Bøker i London Mathematical Society Student Texts-serien

Over the last 25 years K-theory has become an integrated part of the study of C*-algebras. This book gives an elementary introduction to this interesting and rapidly growing area of mathematics. Fundamental to K-theory is the association of a pair of Abelian groups, K0(A) and K1(A), to each C*-algebra A. These groups reflect the properties of A in many ways. This book covers the basic properties of the functors K0 and K1 and their interrelationship. Applications of the theory include Elliott's classification theorem for AF-algebras, and it is shown that each pair of countable Abelian groups arises as the K-groups of some C*-algebra. The theory is well illustrated with 120 exercises and examples, making the book ideal for beginning graduate students working in functional analysis, especially operator algebras, and for researchers from other areas of mathematics who want to learn about this subject.

This book presents a mathematical introduction to the theory of orthogonal wavelets and their uses in analysing functions and function spaces, both in one and in several variables. Starting with a detailed and self contained discussion of the general construction of one dimensional wavelets from multiresolution analysis, the book presents in detail the most important wavelets: spline wavelets, Meyer's wavelets and wavelets with compact support. It then moves to the corresponding multivariable theory and gives genuine multivariable examples. Wavelet decompositions in Lp spaces, Hardy spaces and Besov spaces are discussed and wavelet characterisations of those spaces are provided. Also included are some additional topics like periodic wavelets or wavelets not associated with a multiresolution analysis. This will be an invaluable book for those wishing to learn about the mathematical foundations of wavelets.

The theory of D-modules is a rich area of study combining ideas from algebra and differential equations, and it has significant applications to diverse areas such as singularity theory and representation theory. This book introduces D-modules and their applications avoiding all unnecessary over-sophistication. It is aimed at beginning graduate students and the approach taken is algebraic, concentrating on the role of the Weyl algebra. Very few prerequisites are assumed, and the book is virtually self-contained. Exercises are included at the end of each chapter and the reader is given ample references to the more advanced literature. This is an excellent introduction to D-modules for all who are new to this area.

This text on analysis of Riemannian manifolds is a thorough introduction to topics covered in advanced research monographs on Atiyah-Singer index theory. The main theme is the study of heat flow associated to the Laplacians on differential forms. This provides a unified treatment of Hodge theory and the supersymmetric proof of the Chern-Gauss-Bonnet theorem. In particular, there is a careful treatment of the heat kernel for the Laplacian on functions. The Atiyah-Singer index theorem and its applications are developed (without complete proofs) via the heat equation method. Zeta functions for Laplacians and analytic torsion are also treated, and the recently uncovered relation between index theory and analytic torsion is laid out. The text is aimed at students who have had a first course in differentiable manifolds, and the Riemannian geometry used is developed from the beginning. There are over 100 exercises with hints.

Potential theory is the broad area of mathematical analysis encompassing such topics as harmonic and subharmonic functions, the Dirichlet problem, harmonic measure, Green's functions, potentials and capacity. This is an introduction to the subject suitable for beginning graduate students, concentrating on the important case of two dimensions. This permits a simpler treatment than other books, yet is still sufficient for a wide range of applications to complex analysis; these include Picard's theorem, the Phragmen-Lindelof principle, the Koebe one-quarter mapping theorem and a sharp quantitative form of Runge's theorem. In addition there is a chapter on connections with functional analysis and dynamical systems, which shows how the theory can be applied to other parts of mathematics, and gives a flavour of some recent research. Exercises are provided throughout, enabling the book to be used with advanced courses on complex analysis or potential theory.

This book is an introduction to twistor theory and modern geometrical approaches to space-time structure at the graduate or advanced undergraduate level. The choice of material presented has evolved from graduate lectures given in London and Oxford and the authors have aimed to retain the informal tone of those lectures. The book will provide graduate students with an introduction to the literature of twistor theory, presupposing some knowledge of special relativity and differential geometry. It would also be of use for a short course on space-time structure independently of twistor theory. The physicist could be introduced gently to some of the mathematics which has proved useful in these areas, and the mathematician could be shown where sheaf cohomology and complex manifold theory can be used in physics.

Although graph theory, design theory, and coding theory had their origins in various areas of applied mathematics, today they are to be found under the umbrella of discrete mathematics. Here the authors have considerably reworked and expanded their earlier successful books on graphs, codes and designs, into an invaluable textbook. They do not seek to consider each of these three topics individually, but rather to stress the many and varied connections between them. The discrete mathematics needed is developed in the text, making this book accessible to any student with a background of undergraduate algebra. Many exercises and useful hints are included througout, and a large number of references are given.

