Singularities arise naturally in a huge number of different areas of mathematics and science. As a consequence, singularity theory lies at the crossroads of paths that connect many of the most important areas of applications of mathematics with some of its most abstract regions. The main goal in most problems of singularity theory is to understand the dependence of some objects of analysis, geometry, physics, or other science (functions, varieties, mappings, vector or tensor fields, differential equations, models, etc.) on parameters. The articles collected here can be grouped under three headings. (A) Singularities of real maps; (B) Singular complex variables; and (C) Singularities of homomorphic maps.

This monograph provides an introduction and a survey of recent results in potential theory with respect to the Laplace-Beltrami operator D in several complex variables, with special emphasis on the unit ball in Cn. Topics covered include Poisson-Szegoe integrals on the ball, the Green's function for D and the Riesz decomposition theorem for invariant subharmonic functions. The extension to the ball of the classical Fatou theorem on non-tangible limits of Poisson integrals, and Littlewood's theorem on the existence of radial limits of subharmonic functions are covered in detail. The monograph also contains recent results on admissible and tangential boundary limits of Green potentials, and Lp inequalities for the invariant gradient of Green potentials. Applications of some of the results to Hp spaces, and weighted Bergman and Dirichlet spaces of invariant harmonic functions are included. The notes are self-contained, and should be accessible to anyone with some basic knowledge of several complex variables.

From the reviews: "Here is a momumental work by Doob, one of the masters, in which Part 1 develops the potential theory associated with Laplace's equation and the heat equation, and Part 2 develops those parts (martingales and Brownian motion) of stochastic process theory which are closely related to Part 1." --G.E.H. Reuter in Short Book Reviews (1985)

There has been fundamental progress in complex differential geometry in the last two decades. For one, The uniformization theory of canonical K hler metrics has been established in higher dimensions, and many applications have been found, including the use of Calabi-Yau spaces in superstring theory. This monograph gives an introduction to the theory of canonical K hler metrics on complex manifolds. It also presents some advanced topics not easily found elsewhere.

In its traditional form, Clifford analysis provides the function theory for solutions of the Dirac equation. From the beginning, however, the theory was used and applied to problems in other fields of mathematics, numerical analysis, and mathematical physics. recently, the theory has enlarged its scope considerably by incorporating geometrical methods from global analysis on manifolds and methods from representation theory. New, interesting branches of the theory are based on conformally invariant, first-order systems other than the Dirac equation, or systems that are invariant with respect to a group other than the conformal group. This book represents an up-to-date review of Clifford analysis in its present form, its applications, and directions for future research. Readership: Mathematicians and theoretical physicists interested in Clifford analysis itself, or in its applications to other fields.

This text represents over 20 years of research on distortions of functionals under actions of linear integral operators. It is divided into two parts. The first part addresses linear integral operators, establishing their properties and attempting to arrive at both specializations as well as generalizations to be used in the second part. The second part is devoted mainly to the development of several kinds of distortions under actions of integral operators for various familiar functionals. Among the topics that are treated are absolute modulus, real part, range, length and area, angular and derivative. Also, distortions on the class of univalent functions and its subclasses, Caratheodory class, and distortions by a differential operator are dealt with.

This book focuses on complex analytic dynamics, which dates from 1916 and is currently attracting considerable interest. The text provides a comprehensive, well-organized treatment of the foundations of the theory of iteration of rational functions of a complex variable. The coverage extends from early memoirs of Fatou and Julia to important recent results and methods of Sullivan and Shishikura. Many details of the proofs have not appeared in print before.

Why do we make mistakes? Are there certain errors common to failure, whether in a complex enterprise or daily life? In this truly indispensable book, Dietrich Dorner identifies what he calls the "logic of failure"--certain tendencies in our patterns of thought that, while appropriate to an older, simpler world, prove disastrous for the complex world we live in now. Working with imaginative and often hilarious computer simulations, he analyzes the roots of catastrophe, showing city planners in the very act of creating gridlock and disaster, or public health authorities setting the scene for starvation. The Logic of Failure is a compass for intelligent planning and decision-making that can sharpen the skills of managers, policymakers and everyone involved in the daily challenge of getting from point A to point B.

