Based on a lecture course, this text gives a rigorous introduction to nonlinear analysis, dynamical systems and bifurcation theory including catastrophe theory. Wherever appropriate it emphasizes a geometrical or coordinate-free approach allowing a clear focus on the essential mathematical structures. It brings out features common to different branches of the subject while giving ample references for more advanced or technical developments.

The book lays algebraic foundations for real geometry through a systematic investigation of partially ordered rings of semi-algebraic functions. Real spectra serve as primary geometric objects, the maps between them are determined by rings of functions associated with the spectra. The many different possible choices for these rings of functions are studied via reflections of partially ordered rings. Readers should feel comfortable using basic algebraic and categorical concepts. As motivational background some familiarity with real geometry will be helpful. The book aims at researchers and graduate students with an interest in real algebra and geometry, ordered algebraic structures, topology and rings of continuous functions.

This book constitutes the strictly refereed post-workshop proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Automated Deduction in Geometry, ADG'98, held in Beijing, China in August 1998. The 14 revised papers presented were selected from the papers accepted for the workshop after careful reviewing. The papers address all current issues in the area, in particular automated geometry theorem proving, automated geometry problem solving, plane Euclidean reasoning, Clifford algebraic methods for geometric reasoning, decomposing algebraic varieties, applciations in computer vision, mechanical CAGD, etc.

Developed and class-tested by a distinguished team of authors at two universities, this text is intended for courses in nonlinear dynamics in either mathematics or physics. The only prerequisites are calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra. Along with discussions of the major topics, including discrete dynamical systems, chaos, fractals, nonlinear differential equations and bifurcations, the text also includes Lab Visits -- short reports that illustrate relevant concepts from the physical, chemical and biological sciences. There are Computer Experiments throughout the text that present opportunities to explore dynamics through computer simulations, designed for use with any software package. And each chapter ends with a Challenge, guiding students through an advanced topic in the form of an extended exercise.

The development of polynomial-elimination techniques from classical theory to modern algorithms has undergone a tortuous and rugged path. This can be observed L. van der Waerden's elimination of the "elimination theory" chapter from from B. his classic Modern Algebra in later editions, A. Weil's hope to eliminate "from algebraic geometry the last traces of elimination theory," and S. Abhyankar's sug gestion to "eliminate the eliminators of elimination theory. " The renaissance and recognition of polynomial elimination owe much to the advent and advance of mod ern computing technology, based on which effective algorithms are implemented and applied to diverse problems in science and engineering. In the last decade, both theorists and practitioners have more and more realized the significance and power of elimination methods and their underlying theories. Active and extensive research has contributed a great deal of new developments on algorithms and soft ware tools to the subject, that have been widely acknowledged. Their applications have taken place from pure and applied mathematics to geometric modeling and robotics, and to artificial neural networks. This book provides a systematic and uniform treatment of elimination algo rithms that compute various zero decompositions for systems of multivariate poly nomials. The central concepts are triangular sets and systems of different kinds, in terms of which the decompositions are represented. The prerequisites for the concepts and algorithms are results from basic algebra and some knowledge of algorithmic mathematics."

This volume consists of those papers presented at the Japan Conference on Discrete and Computational Geometry '98. The conference was held 9-12 - cember 1998 at Tokai University in Tokyo. Close to a hundred participants from 10 countries participated. Interest in Computational Geometry surfaced among engineers in Japan - out twenty years ago, while interest in Discrete Geometry arose as a natural extension of the research of a group of graph theorists more recently. One of the goals of the conference was to bring together these two groups and to put them in contact with experts in these ?elds from abroad. This is the second conference in the series. The plan is to hold one every year and to publish the papers of the conferences every two years. The organizers thank the sponsors of the conference, namely, The Institute of Educational Development of Tokai University, Grant-in-Aid of the Ministry of Education of Japan (A.Saito;(A)10304008), Mitsubishi Research Institute, Sanada Institute of System Development, Japan Process, and Upward. They also thank especially T. Asano, D. Avis, V. Chv atal, H. Imai, J. Pach, D. R- paport, M. Ruiz, J. O'Rourke, K. Sugihara, T. Tokuyama, and J. Urrutia for their interest and support."

