Mathematics: Theory & Applications – serie

Dirac operators are widely used in physics and in the mathematical areas of differential geometry and group-theoretic settings, in particular, in the geometric construction of discrete series representations. The related concept of Dirac cohomology, which is defined using Dirac operators, is a far-reaching generalization that connects index theory in differential geometry to representation theory. This monograph presents a comprehensive treatment of important new ideas on Dirac operators and Dirac cohomology. The early chapters give background material and lead up to a proof of Vogan's conjecture on Dirac cohomology which illuminates the algebraic nature of Dirac operators. This proof is then used to obtain simple proofs of many classical theorems such as the Bott--Borel--Weil theorem and the Atiyah--Schmid theorem. The Dirac cohomology, defined by Kostant's cubic Dirac operator, is closely related to other Lie algebra cohomologies, such as n-cohomology and (g,K)-cohomology. Via an approach similar to the proof of Vogan's conjecture for the half Dirac operators, the authors present a new proof of the Casselman-- Osburne theorem on Lie algebra cohomology.Other topics deal with the multiplicity of automorphic forms, the connection of Dirac operators to an equivariant cohomology and to K-theory. The exposition is systematic and self-contained and will be of interest to researchers and graduate students in representation theory, differential geometry, and physics.

Introduces uniform constructions of most of the known compactifications of symmetric and locally symmetric spaces, with emphasis on their geometric and topological structures Relatively self-contained reference aimed at graduate students and research mathematicians interested in the applications of Lie theory and representation theory to analysis, number theory, algebraic geometry and algebraic topology

Publicationes Mathematicae "In the reviewer's opinion, this is a superb book which makes learning a real pleasure." - Revue Romaine de Mathematiques Pures et Appliquees "This main-stream presentation of differential geometry serves well for a course on Riemannian geometry, and it is complemented by many annotated exercises." - Monatshefte F. Mathematik

The KK-theory of Kasparov is now approximately twelve years old; its power, utility and importance have been amply demonstrated. Nonethe­ less, it remains a forbiddingly difficult topic with which to work and learn. There are many reasons for this. For one thing, KK-theory spans several traditionally disparate mathematical regimes. For another, the literature is scattered and difficult to penetrate. Many of the major papers require the reader to supply the details of the arguments based on only a rough outline of proofs. Finally, the subject itself has come to consist of a number of difficult segments, each of which demands prolonged and intensive study. is to deal with some of these difficul­ Our goal in writing this book ties and make it possible for the reader to "get started" with the theory. We have not attempted to produce a comprehensive treatise on all aspects of KK-theory; the subject seems too vital to submit to such a treatment at this point. What seemed more important to us was a timely presen­ tation of the very basic elements of the theory, the functoriality of the KK-groups, and the Kasparov product.

Elliptic boundary problems have enjoyed interest recently, espe­ cially among C* -algebraists and mathematical physicists who want to understand single aspects of the theory, such as the behaviour of Dirac operators and their solution spaces in the case of a non-trivial boundary. However, the theory of elliptic boundary problems by far has not achieved the same status as the theory of elliptic operators on closed (compact, without boundary) manifolds. The latter is nowadays rec­ ognized by many as a mathematical work of art and a very useful technical tool with applications to a multitude of mathematical con­ texts. Therefore, the theory of elliptic operators on closed manifolds is well-known not only to a small group of specialists in partial dif­ ferential equations, but also to a broad range of researchers who have specialized in other mathematical topics. Why is the theory of elliptic boundary problems, compared to that on closed manifolds, still lagging behind in popularity? Admittedly, from an analytical point of view, it is a jigsaw puzzle which has more pieces than does the elliptic theory on closed manifolds. But that is not the only reason.

This self-contained work, focusing on the theory of state spaces of C*-algebras and von Neumann algebras, explains how the oriented state space geometrically determines the algebra. The theory of orientation of C*-algebra state spaces is presented with a new approach that does not depend on Jordan algebras, and the theory of orientation of normal state spaces of von Neumann algebras is presented with complete proofs for the first time. The theory of operator algebras was initially motivated by applications to physics, but has recently found unexpected new applications to fields of pure mathematics as diverse as foliations and knot theory.

This book presents the general theory of categorical closure operators together with examples and applications to the most common categories, such as topological spaces, fuzzy topological spaces, groups, and abelian groups. The main aim of the theory is to develop a categorical characterization of the classical basic concepts in topology via the newly introduced concept of categorical closure operators. This permits many topological ideas to be introduced in a topology-free environment and imported afterwards into a new category, which often yields interesting new insights into its structure. The first part of the book deals with the general theory, starting with basic definitions and gradually moving to more advanced properties. The second part includes applications to the classical concepts of epimorphisms, separation, compactness and connectedness. Every chapter ends with exercises. A comprehensive list of references for the reader who wants to consult original works and a good index complete the book. "Categorical Closure Operators" is self-contained and can be considered as a graduate level text for topics courses in category theory, algebra, and topology.The book appeals mainly to graduate students and researchers in category theory and categorical topology, and to those interested in categorical methods applied to the most common concrete categories. The reader is expected to have some basic knowledge of algebra, topology and category theory; however, all recurrent categorical concepts are included in a preliminary chapter.