This book contains the notes of five short courses delivered at the "Centro Internazionale Matematico Estivo" session "Integral Geometry, Radon Transforms and Complex Analysis" held in Venice (Italy) in June 1996: three of them deal with various aspects of integral geometry, with a common emphasis on several kinds of Radon transforms, their properties and applications, the other two share a stress on CR manifolds and related problems. All lectures are accessible to a wide audience, and provide self-contained introductions and short surveys on the subjects, as well as detailed expositions of selected results.

From the reviews: "This volume... consists of two papers. The first, written by V.V. Shokurov, is devoted to the theory of Riemann surfaces and algebraic curves. It is an excellent overview of the theory of relations between Riemann surfaces and their models - complex algebraic curves in complex projective spaces. ... The second paper, written by V.I. Danilov, discusses algebraic varieties and schemes. ... I can recommend the book as a very good introduction to the basic algebraic geometry." "European Mathematical Society" "Newsletter, 1996"
..". To sum up, this book helps to learn algebraic geometry in a short time, its concrete style is enjoyable for students and reveals the beauty of mathematics." Acta Scientiarum Mathematicarum

The interaction between ergodic theory and discrete groups has a long history and much work was done in this area by Hedlund, Hopf and Myrberg in the 1930s. There has been a great resurgence of interest in the field, due in large measure to the pioneering work of Dennis Sullivan. Tools have been developed and applied with outstanding success to many deep problems. The ergodic theory of discrete groups has become a substantial field of mathematical research in its own right, and it is the aim of this book to provide a rigorous introduction from first principles to some of the major aspects of the theory. The particular focus of the book is on the remarkable measure supported on the limit set of a discrete group that was first developed by S. J. Patterson for Fuchsian groups, and later extended and refined by Sullivan.

This book shows how operator theory interacts with function theory in one and several variables. The authors develop the theory in detail, leading the reader to the cutting edge of contemporary research. It starts with a treatment of the theory of bounded holomorphic functions on the unit disc. Model theory and the network realization formula are used to solve Nevanlinna-Pick interpolation problems, and the same techniques are shown to work on the bidisc, the symmetrized bidisc, and other domains. The techniques are powerful enough to prove the Julia-Caratheodory theorem on the bidisc, Lempert's theorem on invariant metrics in convex domains, the Oka extension theorem, and to generalize Loewner's matrix monotonicity results to several variables. In Part II, the book gives an introduction to non-commutative function theory, and shows how model theory and the network realization formula can be used to understand functions of non-commuting matrices.

This book is based on lecture notes of a seminar of the Deutsche Mathematiker Vereinigung held by the authors at Oberwolfach from April 2 to 8, 1995. It gives an introduction to the classification theory and geometry of higher dimensional complex-algebraic varieties, focusing on the tremendeous developments of the sub ject in the last 20 years. The work is in two parts, with each one preceeded by an introduction describing its contents in detail. Here, it will suffice to simply ex plain how the subject matter has been divided. Cum grano salis one might say that Part 1 (Miyaoka) is more concerned with the algebraic methods and Part 2 (Peternell) with the more analytic aspects though they have unavoidable overlaps because there is no clearcut distinction between the two methods. Specifically, Part 1 treats the deformation theory, existence and geometry of rational curves via characteristic p, while Part 2 is principally concerned with vanishing theorems and their geometric applications. Part I Geometry of Rational Curves on Varieties Yoichi Miyaoka RIMS Kyoto University 606-01 Kyoto Japan Introduction: Why Rational Curves? This note is based on a series of lectures given at the Mathematisches Forschungsin stitut at Oberwolfach, Germany, as a part of the DMV seminar "Mori Theory." The construction of minimal models was discussed by T."

