This book provides a quick access to computational tools for algebraic geometry, the mathematical discipline which handles solution sets of polynomial equations. Originating from a number of intense one week schools taught by the authors, the text is designed so as to provide a step by step introduction which enables the reader to get started with his own computational experiments right away. The authors present the basic concepts and ideas in a compact way.

The relation between mathematics and physics has a long history, in which the role of number theory and of other more abstract parts of mathematics has recently become more prominent.

More than ten years after a first meeting in 1989 between number theorists and physicists at the Centre de Physique des Houches, a second 2-week event focused on the broader interface of number theory, geometry, and physics.

This book is the result of that exciting meeting, and collects, in 2 volumes, extended versions of the lecture courses, followed by shorter texts on special topics, of eminent mathematicians and physicists.

The present volume has three parts: Conformal Field Theories, Discrete Groups, Renomalization.

The companion volume is subtitled: On Random Matrices, Zeta Functions and Dynamical Systems (Springer, 3-540-23189-7).

Sheaf Theory is modern, active field of mathematics at the intersection of algebraic topology, algebraic geometry and partial differential equations. This volume offers a comprehensive and self-contained treatment of Sheaf Theory from the basis up, with emphasis on the microlocal point of view.

From the reviews:

"Clearly and precisely written, and contains many interesting ideas: it describes a whole, largely new branch of mathematics." Bulletin of the L.M.S.

Two contributions on closely related subjects: the theory of linear algebraic groups and invariant theory, by well-known experts in the fields. The book will be very useful as a reference and research guide to graduate students and researchers in mathematics and theoretical physics.

Historically, complex analysis and geometrical function theory have been inten sively developed from the beginning of the twentieth century. They provide the foundations for broad areas of mathematics. In the last fifty years the theory of holomorphic mappings on complex spaces has been studied by many mathemati cians with many applications to nonlinear analysis, functional analysis, differential equations, classical and quantum mechanics. The laws of dynamics are usually presented as equations of motion which are written in the abstract form of a dy namical system: dx / dt + f ( x) = 0, where x is a variable describing the state of the system under study, and f is a vector function of x. The study of such systems when f is a monotone or an accretive (generally nonlinear) operator on the under lying space has been recently the subject of much research by analysts working on quite a variety of interesting topics, including boundary value problems, integral equations and evolution problems (see, for example, [19, 13] and [29]). In a parallel development (and even earlier) the generation theory of one parameter semigroups of holomorphic mappings in en has been the topic of interest in the theory of Markov stochastic processes and, in particular, in the theory of branching processes (see, for example, [63, 127, 48] and [69]).

A new and complete treatment of semi-abelian degenerations of abelian varieties, and their application to the construction of arithmetic compactifications of Siegel moduli space, with most of the results being published for the first time. Highlights of the book include a classification of semi-abelian schemes, construction of the toroidal and the minimal compactification over the integers, heights for abelian varieties over number fields, and Eichler integrals in several variables, together with a new approach to Siegel modular forms. A valuable source of reference for researchers and graduate students interested in algebraic geometry, Shimura varieties or diophantine geometry.

This book is written for theoretical and mathematical physicists and mat- maticians interested in recent developments in complex general relativity and their application to classical and quantum gravity. Calculations are presented by paying attention to those details normally omitted in research papers, for pedagogical r- sons. Familiarity with fibre-bundle theory is certainly helpful, but in many cases I only rely on two-spinor calculus and conformally invariant concepts in gravitational physics. The key concepts the book is devoted to are complex manifolds, spinor techniques, conformal gravity, ?-planes, ?-surfaces, Penrose transform, complex 3 1 - - space-time models with non-vanishing torsion, spin- fields and spin- potentials. 2 2 Problems have been inserted at the end, to help the reader to check his und- standing of these topics. Thus, I can find at least four reasons for writing yet another book on spinor and twistor methods in general relativity: (i) to write a textbook useful to - ginning graduate students and research workers, where two-component spinor c- culus is the unifying mathematical language.

