S.P. Novikov - Böcker

Up until recently, Riemannian geometry and basic topology were not included, even by departments or faculties of mathematics, as compulsory subjects in a university-level mathematical education. The standard courses in the classical differential geometry of curves and surfaces which were given instead (and still are given in some places) have come gradually to be viewed as anachronisms. However, there has been hitherto no unanimous agreement as to exactly how such courses should be brought up to date, that is to say, which parts of modern geometry should be regarded as absolutely essential to a modern mathematical education, and what might be the appropriate level of abstractness of their exposition. The task of designing a modernized course in geometry was begun in 1971 in the mechanics division of the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of Moscow State University. The subject-matter and level of abstractness of its exposition were dictated by the view that, in addition to the geometry of curves and surfaces, the following topics are certainly useful in the various areas of application of mathematics (especially in elasticity and relativity, to name but two), and are therefore essential: the theory of tensors (including covariant differentiation of them); Riemannian curvature; geodesics and the calculus of variations (including the conservation laws and Hamiltonian formalism); the particular case of skew-symmetric tensors (i. e.

Over the past fifteen years, the geometrical and topological methods of the theory of manifolds have as- sumed a central role in the most advanced areas of pure and applied mathematics as well as theoretical physics. The three volumes of Modern Geometry - Methods and Applications contain a concrete exposition of these methods together with their main applications in mathematics and physics. This third volume, presented in highly accessible languages, concentrates in homology theory. It contains introductions to the contemporary methods for the calculation of homology groups and the classification of manifesto. Both scientists and students of mathematics as well as theoretical physics will find this book to be a valuable reference and text.

This is the first volume of a three-volume introduction to modern geometry, with emphasis on applications to other areas of mathematics and theoretical physics. Topics covered include tensors and their differential calculus, the calculus of variations in one and several dimensions, and geometric field theory. This material is explained in as simple and concrete a language as possible, in a terminology acceptable to physicists. The text for the second edition has been substantially revised.

One service mathematics has rendered the 'Et moi, ..., si j'avait su comment en revenir, je n'y serais point aile.' human race. It has put common sense back Jules Verne where it belongs, on the topmost shelf next to the dusty canister labelled 'discarded n- sense'. The series is divergent; therefore we may be able to do something with it. Eric T. Bell O. Heaviside Matht"natics is a tool for thought. A highly necessary tool in a world where both feedback and non- linearities abound. Similarly, all kinds of parts of mathematics seNe as tools for other parts and for other sciences. Applying a simple rewriting rule to the quote on the right above one finds such statements as: 'One service topology has rendered mathematical physics ...'; 'One service logic has rendered com- puter science ...'; 'One service category theory has rendered mathematics ...'. All arguably true. And all statements obtainable this way form part of the raison d'etre of this series.

Up until recently, Riemannian geometry and basic topology were not included, even by departments or faculties of mathematics, as compulsory subjects in a university-level mathematical education. The standard courses in the classical differential geometry of curves and surfaces which were given instead (and still are given in some places) have come gradually to be viewed as anachronisms. However, there has been hitherto no unanimous agreement as to exactly how such courses should be brought up to date, that is to say, which parts of modern geometry should be regarded as absolutely essential to a modern mathematical education, and what might be the appropriate level of abstractness of their exposition. The task of designing a modernized course in geometry was begun in 1971 in the mechanics division of the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of Moscow State University. The subject-matter and level of abstractness of its exposition were dictated by the view that, in addition to the geometry of curves and surfaces, the following topics are certainly useful in the various areas of application of mathematics (especially in elasticity and relativity, to name but two), and are therefore essential: the theory of tensors (including covariant differentiation of them); Riemannian curvature; geodesics and the calculus of variations (including the conservation laws and Hamiltonian formalism); the particular case of skew-symmetric tensors (i. e.

This is the first volume of a three-volume introduction to modern geometry, with emphasis on applications to other areas of mathematics and theoretical physics. Topics covered include tensors and their differential calculus, the calculus of variations in one and several dimensions, and geometric field theory. This material is explained in as simple and concrete a language as possible, in a terminology acceptable to physicists. The text for the second edition has been substantially revised.

Over the past fifteen years, the geometrical and topological methods of the theory of manifolds have as- sumed a central role in the most advanced areas of pure and applied mathematics as well as theoretical physics. The three volumes of Modern Geometry - Methods and Applications contain a concrete exposition of these methods together with their main applications in mathematics and physics. This third volume, presented in highly accessible languages, concentrates in homology theory. It contains introductions to the contemporary methods for the calculation of homology groups and the classification of manifesto. Both scientists and students of mathematics as well as theoretical physics will find this book to be a valuable reference and text.