This book is based on a course given at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is intended to be a reasonably self-contained introduction to stochastic analytic techniques that can be used in the study of certain problems. The central theme is the theory of diffusions. In order to emphasize the intuitive aspects of probabilistic techniques, diffusion theory is presented as a natural generalization of the flow generated by a vector field. Essential to the development of this idea is the introduction of martingales and the formulation of diffusion theory in terms of martingales. The book will make valuable reading for advanced students in probability theory and analysis and will be welcomed as a concise account of the subject by research workers in these fields.

This textbook is an introduction to the techniques of summing and nuclear norms. The author's aim is to present a clear and simple account of these ideas and to demonstrate the power of their application to a variety of Banach space questions. The style is expository and the only prerequisite is a beginner's course on Wormed linear spaces and a minimal knowledge of functional analysis. Thus, Dr Jameson is able to concentrate on important, central results and gives concrete and largely non-technical proofs, often supplying alternative proofs which both contribute something to the understanding. Final-year undergraduates and postgraduates in functional analysis will enjoy this introduction to the subject, and there are many examples and exercises throughout the text to help the reader and to demonstrate the range of application these techniques find. A list of references indicates the way for further reading.

This introductory text explores the theory of graph spectra: a topic with applications across a wide range of subjects, including computer science, quantum chemistry and electrical engineering. The spectra examined here are those of the adjacency matrix, the Seidel matrix, the Laplacian, the normalized Laplacian and the signless Laplacian of a finite simple graph. The underlying theme of the book is the relation between the eigenvalues and structure of a graph. Designed as an introductory text for graduate students, or anyone using the theory of graph spectra, this self-contained treatment assumes only a little knowledge of graph theory and linear algebra. The authors include many developments in the field which arise as a result of rapidly expanding interest in the area. Exercises, spectral data and proofs of required results are also provided. The end-of-chapter notes serve as a practical guide to the extensive bibliography of over 500 items.

The final part of a three-volume set providing a modern account of the representation theory of finite dimensional associative algebras over an algebraically closed field. The subject is presented from the perspective of linear representations of quivers and homological algebra. This volume provides an introduction to the representation theory of representation-infinite tilted algebras from the point of view of the time-wild dichotomy. Also included is a collection of selected results relating to the material discussed in all three volumes. The book is primarily addressed to a graduate student starting research in the representation theory of algebras, but will also be of interest to mathematicians in other fields. Proofs are presented in complete detail, and the text includes many illustrative examples and a large number of exercises at the end of each chapter, making the book suitable for courses, seminars, and self-study.

Dependence is a common phenomenon, wherever one looks: ecological systems, astronomy, human history, stock markets - but what is the logic of dependence? This book is the first to carry out a systematic logical study of this important concept, giving on the way a precise mathematical treatment of Hintikka's independence friendly logic. Dependence logic adds the concept of dependence to first order logic. Here the syntax and semantics of dependence logic are studied, dependence logic is given an alternative game theoretic semantics, and results about its complexity are proven. This is a graduate textbook suitable for a special course in logic in mathematics, philosophy and computer science departments, and contains over 200 exercises, many of which have a full solution at the end of the book. It is also accessible to readers, with a basic knowledge of logic, interested in new phenomena in logic.

The second of a three-volume set providing a modern account of the representation theory of finite dimensional associative algebras over an algebraically closed field. The subject is presented from the perspective of linear representations of quivers, geometry of tubes of indecomposable modules, and homological algebra. This volume provides an up-to-date introduction to the representation theory of the representation-infinite hereditary algebras of Euclidean type, as well as to concealed algebras of Euclidean type. The book is primarily addressed to a graduate student starting research in the representation theory of algebras, but it will also be of interest to mathematicians in other fields. The text includes many illustrative examples and a large number of exercises at the end of each of the chapters. Proofs are presented in complete detail, making the book suitable for courses, seminars, and self-study.

Although it arose from purely theoretical considerations of the underlying axioms of geometry, the work of Einstein and Dirac has demonstrated that hyperbolic geometry is a fundamental aspect of modern physics. In this book, the rich geometry of the hyperbolic plane is studied in detail, leading to the focal point of the book, Poincare's polygon theorem and the relationship between hyperbolic geometries and discrete groups of isometries. Hyperbolic 3-space is also discussed, and the directions that current research in this field is taking are sketched. This will be an excellent introduction to hyperbolic geometry for students new to the subject, and for experts in other fields.