Elementary number theory is concerned with arithmetic properties of the ring of integers. Early in the development of number theory, it was noticed that the ring of integers has many properties in common with the ring of polynomials over a finite field. The first part of this book illustrates this relationship by presenting, for example, analogues of the theorems of Fermat and Euler, Wilson?'s theorem, quadratic (and higher) reciprocity, the prime number theorem, and Dirichlet?'s theorem on primes in an arithmetic progression. After presenting the required foundational material on function fields, the later chapters explore the analogy between global function fields and algebraic number fields. A variety of topics are presented, including: the ABC-conjecture, Artin?'s conjecture on primitive roots, the Brumer-Stark conjecture, Drinfeld modules, class number formulae, and average value theorems.

The problem of "Shortest Connectivity," which is discussed here, has a long and convoluted history. Many scientists from many fields as well as laymen have stepped on its stage. Usually, the problem is known as Steiner's Problem and it can be described more precisely in the following way: Given a finite set of points in a metric space, search for a network that connects these points with the shortest possible length. This shortest network must be a tree and is called a Steiner Minimal Tree (SMT). It may contain vertices different from the points which are to be connected. Such points are called Steiner points. Steiner's Problem seems disarmingly simple, but it is rich with possibilities and difficulties, even in the simplest case, the Euclidean plane. This is one of the reasons that an enormous volume of literature has been published, starting in 1 the seventeenth century and continuing until today. The difficulty is that we look for the shortest network overall. Minimum span ning networks have been well-studied and solved eompletely in the case where only the given points must be connected. The novelty of Steiner's Problem is that new points, the Steiner points, may be introduced so that an intercon necting network of all these points will be shorter. This also shows that it is impossible to solve the problem with combinatorial and geometric methods alone."

First Edition sold over 2500 copies in the Americas; New Edition contains three new chapters and two new appendices

This book explores the theory of abelian varieties over the field of complex numbers, explaining both classic and recent results in modern language. The second edition adds five chapters on recent results including automorphisms and vector bundles on abelian varieties, algebraic cycles and the Hodge conjecture. ." . . far more readable than most . . . it is also much more complete." Olivier Debarre in Mathematical Reviews, 1994.

The central problem considered in this introduction for graduate students is the determination of rational parametrizability of an algebraic curve and, in the positive case, the computation of a good rational parametrization. This amounts to determining the genus of a curve: its complete singularity structure, computing regular points of the curve in small coordinate fields, and constructing linear systems of curves with prescribed intersection multiplicities. The book discusses various optimality criteria for rational parametrizations of algebraic curves.

Conics and Cubics offers an accessible and well illustrated introduction to algebraic curves. By classifying irreducible cubics over the real numbers and proving that their points form Abelian groups, the book gives readers easy access to the study of elliptic curves. It includes a simple proof of Bezout 's Theorem on the number of intersections of two curves. The subject area is described by means of concrete and accessible examples. The book is a text for a one-semester course.

Projective duality is a very classical notion naturally arising in various areas of mathematics, such as algebraic and differential geometry, combinatorics, topology, analytical mechanics, and invariant theory, and the results in this field were until now scattered across the literature. Thus the appearance of a book specifically devoted to projective duality is a long-awaited and welcome event.

Projective Duality and Homogeneous Spaces covers a vast and diverse range of topics in the field of dual varieties, ranging from differential geometry to Mori theory and from topology to the theory of algebras. It gives a very readable and thorough account and the presentation of the material is clear and convincing. For the most part of the book the only prerequisites are basic algebra and algebraic geometry.

This book will be of great interest to graduate and postgraduate students as well as professional mathematicians working in algebra, geometry and analysis.

This introduction to polynomial rings, Gr bner bases and applications bridges the gap in the literature between theory and actual computation. It details numerous applications, covering fields as disparate as algebraic geometry and financial markets. To aid in a full understanding of these applications, more than 40 tutorials illustrate how the theory can be used. The book also includes many exercises, both theoretical and practical.

