This book acquaints the reader with the esental ideas of K-homology and develops some of its applications. It includes a detailed introduction to the necessary functional analysis, followed by an exploration of the connections between K-homology and operator theory, coarse geometry, index theory, and assembly maps.

This research monograph is a detailed account with complete proofs of rational homotopy theory for general non-simply connected spaces, based on the minimal models introduced by Sullivan in his original seminal article. Much of the content consists of new results, including generalizations of known results in the simply connected case. The monograph also includes an expanded version of recently published results about the growth and structure of the rational homotopy groups of finite dimensional CW complexes, and concludes with a number of open questions.This monograph is a sequel to the book Rational Homotopy Theory [RHT], published by Springer in 2001, but is self-contained except only that some results from [RHT] are simply quoted without proof.

Combinatorics as a branch of mathematics studies the arts of counting. Enumeration occupies the foundation of combinatorics with a large range of applications not only in mathematics itself but also in many other disciplines. It is too broad a task to write a book to show the deep development in every corner from this aspect. This monograph is intended to provide a unified theory for those related to the enumeration of maps. For enumerating maps the first thing we have to know is the sym metry of a map. Or in other words, we have to know its automorphism group. In general, this is an interesting, complicated, and difficult problem. In order to do this, the first problem we meet is how to make a map considered without symmetry. Since the beginning of sixties when Tutte found a way of rooting on a map, the problem has been solved. This forms the basis of the enumerative theory of maps. As soon as the problem without considering the symmetry is solved for one kind of map, the general problem with symmetry can always, in principle, be solved from what we have known about the automorphism of a polyhedron, a synonym for a map, which can be determined efficiently according to another monograph of the present author Liu58]."

"Explorations in Topology, Second Edition," provides students a rich experience with low-dimensional topology (map coloring, surfaces, and knots), enhances their geometrical and topological intuition, empowers them with new approaches to solving problems, and provides them with experiences that will help them make sense of future, more formal topology courses.

The book's innovative story-line style models the problem-solving process, presents the development of concepts in a natural way, and engages students in meaningful encounters with the material. The updated end-of-chapter investigations provide opportunities to work on many open-ended, non-routine problems and, through a modified "Moore method," to make conjectures from which theorems emerge. The revised end-of-chapter notes provide historical background to the chapter's ideas, introduce standard terminology, and make connections with mainstream mathematics. The final chapter of projects provides ideas for continued research.

"Explorations in Topology, Second Edition," enhances upper division courses and is a valuable reference for all levels of students and researchers working in topology.
Students begin to solve substantial problems from the startIdeas unfold through the context of a storyline, and students become actively involvedThe text models the problem-solving process, presents the development of concepts in a natural way, and helps the reader engage with the material

This book consists of a selection of articles devoted to new ideas and developments in low dimensional topology. Low dimensions refer to dimensions three and four for the topology of manifolds and their submanifolds. Thus we have papers related to both manifolds and to knotted submanifolds of dimension one in three (classical knot theory) and two in four (surfaces in four dimensional spaces). Some of the work involves virtual knot theory where the knots are abstractions of classical knots but can be represented by knots embedded in surfaces. This leads both to new interactions with classical topology and to new interactions with essential combinatorics.

This book is aimed at the approximation of set-valued functions with compact sets in an Euclidean space as values. The interest in set-valued functions is rather new. Such functions arise in various modern areas such as control theory, dynamical systems and optimization. The authors' motivation also comes from the newer field of geometric modeling, in particular from the problem of reconstruction of 3D objects from 2D cross-sections. This is reflected in the focus of this book, which is the approximation of set-valued functions with general (not necessarily convex) sets as values, while previous results on this topic are mainly confined to the convex case. The approach taken in this book is to adapt classical approximation operators and to provide error estimates in terms of the regularity properties of the approximated set-valued functions. Specialized results are given for functions with 1D sets as values.

The emerging field of computational topology utilizes theory from topology and the power of computing to solve problems in diverse fields. Recent applications include computer graphics, computer-aided design (CAD), and structural biology, all of which involve understanding the intrinsic shape of some real or abstract space. A primary goal of this book is to present basic concepts from topology and Morse theory to enable a non-specialist to grasp and participate in current research in computational topology. The author gives a self-contained presentation of the mathematical concepts from a computer scientist's point of view, combining point set topology, algebraic topology, group theory, differential manifolds, and Morse theory. He also presents some recent advances in the area, including topological persistence and hierarchical Morse complexes. Throughout, the focus is on computational challenges and on presenting algorithms and data structures when appropriate.

