Silvio Levy - Böcker

Flavors of Geometry is a volume of lectures on four geometrically-influenced fields of mathematics that have experienced great development in recent years. Growing out of a series of introductory lectures given at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in January 1995 and January 1996, the book presents chapters by masters in their respective fields on hyperbolic geometry, dynamics in several complex variables, convex geometry, and volume estimation. Each lecture begins with a discussion of elementary concepts, examines the highlights of the field, and concludes with a look at more advanced material. The style and presentation of the chapters are clear and accessible, and most of the lectures are richly illustrated. Bibiliographies and indexes are included to encourage further reading on the topics discussed.

K-theory has helped convert the theory of operator algebras from a simple branch of functional analysis to a subject with broad applicability throughout mathematics, especially in geometry and topology, and many mathematicians of diverse backgrounds must learn the essential parts of the theory. This book is the only comprehensive treatment of K-theory for operator algebras, and is intended to help students, non-specialists, and specialists learn the subject. This book develops K-theory, the theory of extensions, and Kasparov's bivariant KK-theory for C*-algebras. Special topics covered include the theory of AF algebras, axiomatic K-theory, the Universal Coefficient Theorem, and E-theory. Although the book is technically complete, motivation and intuition are emphasized. Many examples and applications are discussed. This first paperback printing has been revised and expanded and contains an updated reference list.

This book develops some of the extraordinary richness, beauty, and power of geometry in two and three dimensions, and the strong connection of geometry with topology. Hyperbolic geometry is the star. A strong effort has been made to convey not just denatured formal reasoning (definitions, theorems, and proofs), but a living feeling for the subject. There are many figures, examples, and exercises of varying difficulty. This book was the origin of a grand scheme developed by Thurston that is now coming to fruition. In the 1920s and 1930s the mathematics of two-dimensional spaces was formalized. It was Thurston's goal to do the same for three-dimensional spaces. To do this, he had to establish the strong connection of geometry to topology--the study of qualitative questions about geometrical structures. The author created a new set of concepts, and the expression "Thurston-type geometry" has become a commonplace. Three-Dimensional Geometry and Topology had its origins in the form of notes for a graduate course the author taught at Princeton University between 1978 and 1980. Thurston shared his notes, duplicating and sending them to whoever requested them.Eventually, the mailing list grew to more than one thousand names. The book is the culmination of two decades of research and has become the most important and influential text in the field. Its content also provided the methods needed to solve one of mathematics' oldest unsolved problems--the Poincare Conjecture. In 2005 Thurston won the first AMS Book Prize, for Three-dimensional Geometry and Topology. The prize recognizes an outstanding research book that makes a seminal contribution to the research literature. Thurston received the Fields Medal, the mathematical equivalent of the Nobel Prize, in 1982 for the depth and originality of his contributions to mathematics. In 1979 he was awarded the Alan T. Waterman Award, which recognizes an outstanding young researcher in any field of science or engineering supported by the National Science Foundation.