This monograph presents a complete and self-contained solution to the long-standing problem of giving a geometric description of state spaces of C*-algebras and von Neumann algebras, and of their Jordan algebraic analogs (JB-algebras and JBW-algebras). The material, which previously has appeared only in research papers and required substantial prerequisites for a reader's understanding, is made accessible here to a broad mathematical audience. Key features include: The properties used to describe state spaces are primarily of a geometric nature, but many can also be interpreted in terms of physics.There are numerous remarks discussing these connections * A quick introduction to Jordan algebras is given; no previous knowledge is assumed and all necessary background on the subject is given * A discussion of dynamical correspondences, which tie together Lie and Jordan structures, and relate the observables and the generators of time evolution in physics * The connection with Connes' notions of orientation and homogeneity in cones is explained * Chapters conclude with notes placing the material in historical context * Prerequisites are standard graduate courses in real and complex variables, measure theory, and functional analysis * Excellent bibliography and index In the authors' previous book, "State Spaces of Operator Algebras: Basic Theory, Orientations and C*-products" (ISBN 0-8176-3890-3), the role of orientations was examined and all the prerequisites on C*- algebras and von Neumann algebras, needed for this work, were provided in detail. These requisites, as well as all relevant definitions and results with reference back to State Spaces, are summarized in an appendix, further emphasizing the self-contained nature of this work."Geometry of State Spaces of Operator Algebras" is intended for specialists in operator algebras, as well as graduate students and

The fields of algebraic functions of one variable appear in several areas of mathematics: complex analysis, algebraic geometry, and number theory. This text adopts the latter perspective by applying an arithmetic-algebraic viewpoint to the study of function fields as part of the algebraic theory of numbers. The examination explains both the similarities and fundamental differences between function fields and number fields, including many exercises and examples to enhance understanding and motivate further study.The only prerequisites are a basic knowledge of field theory, complex analysis, and some commutative algebra. The book can serve as a text for a graduate course in number theory or an advanced graduate topics course. Alternatively, chapters 1-4 can serve as the base of an introductory undergraduate course for mathematics majors, while chapters 5-9 can support a second course for advanced undergraduates. Researchers interested in number theory, field theory, and their interactions will also find the work an excellent reference.

This book presents the general theory of categorical closure operators to­ gether with a number of examples, mostly drawn from topology and alge­ bra, which illustrate the general concepts in several concrete situations. It is aimed mainly at researchers and graduate students in the area of cate­ gorical topology, and to those interested in categorical methods applied to the most common concrete categories. Categorical Closure Operators is self-contained and can be considered as a graduate level textbook for topics courses in algebra, topology or category theory. The reader is expected to have some basic knowledge of algebra, topology and category theory, however, all categorical concepts that are recurrent are included in Chapter 2. Moreover, Chapter 1 contains all the needed results about Galois connections, and Chapter 3 presents the the­ ory of factorization structures for sinks. These factorizations not only are essential for the theory developed in this book, but details about them can­ not be found anywhere else, since all the results about these factorizations are usually treated as the duals of the theory of factorization structures for sources. Here, those hard-to-find details are provided. Throughout the book I have kept the number of assumptions to a min­ imum, even though this implies that different chapters may use different hypotheses. Normally, the hypotheses in use are specified at the beginning of each chapter and they also apply to the exercise set of that chapter.

In this book we give a complete geometric description of state spaces of operator algebras, Jordan as well as associative. That is, we give axiomatic characterizations of those convex sets that are state spaces of C*-algebras and von Neumann algebras, together with such characterizations for the normed Jordan algebras called JB-algebras and JBW-algebras. These non­ associative algebras generalize C*-algebras and von Neumann algebras re­ spectively, and the characterization of their state spaces is not only of interest in itself, but is also an important intermediate step towards the characterization of the state spaces of the associative algebras. This book gives a complete and updated presentation of the character­ ization theorems of [10]' [11] and [71]. Our previous book State spaces of operator algebras: basic theory, orientations and C*-products, referenced as [AS] in the sequel, gives an account of the necessary prerequisites on C*-algebras and von Neumann algebras, as well as a discussion of the key notion of orientations of state spaces. For the convenience of the reader, we have summarized these prerequisites in an appendix which contains all relevant definitions and results (listed as (AI), (A2), ... ), with reference back to [AS] for proofs, so that this book is self-contained.

The topic of this book is the theory of state spaces of operator algebras and their geometry. The states are of interest because they determine representations of the algebra, and its algebraic structure is in an intriguing and fascinating fashion encoded in the geometry of the state space. From the beginning the theory of operator algebras was motivated by applications to physics, but recently it has found unexpected new applica­ tions to various fields of pure mathematics, like foliations and knot theory, and (in the Jordan algebra case) also to Banach manifolds and infinite di­ mensional holomorphy. This makes it a relevant field of study for readers with diverse backgrounds and interests. Therefore this book is not intended solely for specialists in operator algebras, but also for graduate students and mathematicians in other fields who want to learn the subject. We assume that the reader starts out with only the basic knowledge taught in standard graduate courses in real and complex variables, measure theory and functional analysis. We have given complete proofs of basic results on operator algebras, so that no previous knowledge in this field is needed. For discussion of some topics, more advanced prerequisites are needed. Here we have included all necessary definitions and statements of results, but in some cases proofs are referred to standard texts. In those cases we have tried to give references to material that can be read and understood easily in the context of our book.

Elliptic boundary problems have enjoyed interest recently, espe­ cially among C* -algebraists and mathematical physicists who want to understand single aspects of the theory, such as the behaviour of Dirac operators and their solution spaces in the case of a non-trivial boundary. However, the theory of elliptic boundary problems by far has not achieved the same status as the theory of elliptic operators on closed (compact, without boundary) manifolds. The latter is nowadays rec­ ognized by many as a mathematical work of art and a very useful technical tool with applications to a multitude of mathematical con­ texts. Therefore, the theory of elliptic operators on closed manifolds is well-known not only to a small group of specialists in partial dif­ ferential equations, but also to a broad range of researchers who have specialized in other mathematical topics. Why is the theory of elliptic boundary problems, compared to that on closed manifolds, still lagging behind in popularity? Admittedly, from an analytical point of view, it is a jigsaw puzzle which has more pieces than does the elliptic theory on closed manifolds. But that is not the only reason.