This book grew out of the Oberwolfach-SeminarHigherDimensionalAlgebraicGeo- tryorganizedbythetwoauthorsinOctober2008. Theaimoftheseminarwas tointroduce advanced PhD students and young researchers to recent advances and research topics in higher dimensional algebraic geometry. The main emphasis was on the minimal model program and on the theory of moduli spaces. The authors would like to thank the Mathematishes Forshunginstitut Oberwolfach for its hospitality and for making the above mentioned seminar possible, the participants to the seminar for their useful comments, and Alex Kuronya, Max Lieblich, and Karl Schwede for valuable suggestions and conversations. The ?rst named author was partially supported by the National Science Foundation under grant number DMS-0757897 and would like to thank Aleksandra, Stefan, Ana, Sasha, Kristina and Daniela Jovanovic-Haconfor their love and continuos support. The second named author was partially supported by the National Science Foun- tion under grant numbers DMS-0554697 and DMS-0856185, and the Craig McKibben and Sarah Merner Endowed Professorship in Mathematics at the University of Wa- ington. He would also like to thank Timea Tihanyi for her enduring love and support throughout and beyond this project and his other co-authors for their patience and und- standing. Contents I Basics 1 1INTRODUCTION 3 1. A. CLASSIFICATION 3 2PRELIMINARIES 17 2. A. NOTATION 17 2. B. DIVISORS 18 2. C. REFLEXIVE SHEAVES 20 2. D. CYCLIC COVERS 21 2. E. R-DIVISORS IN THE RELATIVE SETTING 22 2. F. FAMILIES AND BASE CHANGE 24 2. G. PARAMETER SPACES AND DEFORMATIONS OF FAMILIES 25 3SINGULARITIES 27 3. A."

Mori's Program is a fusion of the so-called Minimal Model Program and the IItaka Program toward the biregular and/or birational classification of higher dimensional algebraic varieties. The author presents this theory in an easy and understandable way with lots of background motivation. Prerequisites are those covered in Hartshorne's book "Algebraic Geometry." This is the first book in this extremely important and active field of research and will become a key resource for graduate students wanting to get into the area.

Arithmetic Geometry can be defined as the part of Algebraic Geometry connected with the study of algebraic varieties through arbitrary rings, in particular through non-algebraically closed fields. It lies at the intersection between classical algebraic geometry and number theory. A C.I.M.E. Summer School devoted to arithmetic geometry was held in Cetraro, Italy in September 2007, and presented some of the most interesting new developments in arithmetic geometry. This book collects the lecture notes which were written up by the speakers. The main topics concern diophantine equations, local-global principles, diophantine approximation and its relations to Nevanlinna theory, and rationally connected varieties. The book is divided into three parts, corresponding to the courses given by J-L Colliot-Thelene, Peter Swinnerton Dyer and Paul Vojta.

"This book succeeds brilliantly by concentrating on a number of core topics...and by treating them in a hugely rich and varied way. The author ensures that the reader will learn a large amount of classical material and perhaps more importantly, will also learn that there is no one approach to the subject. The essence lies in the range and interplay of possible approaches. The author is to be congratulated on a work of deep and enthusiastic scholarship." --MATHEMATICAL REVIEWS

In Commutative Algebra certain /-adic filtrations of Noetherian rings, i.e. the so-called Zariski rings, are at the basis of singularity theory. Apart from that it is mainly in the context of Homological Algebra that filtered rings and the associated graded rings are being studied not in the least because of the importance of double complexes and their spectral sequences. Where non-commutative algebra is concerned, applications of the theory of filtrations were mainly restricted to the study of enveloping algebras of Lie algebras and, more extensively even, to the study of rings of differential operators. It is clear that the operation of completion at a filtration has an algebraic genotype but a topological fenotype and it is exactly the symbiosis of Algebra and Topology that works so well in the commutative case, e.g. ideles and adeles in number theory or the theory of local fields, Puisseux series etc, .... . In Non commutative algebra the bridge between Algebra and Analysis is much more narrow and it seems that many analytic techniques of the non-commutative kind are still to be developed. Nevertheless there is the magnificent example of the analytic theory of rings of differential operators and 1J-modules a la Kashiwara-Shapira."

