This book provides a comprehensive survey of the Sharkovsky ordering, its different aspects and its role in dynamical systems theory and applications. It addresses the coexistence of cycles for continuous interval maps and one-dimensional spaces, combinatorial dynamics on the interval and multidimensional dynamical systems. Also featured is a short chapter of personal remarks by O.M. Sharkovsky on the history of the Sharkovsky ordering, the discovery of which almost 60 years ago led to the inception of combinatorial dynamics. Now one of cornerstones of dynamics, bifurcation theory and chaos theory, the Sharkovsky ordering is an important tool for the investigation of dynamical processes in nature. Assuming only a basic mathematical background, the book will appeal to students, researchers and anyone who is interested in the subject.

This book presents, in a clear and structured way, the set function \mathcal{T} and how it evolved since its inception by Professor F. Burton Jones in the 1940s. It starts with a very solid introductory chapter, with all the prerequisite material for navigating through the rest of the book. It then gradually advances towards the main properties, Decomposition theorems, \mathcal{T}-closed sets, continuity and images, to modern applications. The set function \mathcal{T} has been used by many mathematicians as a tool to prove results about the semigroup structure of the continua, and about the existence of a metric continuum that cannot be mapped onto its cone or to characterize spheres. Nowadays, it has been used by topologists worldwide to investigate open problems in continuum theory. This book can be of interest to both advanced undergraduate and graduate students, and to experienced researchers as well. Its well-defined structure make this book suitable not only for self-study but also as support material to seminars on the subject. Its many open problems can potentially encourage mathematicians to contribute with further advancements in the field.

This book, the third book in the four-volume series in algebra, deals with important topics in homological algebra, including abstract theory of derived functors, sheaf co-homology, and an introduction to etale and l-adic co-homology. It contains four chapters which discuss homology theory in an abelian category together with some important and fundamental applications in geometry, topology, algebraic geometry (including basics in abstract algebraic geometry), and group theory. The book will be of value to graduate and higher undergraduate students specializing in any branch of mathematics. The author has tried to make the book self-contained by introducing relevant concepts and results required. Prerequisite knowledge of the basics of algebra, linear algebra, topology, and calculus of several variables will be useful.

The volume consists of a set of surveys on geometry in the broad sense. The goal is to present a certain number of research topics in a non-technical and appealing manner. The topics surveyed include spherical geometry, the geometry of finite-dimensional normed spaces, metric geometry (Bishop-Gromov type inequalities in Gromov-hyperbolic spaces), convexity theory and inequalities involving volumes and mixed volumes of convex bodies, 4-dimensional topology, Teichmuller spaces and mapping class groups actions, translation surfaces and their dynamics, and complex higher-dimensional geometry. Several chapters are based on lectures given by their authors to middle-advanced level students and young researchers. The whole book is intended to be an introduction to current research trends in geometry.

This book gives a systematic presentation of real algebraic varieties. Real algebraic varieties are ubiquitous.They are the first objects encountered when learning of coordinates, then equations, but the systematic study of these objects, however elementary they may be, is formidable. This book is intended for two kinds of audiences: it accompanies the reader, familiar with algebra and geometry at the masters level, in learning the basics of this rich theory, as much as it brings to the most advanced reader many fundamental results often missing from the available literature, the "folklore". In particular, the introduction of topological methods of the theory to non-specialists is one of the original features of the book. The first three chapters introduce the basis and classical methods of real and complex algebraic geometry. The last three chapters each focus on one more specific aspect of real algebraic varieties. A panorama of classical knowledge is presented, as well as major developments of the last twenty years in the topology and geometry of varieties of dimension two and three, without forgetting curves, the central subject of Hilbert's famous sixteenth problem. Various levels of exercises are given, and the solutions of many of them are provided at the end of each chapter.

Topological data analysis (TDA) has emerged recently as a viable tool for analyzing complex data, and the area has grown substantially both in its methodologies and applicability. Providing a computational and algorithmic foundation for techniques in TDA, this comprehensive, self-contained text introduces students and researchers in mathematics and computer science to the current state of the field. The book features a description of mathematical objects and constructs behind recent advances, the algorithms involved, computational considerations, as well as examples of topological structures or ideas that can be used in applications. It provides a thorough treatment of persistent homology together with various extensions - like zigzag persistence and multiparameter persistence - and their applications to different types of data, like point clouds, triangulations, or graph data. Other important topics covered include discrete Morse theory, the Mapper structure, optimal generating cycles, as well as recent advances in embedding TDA within machine learning frameworks.