From the reviews: "This is an excellent exposition about abelian Reidemeister torsions for three-manifolds." -Zentralblatt Math

"This monograph contains a wealth of information many topologists will find very handy. ...Many of the new points of view pioneered by Turaev are gradually becoming mainstream and are spreading beyond the pure topology world. This monograph is a timely and very useful addition to the scientific literature." -Mathematical Reviews

Questions that arose from linear programming and combinatorial optimization have been a driving force for modern polytope theory, such as the diameter questions motivated by the desire to understand the complexity of the simplex algorithm, or the need to study facets for use in cutting plane procedures. In addition, algorithms now provide the means to computationally study polytopes, to compute their parameters such as flag vectors, graphs and volumes, and to construct examples of large complexity. The papers of this volume thus display a wide panorama of connections of polytope theory with other fields. Areas such as discrete and computational geometry, linear and combinatorial optimization, and scientific computing have contributed a combination of questions, ideas, results, algorithms and, finally, computer programs.

"This book is a major treatise in mathematics and is essential in the working library of the modern analyst." (Bulletin of the London Mathematical Society)

This is the softcover reprint of the 1974 English translation of the later chapters of Bourbaki 's Topologie Generale. Initial chapters study subgroups and quotients of R, real vector spaces and projective spaces, and additive groups Rn. Analogous properties are then studied for complex numbers. Later chapters illustrate the use of real numbers in general topology and discuss various topologies of function spaces and approximation of functions.

Time-evolution in low-dimensional topological spaces is a subject of puzzling vitality. This book is a state-of-the-art account, covering classical and new results. The volume comprises Poincar -Bendixson, local and Morse-Smale theories, as well as a carefully written chapter on the invariants of surface flows. Of particular interest are chapters on the Anosov-Weil problem, C*-algebras and non-compact surfaces. The book invites graduate students and non-specialists to a fascinating realm of research. It is a valuable source of reference to the specialists.

These proceedings contain papers presented at the 8th Discrete Geometry for Computer Imagery conference, held 17-19, March 1999 at ESIEE, Marne-la- Vall ee. The domains of discrete geometry and computer imagery are closely related. Discrete geometry provides both theoretical and algorithmic models for the p- cessing, analysis and synthesis of images; in return computer imagery, in its variety of applications, constitutes a remarkable experimentational eld and is a source of challenging problems. The number of returning participants, the arrival each year of contributions from new laboratories and new researchers, as well as the quality and originality of the results have contributed to the success of the conference and are an - dication of the dynamism of this eld. The DGCI has become one of the major conferences related to this topic, including participating researchers and la- ratories from all over the world. Of the 41 papers received this year, 24 have been selected for presentation and 7 for poster sessions. In addition to these, four invited speakers have contributed to the conference. The site of Marne-la-Vall ee, just 20 min away from Paris, is particularly we- suited to hold the conference. Indeed, as a newly built city, it showcases a great amount of modern creative architecture, whose pure lines and original shapes o er a favorable context for the topic of Geometry.

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed and revised post-workshop proceedings of the International Workshop on Automated Deduction in Geometry, held in Toulouse, France, in September 1996. The revised extended papers accepted for inclusion in the volume were selected on the basis of double reviewing. Among the topics covered are automated geometric reasoning and the deduction applied to Dixon resultants, Grobner bases, characteristic sets, computational geometry, algebraic geometry, and planet motion; furthermore the system REDLOG is demonstrated and the verification of geometric statements as well as the automated production of proof in Euclidean Geometry are present.

From the reviews: "... The book under review consists of two monographs on geometric aspects of group theory ... Together, these two articles form a wide-ranging survey of combinatorial group theory, with emphasis very much on the geometric roots of the subject. This will be a useful reference work for the expert, as well as providing an overview of the subject for the outsider or novice. Many different topics are described and explored, with the main results presented but not proved. This allows the interested reader to get the flavour of these topics without becoming bogged down in detail. Both articles give comprehensive bibliographies, so that it is possible to use this book as the starting point for a more detailed study of a particular topic of interest. ..." Bulletin of the London Mathematical Society, 1996

In recent years geometry seems to have lost large parts of its former central position in mathematics teaching in most countries. However, new trends have begun to counteract this tendency. There is an increasing awareness that geometry plays a key role in mathematics and learning mathematics. Although geometry has been eclipsed in the mathematics curriculum, research in geometry has blossomed as new ideas have arisen from inside mathematics and other disciplines, including computer science. Due to reassessment of the role of geometry, mathematics educators and mathematicians face new challenges. In the present ICMI study, the whole spectrum of teaching and learning of geometry is analysed. Experts from all over the world took part in this study, which was conducted on the basis of recent international research, case studies, and reports on actual school practice. This book will be of particular interest to mathematics educators and mathematicians who are involved in the teaching of geometry at all educational levels, as well as to researchers in mathematics education.