Fundamentals of Convex Analysis offers an in-depth look at some of the fundamental themes covered within an area of mathematical analysis called convex analysis. In particular, it explores the topics of duality, separation, representation, and resolution. The work is intended for students of economics, management science, engineering, and mathematics who need exposure to the mathematical foundations of matrix games, optimization, and general equilibrium analysis. It is written at the advanced undergraduate to beginning graduate level and the only formal preparation required is some familiarity with set operations and with linear algebra and matrix theory. Fundamentals of Convex Analysis is self-contained in that a brief review of the essentials of these tool areas is provided in Chapter 1. Chapter exercises are also provided. Topics covered include: convex sets and their properties; separation and support theorems; theorems of the alternative; convex cones; dual homogeneous systems; basic solutions and complementary slackness; extreme points and directions; resolution and representation of polyhedra; simplicial topology; and fixed point theorems, among others. A strength of this work is how these topics are developed in a fully integrated fashion.

A new combinatorial foundation of the two concepts, based on a consideration of deep and classical results of homotopy theory, and an axiomatic characterization of the assumptions under which results in this field hold. Includes numerous explicit examples and applications in various fields of topology and algebra.

This monograph covers one of the divisions of mathematical theory of control which examines moving objects functionating under conflict and uncertainty conditions. To identify this range of problems we use the term "conflict con trolled processes," coined in recent years. As the name itself does not imply the type of dynamics (difference, ordinary differential, difference-differential, integral, or partial differential equations) the differential games falI within its realms. The problems of search and tracking moving objects are also referred to the field of conflict controlled process. The contents of the monograph is confined to studying classical pursuit-evasion problems which are central to the theory of conflict controlled processes. These problems underlie the theory and are of considerable interest to researchers up to now. It should be noted that the methods of "Line of Sight," "Parallel Pursuit," "Proportional N avigation,""Modified Pursuit" and others have been long and well known among engineers engaged in design of rocket and space technology. An abstract theory of dynamic game problems, in its turn, is based on the methods originated by R. Isaacs, L. S. Pontryagin, and N. N. Krasovskii, and on the approaches developed around these methods. At the heart of the book is the Method of Resolving Functions which was realized within the class of quasistrategies for pursuers and then applied to the solution of the problems of "hand-to-hand," group, and succesive pursuit."

In the library at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1976, George Andrews of Pennsylvania State University discovered a sheaf of pages in the handwriting of Srinivasa Ramanujan. Soon designated as "Ramanujan 's Lost Notebook," it contains considerable material on mock theta functions and undoubtedly dates from the last year of Ramanujan 's life. In this book, the notebook is presented with additional material and expert commentary.

The legacy of Galois was the beginning of Galois theory as well as group theory. From this common origin, the development of group theory took its own course, which led to great advances in the latter half of the 20th cen tury. It was John Thompson who shaped finite group theory like no-one else, leading the way towards a major milestone of 20th century mathematics, the classification of finite simple groups. After the classification was announced around 1980, it was again J. Thomp son who led the way in exploring its implications for Galois theory. The first question is whether all simple groups occur as Galois groups over the rationals (and related fields), and secondly, how can this be used to show that all finite groups occur (the 'Inverse Problem of Galois Theory'). What are the implica tions for the stmcture and representations of the absolute Galois group of the rationals (and other fields)? Various other applications to algebra and number theory have been found, most prominently, to the theory of algebraic curves (e.g., the Guralnick-Thompson Conjecture on the Galois theory of covers of the Riemann sphere)."