This 2004 introduction to noncommutative noetherian rings is intended to be accessible to anyone with a basic background in abstract algebra. It can be used as a second-year graduate text, or as a self-contained reference. Extensive explanatory discussion is given, and exercises are integrated throughout. Various important settings, such as group algebras, Lie algebras, and quantum groups, are sketched at the outset to describe typical problems and provide motivation. The text then develops and illustrates the standard ingredients of the theory: e.g., skew polynomial rings, rings of fractions, bimodules, Krull dimension, linked prime ideals. Recurring emphasis is placed on prime ideals, which play a central role in applications to representation theory. This edition incorporates substantial revisions, particularly in the first third of the book, where the presentation has been changed to increase accessibility and topicality. Material includes the basic types of quantum groups, which then serve as test cases for the theory developed.

In its first six chapters this 2006 text seeks to present the basic ideas and properties of the Jacobi elliptic functions as an historical essay, an attempt to answer the fascinating question: 'what would the treatment of elliptic functions have been like if Abel had developed the ideas, rather than Jacobi?' Accordingly, it is based on the idea of inverting integrals which arise in the theory of differential equations and, in particular, the differential equation that describes the motion of a simple pendulum. The later chapters present a more conventional approach to the Weierstrass functions and to elliptic integrals, and then the reader is introduced to the richly varied applications of the elliptic and related functions. Applications spanning arithmetic (solution of the general quintic, the functional equation of the Riemann zeta function), dynamics (orbits, Euler's equations, Green's functions), and also probability and statistics, are discussed.

This is a short course on Banach space theory with special emphasis on certain aspects of the classical theory. In particular, the course focuses on three major topics: the elementary theory of Schauder bases, an introduction to Lp spaces, and an introduction to C(K) spaces. While these topics can be traced back to Banach himself, our primary interest is in the postwar renaissance of Banach space theory brought about by James, Lindenstrauss, Mazur, Namioka, Pelczynski, and others. Their elegant and insightful results are useful in many contemporary research endeavors and deserve greater publicity. By way of prerequisites, the reader will need an elementary understanding of functional analysis and at least a passing familiarity with abstract measure theory. An introductory course in topology would also be helpful; however, the text includes a brief appendix on the topology needed for the course.

This work has arisen from lecture courses given by the authors on important topics within functional analysis. The authors, who are all leading researchers, give introductions to their subjects at a level ideal for beginning graduate students, and others interested in the subject. The collection has been carefully edited so as to form a coherent and accessible introduction to current research topics. The first chapter by Professor Dales introduces the general theory of Banach algebras, which serves as a background to the remaining material. Dr Willis then studies a centrally important Banach algebra, the group algebra of a locally compact group. The remaining chapters are devoted to Banach algebras of operators on Banach spaces: Professor Eschmeier gives all the background for the exciting topic of invariant subspaces of operators, and discusses some key open problems; Dr Laursen and Professor Aiena discuss local spectral theory for operators, leading into Fredholm theory.

The aim of this book is to develop the combinatorics of Young tableaux and to show them in action in the algebra of symmetric functions, representations of the symmetric and general linear groups, and the geometry of flag varieties. The first part of the book is a self-contained presentation of the basic combinatorics of Young tableaux, including the remarkable constructions of 'bumping' and 'sliding', and several interesting correspondences. In Part II these results are used to study representations with geometry on Grassmannians and flag manifolds, including their Schubert subvarieties, and the related Schubert polynomials. Much of this material has never appeared in book form.There are numerous exercises throughout, with hints or answers provided. Researchers in representation theory and algebraic geometry as well as in combinatorics will find Young Tableaux interesting and useful; students will find the intuitive presentation easy to follow.

In this excellent introduction to the theory of Lie groups and Lie algebras, three of the leading figures in this area have written up their lectures from an LMS/SERC sponsored short course in 1993. Together these lectures provide an elementary account of the theory that is unsurpassed. In the first part Roger Carter concentrates on Lie algebras and root systems. In the second Graeme Segal discusses Lie groups. And in the final part, Ian Macdonald gives an introduction to special linear groups. Anybody requiring an introduction to the theory of Lie groups and their applications should look no further than this book.

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.

This book is an introduction, for mathematics students, to the theories of information and codes. They are usually treated separately but, as both address the problem of communication through noisy channels (albeit from different directions), the authors have been able to exploit the connection to give a reasonably self-contained treatment, relating the probabilistic and algebraic viewpoints. The style is discursive and, as befits the subject, plenty of examples and exercises are provided. Some examples and exercises are provided. Some examples of computer codes are given to provide concrete illustrations of abstract ideas.