The articles in this volume were written to commemorate Reinhold Remmert's 60th birthday in June, 1990. They are surveys, meant to facilitate access to some of the many aspects of the theory of complex manifolds, and demonstrate the interplay between complex analysis and many other branches of mathematics, algebraic geometry, differential topology, representations of Lie groups, and mathematical physics being only the most obvious of these branches. Each of these articles should serve not only to describe the particular circle of ideas in complex analysis with which it deals but also as a guide to the many mathematical ideas related to its theme.

This book is an outgrowth of lectures given at several occasions at the University of Göteborg and Chalmers University of Technology during the last ten years. Contrary to most introductory texts on complex analysis, it preassumes knowledge of basic analysis. This makes it possible to move rather quickly through the most fundamental material and to reach within a one-semester course some classical highlights such as Fatou theorems and some Nevanlinna theory, as well as more recent topics, for example the corona theorem and the H1-BMO duality.

This book is an introduction to the theory of entire and meromorphic functions intended for advanced graduate students in mathematics and for professional mathematicians. The book provides a clear treatment of the Nevanlinna theory of value distribution of meromorphic functions, and presentation of the Rubel-Taylor Fourier Series method for meromorphic functions and the Miles theorem on efficient quotient representation. It has a concise but complete treatment of the Polya theory of the Borel transform and the conjugate indicator diagram. It contains some of Buck's results on integer-valued entire functions, and closes with the Malliavin-Rubel uniqueness theorem. The approach gets to the heart of the matter without excessive scholarly detours. It prepares the reader for further study of the vast literature on the subject, which is one of the cornerstones of complex analysis.

An elementary account of many aspects of classical complex function theory, including Mobius transformations, elliptic functions, Riemann surfaces, Fuchsian groups and modular functions. The book is based on lectures given to advanced undergraduate students and is well suited as a textbook for a second course in complex function theory.

A two-part volume containing a comprehensive description of the theory of entire and meromorphic functions of one complex variable and its applications, and a detailed review of recent investigations concerning the function-theoretical pecularities of polyanalytic functions (boundary behaviour, value distributions, degeneration, uniqueness etc).

The first part of these lecture notes is an introduction to potential theory to prepare the reader for later parts, which can be used as the basis for a series of advanced lectures/seminars on potential theory/harmonic analysis. Topics covered in the book include minimal thinness, quasiadditivity of capacity, applications of singular integrals to potential theory, L(p)-capacity theory, fine limits of the Nagel-Stein boundary limit theorem and integrability of superharmonic functions. The notes are written for an audience familiar with the theory of integration, distributions and basic functional analysis.

The area covered by this volume represents a broad choice of some interesting research topics in the field of dynamical systems and applications of nonlinear analysis to ordinary and partial differential equations. The contributed papers, written by well known specialists, make this volume a useful tool both for the experts (who can find recent and new results) and for those who are interested in starting a research work in one of these topics (who can find some updated and carefully presented papers on the state of the art of the corresponding subject).

Analysis underpins calculus, much as calculus underpins virtually all mathematical sciences. A sound understanding of analysis' results and techniques is therefore valuable for a wide range of disciplines both within mathematics itself and beyond its traditional boundaries. This text seeks to develop such an understanding for undergraduate students on mathematics and mathematically related programmes. Keenly aware of contemporary students' diversity of motivation, background knowledge and time pressures, it consistently strives to blend beneficial aspects of the workbook, the formal teaching text, and the informal and intuitive tutorial discussion. The authors devote ample space and time for development of confidence in handling the fundamental ideas of the topic. They also focus on learning through doing, presenting a comprehensive range of examples and exercises, some worked through in full detail, some supported by sketch solutions and hints, some left open to the reader's initiative. Without undervaluing the absolute necessity of secure logical argument, they legitimise the use of informal, heuristic, even imprecise initial explorations of problems aimed at deciding how to tackle them. In this respect they authors create an atmosphere like that of an apprenticeship, in which the trainee analyst can look over the shoulder of the experienced practitioner.