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

This 2003 book describes a striking connection between topology and algebra, namely that 2D topological quantum field theories are equivalent to commutative Frobenius algebras. The precise formulation of the theorem and its proof is given in terms of monoidal categories, and the main purpose of the book is to develop these concepts from an elementary level, and more generally serve as an introduction to categorical viewpoints in mathematics. Rather than just proving the theorem, it is shown how the result fits into a more general pattern concerning universal monoidal categories for algebraic structures. Throughout, the emphasis is on the interplay between algebra and topology, with graphical interpretation of algebraic operations, and topological structures described algebraically in terms of generators and relations. The book will prove valuable to students or researchers entering this field who will learn a host of modern techniques that will prove useful for future work.

The concept of symmetric space is of central importance in many branches of mathematics. Compactifications of these spaces have been studied from the points of view of representation theory, geometry, and random walks. This work is devoted to the study of the interrelationships among these various compactifications and, in particular, focuses on the martin compactifications. It is the first exposition to treat compactifications of symmetric spaces systematically and to uniformized the various points of view.

Key features:

* definition and detailed analysis of the Martin compactifications

* new geometric Compactification, defined in terms of the Tits building, that coincides with the Martin Compactification at the bottom of the positive spectrum.

* geometric, non-inductive, description of the Karpelevic Compactification

* study of the well-know isomorphism between the Satake compactifications and the Furstenberg compactifications

* systematic and clear progression of topics from geometry to analysis, and finally to random walks

The work is largely self-contained, with comprehensive references to the literature. It is an excellent resource for both researchers and graduate students.

This monograph presents an approachable proof of Mirzakhani's curve counting theorem, both for simple and non-simple curves. Designed to welcome readers to the area, the presentation builds intuition with elementary examples before progressing to rigorous proofs. This approach illuminates new and established results alike, and produces versatile tools for studying the geometry of hyperbolic surfaces, Teichmuller theory, and mapping class groups. Beginning with the preliminaries of curves and arcs on surfaces, the authors go on to present the theory of geodesic currents in detail. Highlights include a treatment of cusped surfaces and surfaces with boundary, along with a comprehensive discussion of the action of the mapping class group on the space of geodesic currents. A user-friendly account of train tracks follows, providing the foundation for radallas, an immersed variation. From here, the authors apply these tools to great effect, offering simplified proofs of existing results and a new, more general proof of Mirzakhani's curve counting theorem. Further applications include counting square-tiled surfaces and mapping class group orbits, and investigating random geometric structures. Mirzakhani's Curve Counting and Geodesic Currents introduces readers to powerful counting techniques for the study of surfaces. Ideal for graduate students and researchers new to the area, the pedagogical approach, conversational style, and illuminating illustrations bring this exciting field to life. Exercises offer opportunities to engage with the material throughout. Basic familiarity with 2-dimensional topology and hyperbolic geometry, measured laminations, and the mapping class group is assumed.

This book presents the relationship between classical theta functions and knots. It is based on a novel idea of Razvan Gelca and Alejandro Uribe, which converts Weil's representation of the Heisenberg group on theta functions to a knot theoretical framework, by giving a topological interpretation to a certain induced representation. It also explains how the discrete Fourier transform can be related to 3- and 4-dimensional topology.Theta Functions and Knots can be read in two perspectives. Readers with an interest in theta functions or knot theory can learn how the two are related. Those interested in Chern-Simons theory will find here an introduction using the simplest case, that of abelian Chern-Simons theory. Moreover, the construction of abelian Chern-Simons theory is based entirely on quantum mechanics and not on quantum field theory as it is usually done.Both the theory of theta functions and low dimensional topology are presented in detail, in order to underline how deep the connection between these two fundamental mathematical subjects is. Hence the book is self-contained with a unified presentation. It is suitable for an advanced graduate course, as well as for self-study.

A phenomenon which appears in nature, or human behavior, can sometimes be explained by saying that a certain potential function is maximized, or minimized. For example, the Hamiltonian mechanics, soapy films, size of an atom, business management, etc. In mathematics, a point where a given function attains an extreme value is called a critical point, or a singular point. The purpose of singularity theory is to explore the properties of singular points of functions and mappings.This is a volume on the proceedings of the fourth Japanese-Australian Workshop on Real and Complex Singularities held in Kobe, Japan. It consists of 11 original articles on singularities. Readers will be introduced to some important new notions for characterizations of singularities and several interesting results are delivered. In addition, current approaches to classical topics and state-of-the-art effective computational methods of invariants of singularities are also presented. This volume will be useful not only to the singularity theory specialists but also to general mathematicians.

The book offers a good introduction to topology through solved exercises. It is mainly intended for undergraduate students. Most exercises are given with detailed solutions.

This book provides a modern introduction to harmonic analysis and synthesis on topological groups. It serves as a guide to the abstract theory of Fourier transformation. For the first time, it presents a detailed account of the theory of classical harmonic analysis together with the recent developments in spectral analysis and synthesis.