The theory of quantum fields on curved spacetimes has attracted great attention since the discovery, by Stephen Hawking, of black-hole evaporation. It remains an important subject for the understanding of such contemporary topics as inflationary cosmology, quantum gravity and superstring theory. This book provides, for mathematicians, an introduction to this field of physics in a language and from a viewpoint which such a reader should find congenial. Physicists should also gain from reading this book a sound grasp of various aspects of the theory, some of which have not been particularly emphasised in the existing review literature. The topics covered include normal-mode expansions for a general elliptic operator, Fock space, the Casimir effect, the 'Klein' paradox, particle definition and particle creation in expanding universes, asymptotic expansion of Green's functions and heat kernels, and renormalisation of the stress tensor. The style is pedagogic rather than formal; some knowledge of general relativity and differential geometry is assumed, but the author does supply background material on functional analysis and quantum field theory as required. The book arose from a course taught to graduate students and could be used for self-study or for advanced courses in relativity and quantum field theory.

This textbook is an introduction to non-standard analysis and to its many applications. Non standard analysis (NSA) is a subject of great research interest both in its own right and as a tool for answering questions in subjects such as functional analysis, probability, mathematical physics and topology. The book arises from a conference held in July 1986 at the University of Hull which was designed to provide both an introduction to the subject through introductory lectures, and surveys of the state of research. The first part of the book is devoted to the introductory lectures and the second part consists of presentations of applications of NSA to dynamical systems, topology, automata and orderings on words, the non- linear Boltzmann equation and integration on non-standard hulls of vector lattices. One of the book's attractions is that a standard notation is used throughout so the underlying theory is easily applied in a number of different settings. Consequently this book will be ideal for graduate students and research mathematicians coming to the subject for the first time and it will provide an attractive and stimulating account of the subject.

This book, which grew out of Steven Bleiler's lecture notes from a course given by Andrew Casson at the University of Texas, is designed to serve as an introduction to the applications of hyperbolic geometry to low dimensional topology. In particular it provides a concise exposition of the work of Neilsen and Thurston on the automorphisms of surfaces. The reader requires only an understanding of basic topology and linear algebra, while the early chapters on hyperbolic geometry and geometric structures on surfaces can profitably be read by anyone with a knowledge of standard Euclidean geometry desiring to learn more abour other 'geometric structures'.

This textbook provides an introduction to general relativity for mathematics undergraduates or graduate physicists. After a review of Cartesian tensor notation and special relativity the concepts of Riemannian differential geometry are introducted. More emphasis is placed on an intuitive grasp of the subject and a calculational facility than on a rigorous mathematical exposition. General relativity is then presented as a relativistic theory of gravity reducing in the appropriate limits to Newtonian gravity or special relativity. The Schwarzchild solution is derived and the gravitational red-shift, time dilation and classic tests of general relativity are discussed. There is a brief account of gravitational collapse and black holes based on the extended Schwarzchild solution. Other vacuum solutions are described, motivated by their counterparts in linearised general relativity. The book ends with chapters on cosmological solutions to the field equations. There are exercises attached to each chapter, some of which extend the development given in the text.

The p-adic numbers, the earliest of local fields, were introduced by Hensel some 70 years ago as a natural tool in algebra number theory. Today the use of this and other local fields pervades much of mathematics, yet these simple and natural concepts, which often provide remarkably easy solutions to complex problems, are not as familiar as they should be. This book, based on postgraduate lectures at Cambridge, is meant to rectify this situation by providing a fairly elementary and self-contained introduction to local fields. After a general introduction, attention centres on the p-adic numbers and their use in number theory. There follow chapters on algebraic number theory, diophantine equations and on the analysis of a p-adic variable. This book will appeal to undergraduates, and even amateurs, interested in number theory, as well as to graduate students.

Graduate students and researchers in modular representation theory, especially block theory, will find this systematic introduction indispensable. The two volumes include detailed treatments of classic material as well as more modern developments which have not appeared in any book before, giving readers a comprehensive overview of the subject.

Graduate students and researchers in modular representation theory, especially block theory, will find this systematic introduction indispensable. The two volumes include detailed treatments of classic material as well as more modern developments which have not appeared in any book before, giving readers a comprehensive overview of the subject.

Hankel operators are of wide application in mathematics (functional analysis, operator theory, approximation theory) and engineering (control theory, systems analysis) and this account of them is both elementary and rigorous.