This book provides a classification of all three-dimensional complex manifolds for which there exists a transitive action (by biholomorphic transformations) of a real Lie group. This means two homogeneous complex manifolds are considered equivalent if they are isomorphic as complex manifolds. The classification is based on methods from Lie group theory, complex analysis and algebraic geometry. Basic knowledge in these areas is presupposed.

Complex Finsler metrics appear naturally in complex analysis. To develop new tools in this area, the book provides a graduate-level introduction to differential geometry of complex Finsler metrics. After reviewing real Finsler geometry stressing global results, complex Finsler geometry is presented introducing connections, K hlerianity, geodesics, curvature. Finally global geometry and complex Monge-Amp re equations are discussed for Finsler manifolds with constant holomorphic curvature, which are important in geometric function theory. Following E. Cartan, S.S. Chern and S. Kobayashi, the global approach carries the full strength of hermitian geometry of vector bundles avoiding cumbersome computations, and thus fosters applications in other fields.

As an interesting object of arithmetic, algebraic and analytic geometry the complex ball was born in a paper of the French Mathematician E. PICARD in 1883. In recent developments the ball finds great interest again in the framework of SHIMURA varieties but also in the theory of diophantine equations (asymptotic FERMAT Problem, see ch. VI). At first glance the original ideas and the advanced theories seem to be rather disconnected. With these lectures I try to build a bridge from the analytic origins to the actual research on effective problems of arithmetic algebraic geometry. The best motivation is HILBERT'S far-reaching program consisting of 23 prob lems (Paris 1900) " . . . one should succeed in finding and discussing those functions which play the part for any algebraic number field corresponding to that of the exponential function in the field of rational numbers and of the elliptic modular functions in the imaginary quadratic number field." This message can be found in the 12-th problem "Extension of KRONECKER'S Theorem on Abelian Fields to Any Algebraic Realm of Rationality" standing in the middle of HILBERTS'S pro gram. It is dedicated to the construction of number fields by means of special value of transcendental functions of several variables. The close connection with three other HILBERT problems will be explained together with corresponding advanced theories, which are necessary to find special effective solutions, namely: 7. Irrationality and Transcendence of Certain Numbers; 21."

Preface of the Editors Ce volume prend sa source dans le Colloque en l'honneur de Pierre Dolbeault, organise a l'occasion de son depart a la retraite, a 'initiative des Universites de Paris 6 et de Poitiers. Ce colloque, consacre a l' Analyse Complexe et a la Geometrie Analytique, s'est tenu a Paris, sur le campus de l'Universite Pierreet Marie Curie, du 23 au 26 Juin 1992.11 areuni autour de ces themes une centaine de congressistes, dont de nombreux mathematiciens etrangers (Allemagne, Argentine, Canada, Etats-Unis, Islande, Italie, Pologne, Roumanie, Russie, Suede). Nous avons souhaite prolanger cet hommage par la publication d'un volume dedie a Pierre Dolbeault. Le present recueil d'articles ne constitue pas strictement les actes du Colloque. Nous avons voulu qu'il rassemble uniquement des articles originaux ou synthetiques, qui illustrent l' ceuvre scientifique de Pierre Dolbeault a travers les themes abordes ou la personnalite de leurs auteurs. Nous remercions les conferenciers qui ont bien voulu contribuer a cet ouvrage, et Klas Diederich de l'avoir accueilli dans la collection "Aspects of Mathematics" qu'il dirige. Au nom du Comite d'Organisation du Colloque (C. Laurent-Thiebaut, J. Le Potier, J.B. Poly, J.P. Vigue et nous-memes), nous remercions les institutions qui nous ont apporte leur aide financiere et materielle: les Universites Paris 6 et de Poitiers, la Direction de la Recherche et des Etudes Doctorales, le Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et le Ministere de la Recherche et de la Technologie.