Introduction In the present essay, we attempt to convey some idea of the skeleton of topology, and of various topological concepts. It must be said at once that, apart from the necessary minimum, the subject-matter of this survey does not indude that subdiscipline known as "general topology" - the theory of general spaces and maps considered in the context of set theory and general category theory. (Doubtless this subject will be surveyed in detail by others. ) With this qualification, it may be daimed that the "topology" dealt with in the present survey is that mathematieal subject whieh in the late 19th century was called Analysis Situs, and at various later periods separated out into various subdisciplines: "Combinatorial topology", "Algebraic topology", "Differential (or smooth) topology", "Homotopy theory", "Geometrie topology". With the growth, over a long period of time, in applications of topology to other areas of mathematics, the following further subdisciplines crystallizedout: the global calculus of variations, global geometry, the topology of Lie groups and homogeneous spaces, the topology of complex manifolds and alge­ braic varieties, the qualitative (topologieal) theory of dynamical systems and foliations, the topology of elliptic and hyperbolic partial differential equations. Finally, in the 1970s and 80s, a whole complex of applications of topologie al methods was made to problems of modern physiesj in fact in several instances it would have been impossible to understand the essence of the real physical phenomena in question without the aid of concepts from topology.

A collection of five surveys on dynamical systems, indispensable for graduate students and researchers in mathematics and theoretical physics. Written in the modern language of differential geometry, the book covers all the new differential geometric and Lie-algebraic methods currently used in the theory of integrable systems.

Two top experts in topology, O.Ya. Viro and D.B. Fuchs, give an up-to-date account of research in central areas of topology and the theory of Lie groups. They cover homotopy, homology and cohomology as well as the theory of manifolds, Lie groups, Grassmanians and low-dimensional manifolds.Their book will be used by graduate students and researchers in mathematics and mathematical physics.

From the reviews of the first edition:"...In general the articles ...are well written in a style that enables one to grasp the ideas. The actual style is a readable mix of the important results, outlines of proofs and complete proofs when it does not take too long together with readable explanations of what is going on. Also very useful are the large lists of references which are important not only for their mathematical content but also because the references given also contain articles in the Soviet literature which may not be familiar or possibly accessible to readers."New Zealand Math. Soc. Newsletter 1991"...Here ...a wealth of material is displayed for us, too much to even indicate in a review...Your reviewer was very impressed by the contents of both volumes (EMS 2 and 4), recommending them without any restriction. As far as he could judge, most presentations seem fairly complete..."Mededelingen van het Wiskundig genootshap 1992

Introduction In the present essay, we attempt to convey some idea of the skeleton of topology, and of various topological concepts. It must be said at once that, apart from the necessary minimum, the subject-matter of this survey does not indude that subdiscipline known as "general topology" - the theory of general spaces and maps considered in the context of set theory and general category theory. (Doubtless this subject will be surveyed in detail by others. ) With this qualification, it may be daimed that the "topology" dealt with in the present survey is that mathematieal subject whieh in the late 19th century was called Analysis Situs, and at various later periods separated out into various subdisciplines: "Combinatorial topology", "Algebraic topology", "Differential (or smooth) topology", "Homotopy theory", "Geometrie topology". With the growth, over a long period of time, in applications of topology to other areas of mathematics, the following further subdisciplines crystallizedout: the global calculus of variations, global geometry, the topology of Lie groups and homogeneous spaces, the topology of complex manifolds and alge­ braic varieties, the qualitative (topologieal) theory of dynamical systems and foliations, the topology of elliptic and hyperbolic partial differential equations. Finally, in the 1970s and 80s, a whole complex of applications of topologie al methods was made to problems of modern physiesj in fact in several instances it would have been impossible to understand the essence of the real physical phenomena in question without the aid of concepts from topology.

A collection of five surveys on dynamical systems, indispensable for graduate students and researchers in mathematics and theoretical physics. Written in the modern language of differential geometry, the book covers all the new differential geometric and Lie-algebraic methods currently used in the theory of integrable systems.

Natural Group Structures on Sets of Homotopy Classes . Absolute Homotopy Groups . Local Systems of Homotopy Groups of a Topological Space . Relative Homotopy Groups . Bundles and Homotopy Groups . The Local System of Homotopy Groups of the Fibres of a Serre Bundle .

Also very useful are the large lists of references which are important not only for their mathematical content but also because the references given also contain articles in the Soviet literature which may not be familiar or possibly accessible to readers."New Zealand Math.