This volume highlights the mathematical research presented at the 2019 Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) Research Symposium held at Rice University, April 6-7, 2019. The symposium showcased research from women across the mathematical sciences working in academia, government, and industry, as well as featured women across the career spectrum: undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, and professionals. The book is divided into eight parts, opening with a plenary talk and followed by a combination of research paper contributions and survey papers in the different areas of mathematics represented at the symposium: algebraic combinatorics and graph theory algebraic biology commutative algebra analysis, probability, and PDEs topology applied mathematics mathematics education

This book is the first self-contained exposition of the fascinating link between dynamical systems and dimension groups. The authors explore the rich interplay between topological properties of dynamical systems and the algebraic structures associated with them, with an emphasis on symbolic systems, particularly substitution systems. It is recommended for anybody with an interest in topological and symbolic dynamics, automata theory or combinatorics on words. Intended to serve as an introduction for graduate students and other newcomers to the field as well as a reference for established researchers, the book includes a thorough account of the background notions as well as detailed exposition - with full proofs - of the major results of the subject. A wealth of examples and exercises, with solutions, serve to build intuition, while the many open problems collected at the end provide jumping-off points for future research.

The book addresses the minimization of special lower semicontinuous functionals over closed balls in metric spaces, called the approximate variation. The new notion of approximate variation contains more information about the bounded variation functional and has the following features: the infimum in the definition of approximate variation is not attained in general and the total Jordan variation of a function is obtained by a limiting procedure as a parameter tends to zero. By means of the approximate variation, we are able to characterize regulated functions in a generalized sense and provide powerful compactness tools in the topology of pointwise convergence, conventionally called pointwise selection principles. The book presents a thorough, self-contained study of the approximate variation and results which were not published previously in book form. The approximate variation is illustrated by a large number of examples designed specifically for this study. The discussion elaborates on the state-of-the-art pointwise selection principles applied to functions with values in metric spaces, normed spaces, reflexive Banach spaces, and Hilbert spaces. The highlighted feature includes a deep study of special type of lower semicontinuous functionals though the applied methods are of a general nature. The content is accessible to students with some background in real analysis, general topology, and measure theory. Among the new results presented are properties of the approximate variation: semi-additivity, change of variable formula, subtle behavior with respect to uniformly and pointwise convergent sequences of functions, and the behavior on improper metric spaces. These properties are crucial for pointwise selection principles in which the key role is played by the limit superior of the approximate variation. Interestingly, pointwise selection principles may be regular, treating regulated limit functions, and irregular, treating highly irregular functions (e.g., Dirichlet-type functions), in which a significant role is played by Ramsey's Theorem from formal logic.

This textbook presents the theory of Metric Spaces necessary for studying analysis beyond one real variable. Rich in examples, exercises and motivation, it provides a careful and clear exposition at a pace appropriate to the material. The book covers the main topics of metric space theory that the student of analysis is likely to need. Starting with an overview defining the principal examples of metric spaces in analysis (chapter 1), it turns to the basic theory (chapter 2) covering open and closed sets, convergence, completeness and continuity (including a treatment of continuous linear mappings). There is also a brief dive into general topology, showing how metric spaces fit into a wider theory. The following chapter is devoted to proving the completeness of the classical spaces. The text then embarks on a study of spaces with important special properties. Compact spaces, separable spaces, complete spaces and connected spaces each have a chapter devoted to them. A particular feature of the book is the occasional excursion into analysis. Examples include the Mazur-Ulam theorem, Picard's theorem on existence of solutions to ordinary differential equations, and space filling curves. This text will be useful to all undergraduate students of mathematics, especially those who require metric space concepts for topics such as multivariate analysis, differential equations, complex analysis, functional analysis, and topology. It includes a large number of exercises, varying from routine to challenging. The prerequisites are a first course in real analysis of one real variable, an acquaintance with set theory, and some experience with rigorous proofs.

This book provides a general framework for doing geometric group theory for many non-locally-compact topological transformation groups that arise in mathematical practice, including homeomorphism and diffeomorphism groups of manifolds, isometry groups of separable metric spaces and automorphism groups of countable structures. Using Roe's framework of coarse structures and spaces, the author defines a natural coarse geometric structure on all topological groups. This structure is accessible to investigation, especially in the case of Polish groups, and often has an explicit description, generalising well-known structures in familiar cases including finitely generated discrete groups, compactly generated locally compact groups and Banach spaces. In most cases, the coarse geometric structure is metrisable and may even be refined to a canonical quasimetric structure on the group. The book contains many worked examples and sufficient introductory material to be accessible to beginning graduate students. An appendix outlines several open problems in this young and rich theory.