UNDERSTANDING NONLINEAR DYNAMICS is based on an undergraduate course taught for many years to students in the biological sciences. The text provides a clear and accessible development of many concepts from contemporary dynamics, including stability and multistability, cellular automata and excitable media, fractals, cycles, and chaos. A chapter on time-series analysis builds on this foundation to provide an introduction to techniques for extracting information about dynamics from data. The text will be useful for courses offered in the life sciences or other applied science programs, or as a supplement to emphasize the application of subjects presented in mathematics or physics courses. Extensive examples are derived from the experimental literature, and numerous exercise sets can be used in teaching basic mathematical concepts and their applications. Concrete applications of the mathematics are illustrated in such areas as biochemistry, neurophysiology, cardiology, and ecology. The text also provides an entry point for researchers not familiar with mathematics but interested in applications of nonlinear dynamics to the life sciences.

There has been a resurgence of interest in classical invariant theory driven by several factors: new theoretical developments; a revival of computational methods coupled with powerful new computer algebra packages; and a wealth of new applications, ranging from number theory to geometry, physics to computer vision. This book provides readers with a self-contained introduction to the classical theory as well as modern developments and applications. The text concentrates on the study of binary forms (polynomials) in characteristic zero, and uses analytical as well as algebraic tools to study and classify invariants, symmetry, equivalence and canonical forms. A variety of innovations make this text of interest even to veterans of the subject; these include the use of differential operators and the transform approach to the symbolic method, extension of results to arbitrary functions, graphical methods for computing identities and Hilbert bases, complete systems of rationally and functionally independent covariants, introduction of Lie group and Lie algebra methods, as well as a new geometrical theory of moving frames and applications. Aimed at advanced undergraduate and graduate students the book includes many exercises and historical details, complete proofs of the fundamental theorems, and a lively and provocative exposition.

The Blaubeuren Conference "Theory and Practice of Geometric Modeling" has become a meeting place for leading experts from industrial and academic research institutions, CAD system developers and experienced users to exchange new ideas and to discuss new concepts and future directions in geometric modeling. The relaxed and calm atmosphere of the Heinrich-Fabri-Institute in Blaubeuren provides the appropriate environment for profound and engaged discussions that are not equally possible on other occasions. Real problems from current industrial projects as well as theoretical issues are addressed on a high scientific level. This book is the result of the lectures and discussions during the conference which took place from October 14th to 18th, 1996. The contents is structured in 4 parts: Mathematical Tools Representations Systems Automated Assembly. The editors express their sincere appreciation to the contributing authors, and to the members of the program committee for their cooperation, the careful reviewing and their active participation that made the conference and this book a success.

Any topological theory of knots and links should be based on simple ideas of intersection and linking. In this book, a general theory of link bordism in manifolds and universal constructions of linking numbers in oriented 3-manifolds are developed. In this way, classical concepts of link theory in the 3-spheres are generalized to a certain class of oriented 3-manifolds (submanifolds of rational homology 3-spheres). The techniques needed are described in the book but basic knowledge in topology and algebra is assumed. The book should be of interst to those working in topology, in particular knot theory and low-dimensional topology.

Ten amazing curves personally selected by one of today's most important math writers Curves for the Mathematically Curious is a thoughtfully curated collection of ten mathematical curves, selected by Julian Havil for their significance, mathematical interest, and beauty. Each chapter gives an account of the history and definition of one curve, providing a glimpse into the elegant and often surprising mathematics involved in its creation and evolution. In telling the ten stories, Havil introduces many mathematicians and other innovators, some whose fame has withstood the passing of years and others who have slipped into comparative obscurity. You will meet Pierre Bezier, who is known for his ubiquitous and eponymous curves, and Adolphe Quetelet, who trumpeted the ubiquity of the normal curve but whose name now hides behind the modern body mass index. These and other ingenious thinkers engaged with the challenges, incongruities, and insights to be found in these remarkable curves-and now you can share in this adventure. Curves for the Mathematically Curious is a rigorous and enriching mathematical experience for anyone interested in curves, and the book is designed so that readers who choose can follow the details with pencil and paper. Every curve has a story worth telling.

