this theory to the construction of moduli spaces. It is a systematic exposition of the geometric aspects of the classical theory of polynomial invariants.