This book carefully presents a unified treatment of equivariant Poincare duality in a wide variety of contexts, illuminating an area of mathematics that is often glossed over elsewhere. The approach used here allows the parallel treatment of both equivariant and nonequivariant cases. It also makes it possible to replace the usual field of coefficients for cohomology, the field of real numbers, with any field of arbitrary characteristic, and hence change (equivariant) de Rham cohomology to the usual singular (equivariant) cohomology . The book will be of interest to graduate students and researchers wanting to learn about the equivariant extension of tools familiar from non-equivariant differential geometry.

In 1988, E. Verlinde gave a remarkable conjectural formula for the dimension of conformal blocks over a smooth curve in terms of representations of affine Lie algebras. Verlinde's formula arose from physical considerations, but it attracted further attention from mathematicians when it was realized that the space of conformal blocks admits an interpretation as the space of generalized theta functions. A proof followed through the work of many mathematicians in the 1990s. This book gives an authoritative treatment of all aspects of this theory. It presents a complete proof of the Verlinde formula and full details of the connection with generalized theta functions, including the construction of the relevant moduli spaces and stacks of G-bundles. Featuring numerous exercises of varying difficulty, guides to the wider literature and short appendices on essential concepts, it will be of interest to senior graduate students and researchers in geometry, representation theory and theoretical physics.

This textbook offers readers a self-contained introduction to quantitative Tamarkin category theory. Functioning as a viable alternative to the standard algebraic analysis method, the categorical approach explored in this book makes microlocal sheaf theory accessible to a wide audience of readers interested in symplectic geometry. Much of this material has, until now, been scattered throughout the existing literature; this text finally collects that information into one convenient volume. After providing an overview of symplectic geometry, ranging from its background to modern developments, the author reviews the preliminaries with precision. This refresher ensures readers are prepared for the thorough exploration of the Tamarkin category that follows. A variety of applications appear throughout, such as sheaf quantization, sheaf interleaving distance, and sheaf barcodes from projectors. An appendix offers additional perspectives by highlighting further useful topics. Quantitative Tamarkin Theory is ideal for graduate students interested in symplectic geometry who seek an accessible alternative to the algebraic analysis method. A background in algebra and differential geometry is recommended. This book is part of the "Virtual Series on Symplectic Geometry" http://www.springer.com/series/16019

Factorization algebras are local-to-global objects that play a role in classical and quantum field theory that is similar to the role of sheaves in geometry: they conveniently organize complicated information. Their local structure encompasses examples like associative and vertex algebras; in these examples, their global structure encompasses Hochschild homology and conformal blocks. In this second volume, the authors show how factorization algebras arise from interacting field theories, both classical and quantum, and how they encode essential information such as operator product expansions, Noether currents, and anomalies. Along with a systematic reworking of the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism via derived geometry and factorization algebras, this book offers concrete examples from physics, ranging from angular momentum and Virasoro symmetries to a five-dimensional gauge theory.

Everyone knows what braids are, whether they be made of hair, knitting wool, or electrical cables. However, it is not so evident that we can construct a theory about them, i.e. to elaborate a coherent and mathematically interesting corpus of results concerning them. This book demonstrates that there is a resoundingly positive response to this question: braids are fascinating objects, with a variety of rich mathematical properties and potential applications. A special emphasis is placed on the algorithmic aspects and on what can be called the 'calculus of braids', in particular the problem of isotopy. Prerequisites are kept to a minimum, with most results being established from scratch. An appendix at the end of each chapter gives a detailed introduction to the more advanced notions required, including monoids and group presentations. Also included is a range of carefully selected exercises to help the reader test their knowledge, with solutions available.

Everyone knows what braids are, whether they be made of hair, knitting wool, or electrical cables. However, it is not so evident that we can construct a theory about them, i.e. to elaborate a coherent and mathematically interesting corpus of results concerning them. This book demonstrates that there is a resoundingly positive response to this question: braids are fascinating objects, with a variety of rich mathematical properties and potential applications. A special emphasis is placed on the algorithmic aspects and on what can be called the 'calculus of braids', in particular the problem of isotopy. Prerequisites are kept to a minimum, with most results being established from scratch. An appendix at the end of each chapter gives a detailed introduction to the more advanced notions required, including monoids and group presentations. Also included is a range of carefully selected exercises to help the reader test their knowledge, with solutions available.

Homological mirror symmetry has its origins in theoretical physics but is now of great interest in mathematics due to the deep connections it reveals between different areas of geometry and algebra. This book offers a self-contained and accessible introduction to the subject via the representation theory of algebras and quivers. It is suitable for graduate students and others without a great deal of background in homological algebra and modern geometry. Each part offers a different perspective on homological mirror symmetry. Part I introduces the A-infinity formalism and offers a glimpse of mirror symmetry using representations of quivers. Part II discusses various A- and B-models in mirror symmetry and their connections through toric and tropical geometry. Part III deals with mirror symmetry for Riemann surfaces. The main mathematical ideas are illustrated by means of simple examples coming mainly from the theory of surfaces, helping the reader connect theory with intuition.