The main purpose of this book is to present the basic theory and some recent de velopments concerning the Cauchy problem for higher order abstract differential equations u(n)(t) + ~ AiU(i)(t) = 0, t ~ 0, { U(k)(O) = Uk, 0 ~ k ~ n-l. where AQ, Ab . . . , A - are linear operators in a topological vector space E. n 1 Many problems in nature can be modeled as (ACP ). For example, many n initial value or initial-boundary value problems for partial differential equations, stemmed from mechanics, physics, engineering, control theory, etc. , can be trans lated into this form by regarding the partial differential operators in the space variables as operators Ai (0 ~ i ~ n - 1) in some function space E and letting the boundary conditions (if any) be absorbed into the definition of the space E or of the domain of Ai (this idea of treating initial value or initial-boundary value problems was discovered independently by E. Hille and K. Yosida in the forties). The theory of (ACP ) is closely connected with many other branches of n mathematics. Therefore, the study of (ACPn) is important for both theoretical investigations and practical applications. Over the past half a century, (ACP ) has been studied extensively.

Interest in the study of geometry is currently enjoying a resurgence-understandably so, as the study of curves was once the playground of some very great mathematicians. However, many of the subject's more exciting aspects require a somewhat advanced mathematics background. For the "fun stuff" to be accessible, we need to offer students an introduction with modest prerequisites, one that stimulates their interest and focuses on problem solving.

Integrating parametric, algebraic, and projective curves into a single text, Geometry of Curves offers students a unique approach that provides a mathematical structure for solving problems, not just a catalog of theorems. The author begins with the basics, then takes students on a fascinating journey from conics, higher algebraic and transcendental curves, through the properties of parametric curves, the classification of limaçons, envelopes, and finally to projective curves, their relationship to algebraic curves, and their application to asymptotes and boundedness.

The uniqueness of this treatment lies in its integration of the different types of curves, its use of analytic methods, and its generous number of examples, exercises, and illustrations.
The result is a practical text, almost entirely self-contained, that not only imparts a deeper understanding of the theory, but inspires a heightened appreciation of geometry and interest in more advanced studies.

The present book contains the lecture notes from a "Nachdiplomvorlesung," a topics course adressed to Ph. D. students, at the ETH ZUrich during the winter term 95/96. Consequently, these notes are arranged according to the requirements of organizing the material for oral exposition, and the level of difficulty and the exposition were adjusted to the audience in Zurich. The aim of the course was to introduce some geometric and analytic concepts that have been found useful in advancing our understanding of spaces of nonpos itive curvature. In particular in recent years, it has been realized that often it is useful for a systematic understanding not to restrict the attention to Riemannian manifolds only, but to consider more general classes of metric spaces of generalized nonpositive curvature. The basic idea is to isolate a property that on one hand can be formulated solely in terms of the distance function and on the other hand is characteristic of nonpositive sectional curvature on a Riemannian manifold, and then to take this property as an axiom for defining a metric space of nonposi tive curvature. Such constructions have been put forward by Wald, Alexandrov, Busemann, and others, and they will be systematically explored in Chapter 2. Our focus and treatment will often be different from the existing literature. In the first Chapter, we consider several classes of examples of Riemannian manifolds of nonpositive curvature, and we explain how conditions about nonpos itivity or negativity of curvature can be exploited in various geometric contexts."

In this study extending classical Markov chain theory to handle fluctuating transition matrices, the author develops a theory of Markov set-chains and provides numerous examples showing how that theory can be applied. Chapters are concluded with a discussion of related research. Readers who can benefit from this monograph are those interested in, or involved with, systems whose data is imprecise or that fluctuate with time. A background equivalent to a course in linear algebra and one in probability theory should be sufficient.

There are many reasons for writing this first volume of strategic activities on fractals. The most pervasive is the compelling desire to provide students of mathematics with a set of accessible, hands-on experiences with fractals and their underlying mathematical principles and characteristics. Another is to show how fractals connect to many different aspects of mathematics and how the study of fractals can bring these ideas together. A third is to share the beauty of their structure and shape both through what the eye sees and what the mind visualizes. Fractals have captured the attention, enthusiasm, and interest of many people around the world. To the casual observer, their color, beauty, and geometric structure captivates the visual senses like few other things they have ever experienced in mathematics. To the computer scientist, fractals offer a rich environment in which to explore, create, and build a new visual world as an artist creating a new work. To the student, fractals bring mathematics out of past history and into the twenty-first century. To the mathematics teacher, fractals offer a unique, new opportunity to illustrate both the dynamics of mathematics and its many connecting links.