Urs Stammbach - Böcker

We have inserted, in this edition, an extra chapter (Chapter X) entitled "Some Applications and Recent Developments." The first section of this chapter describes how homological algebra arose by abstraction from algebraic topology and how it has contributed to the knowledge of topology. The other four sections describe applications of the methods and results of homological algebra to other parts of algebra. Most of the material presented in these four sections was not available when this text was first published. Naturally, the treatments in these five sections are somewhat cursory, the intention being to give the flavor of the homo­ logical methods rather than the details of the arguments and results. We would like to express our appreciation of help received in writing Chapter X; in particular, to Ross Geoghegan and Peter Kropholler (Section 3), and to Jacques Thevenaz (Sections 4 and 5). The only other changes consist of the correction of small errors and, of course, the enlargement of the Index. Peter Hilton Binghamton, New York, USA Urs Stammbach Zurich, Switzerland Contents Preface to the Second Edition vii Introduction. . I. Modules.

We have inserted, in this edition, an extra chapter (Chapter X) entitled "Some Applications and Recent Developments." The first section of this chapter describes how homological algebra arose by abstraction from algebraic topology and how it has contributed to the knowledge of topology. The other four sections describe applications of the methods and results of homological algebra to other parts of algebra. Most of the material presented in these four sections was not available when this text was first published. Naturally, the treatments in these five sections are somewhat cursory, the intention being to give the flavor of the homo­ logical methods rather than the details of the arguments and results. We would like to express our appreciation of help received in writing Chapter X; in particular, to Ross Geoghegan and Peter Kropholler (Section 3), and to Jacques Thevenaz (Sections 4 and 5). The only other changes consist of the correction of small errors and, of course, the enlargement of the Index. Peter Hilton Binghamton, New York, USA Urs Stammbach Zurich, Switzerland Contents Preface to the Second Edition vii Introduction. . I. Modules.

This volume contains research papers and survey articles written by Beno Eckmann from 1941 to 1986. The aim of the compilation is to provide a general view of the breadth of Eckmann’s mathematical work. His influence was particularly strong in the development of many subfields of topology and algebra, where he repeatedly pointed out close, and often surprising, connections between them and other areas. The surveys are exemplary in terms of how they make difficult mathematical ideas easily comprehensible and accessible even to non-specialists. The topics treated here can be classified into the following, not entirely unrelated areas: algebraic topology (homotopy and homology theory), algebra, group theory and differential geometry. Beno Eckmann was Professor of Mathematics at the University of Lausanne, 1942-48, and Principal of the Institute for Mathematical Research at the ETH Zurich, 1964-84, where he was therefore an emeritus professor.