Robert Langlands formulated his celebrated conjectures, initiating the Langlands Program, at the age of 31, profoundly changing the landscape of mathematics. Langlands, recipient of the Abel Prize, is famous for his insight in discovering links among seemingly dissimilar objects, leading to astounding results. This book is uniquely designed to serve a wide range of mathematicians and advanced students, showcasing Langlands' unique creativity and guiding readers through the areas of Langlands' work that are generally regarded as technical and difficult to penetrate. Part 1 features non-technical personal reflections, including Langlands' own words describing how and why he was led to formulate his conjectures. Part 2 includes survey articles of Langlands' early work that led to his conjectures, and centers on his principle of functoriality and foundational work on the Eisenstein series, and is accessible to mathematicians from other fields. Part 3 describes some of Langlands' contributions to mathematical physics.

The long-standing Kervaire invariant problem in homotopy theory arose from geometric and differential topology in the 1960s and was quickly recognised as one of the most important problems in the field. In 2009 the authors of this book announced a solution to the problem, which was published to wide acclaim in a landmark Annals of Mathematics paper. The proof is long and involved, using many sophisticated tools of modern (equivariant) stable homotopy theory that are unfamiliar to non-experts. This book presents the proof together with a full development of all the background material to make it accessible to a graduate student with an elementary algebraic topology knowledge. There are explicit examples of constructions used in solving the problem. Also featuring a motivating history of the problem and numerous conceptual and expository improvements on the proof, this is the definitive account of the resolution of the Kervaire invariant problem.

This book covers the fundamental results of the dimension theory of metrizable spaces, especially in the separable case. Its distinctive feature is the emphasis on the negative results for more general spaces, presenting a readable account of numerous counterexamples to well-known conjectures that have not been discussed in existing books. Moreover, it includes three new general methods for constructing spaces: Mrowka's psi-spaces, van Douwen's technique of assigning limit points to carefully selected sequences, and Fedorchuk's method of resolutions. Accessible to readers familiar with the standard facts of general topology, the book is written in a reader-friendly style suitable for self-study. It contains enough material for one or more graduate courses in dimension theory and/or general topology. More than half of the contents do not appear in existing books, making it also a good reference for libraries and researchers.

This text organizes a range of results in chromatic homotopy theory, running a single thread through theorems in bordism and a detailed understanding of the moduli of formal groups. It emphasizes the naturally occurring algebro-geometric models that presage the topological results, taking the reader through a pedagogical development of the field. In addition to forming the backbone of the stable homotopy category, these ideas have found application in other fields: the daughter subject 'elliptic cohomology' abuts mathematical physics, manifold geometry, topological analysis, and the representation theory of loop groups. The common language employed when discussing these subjects showcases their unity and guides the reader breezily from one domain to the next, ultimately culminating in the construction of Witten's genus for String manifolds. This text is an expansion of a set of lecture notes for a topics course delivered at Harvard University during the spring term of 2016.

Graduate students and researchers in applied mathematics, optimization, engineering, computer science, and management science will find this book a useful reference which provides an introduction to applications and fundamental theories in nonlinear combinatorial optimization. Nonlinear combinatorial optimization is a new research area within combinatorial optimization and includes numerous applications to technological developments, such as wireless communication, cloud computing, data science, and social networks. Theoretical developments including discrete Newton methods, primal-dual methods with convex relaxation, submodular optimization, discrete DC program, along with several applications are discussed and explored in this book through articles by leading experts.

This book presents the complete proof of the Bloch-Kato conjecture and several related conjectures of Beilinson and Lichtenbaum in algebraic geometry. Brought together here for the first time, these conjectures describe the structure of etale cohomology and its relation to motivic cohomology and Chow groups. Although the proof relies on the work of several people, it is credited primarily to Vladimir Voevodsky. The authors draw on a multitude of published and unpublished sources to explain the large-scale structure of Voevodsky's proof and introduce the key figures behind its development. They proceed to describe the highly innovative geometric constructions of Markus Rost, including the construction of norm varieties, which play a crucial role in the proof. The book then addresses symmetric powers of motives and motivic cohomology operations. Comprehensive and self-contained, The Norm Residue Theorem in Motivic Cohomology unites various components of the proof that until now were scattered across many sources of varying accessibility, often with differing hypotheses, definitions, and language.

This is a collection of surveys on important mathematical ideas, their origin, their evolution and their impact in current research. The authors are mathematicians who are leading experts in their fields. The book is addressed to all mathematicians, from undergraduate students to senior researchers, regardless of the specialty.