A selection of topics which graduate students have found to be a successful introduction to the field, employing three distinct techniques: geometric topology manoeuvres, combinatorics, and algebraic topology. Each topic is developed until significant results are achieved and each chapter ends with exercises and brief accounts of the latest research. What may reasonably be referred to as knot theory has expanded enormously over the last decade and, while the author describes important discoveries throughout the twentieth century, the latest discoveries such as quantum invariants of 3-manifolds as well as generalisations and applications of the Jones polynomial are also included, presented in an easily intelligible style. Readers are assumed to have knowledge of the basic ideas of the fundamental group and simple homology theory, although explanations throughout the text are numerous and well-done. Written by an internationally known expert in the field, this will appeal to graduate students, mathematicians and physicists with a mathematical background wishing to gain new insights in this area.

Unlike other analytic techniques, the Homotopy Analysis Method (HAM) is independent of small/large physical parameters. Besides, it provides great freedom to choose equation type and solution expression of related linear high-order approximation equations. The HAM provides a simple way to guarantee the convergence of solution series. Such uniqueness differentiates the HAM from all other analytic approximation methods. In addition, the HAM can be applied to solve some challenging problems with high nonlinearity.This book, edited by the pioneer and founder of the HAM, describes the current advances of this powerful analytic approximation method for highly nonlinear problems. Coming from different countries and fields of research, the authors of each chapter are top experts in the HAM and its applications.

Absolute measurable space and absolute null space are very old topological notions, developed from well-known facts of descriptive set theory, topology, Borel measure theory and analysis. This monograph systematically develops and returns to the topological and geometrical origins of these notions. Motivating the development of the exposition are the action of the group of homeomorphisms of a space on Borel measures, the Oxtoby-Ulam theorem on Lebesgue-like measures on the unit cube, and the extensions of this theorem to many other topological spaces. Existence of uncountable absolute null space, extension of the Purves theorem and recent advances on homeomorphic Borel probability measures on the Cantor space, are among the many topics discussed. A brief discussion of set-theoretic results on absolute null space is given, and a four-part appendix aids the reader with topological dimension theory, Hausdorff measure and Hausdorff dimension, and geometric measure theory.

Based on a series of graduate lectures given by Vladimir Markovic at the University of Warwick in spring 2003, this book is accessible to those with a grounding in complex analysis looking for an introduction to the theory of quasiconformal maps and Teichm ller theory. Assuming some familiarity with Riemann surfaces and hyperbolic geometry, topics covered include the Gr tzch argument, analytical properties of quasiconformal maps, the Beltrami differential equation, holomorphic motions and Teichm ller spaces. Where proofs are omitted, references to where they may be found are always given, and the text is clearly illustrated throughout with diagrams, examples, and exercises for the reader.

The principal aim of this book is to introduce topology and its many applications viewed within a framework that includes a consideration of compactness, completeness, continuity, filters, function spaces, grills, clusters and bunches, hyperspace topologies, initial and final structures, metric spaces, metrization, nets, proximal continuity, proximity spaces, separation axioms, and uniform spaces. This book provides a complete framework for the study of topology with a variety of applications in science and engineering that include camouflage filters, classification, digital image processing, forgery detection, Hausdorff raster spaces, image analysis, microscopy, paleontology, pattern recognition, population dynamics, stem cell biology, topological psychology, and visual merchandising. It is the first complete presentation on topology with applications considered in the context of proximity spaces, and the nearness and remoteness of sets of objects. A novel feature throughout this book is the use of near and far, discovered by F Riesz over 100 years ago. In addition, it is the first time that this form of topology is presented in the context of a number of new applications.

We propose here a study of 'semiexact' and 'homological' categories as a basis for a generalised homological algebra. Our aim is to extend the homological notions to deeply non-abelian situations, where satellites and spectral sequences can still be studied.This is a sequel of a book on 'Homological Algebra, The interplay of homology with distributive lattices and orthodox semigroups', published by the same Editor, but can be read independently of the latter.The previous book develops homological algebra in p-exact categories, i.e. exact categories in the sense of Puppe and Mitchell - a moderate generalisation of abelian categories that is nevertheless crucial for a theory of 'coherence' and 'universal models' of (even abelian) homological algebra. The main motivation of the present, much wider extension is that the exact sequences or spectral sequences produced by unstable homotopy theory cannot be dealt with in the previous framework.According to the present definitions, a semiexact category is a category equipped with an ideal of 'null' morphisms and provided with kernels and cokernels with respect to this ideal. A homological category satisfies some further conditions that allow the construction of subquotients and induced morphisms, in particular the homology of a chain complex or the spectral sequence of an exact couple.Extending abelian categories, and also the p-exact ones, these notions include the usual domains of homology and homotopy theories, e.g. the category of 'pairs' of topological spaces or groups; they also include their codomains, since the sequences of homotopy 'objects' for a pair of pointed spaces or a fibration can be viewed as exact sequences in a homological category, whose objects are actions of groups on pointed sets.

This invaluable book is an introduction to knot and link invariants as generalized amplitudes for a quasi-physical process. The demands of knot theory, coupled with a quantum-statistical framework, create a context that naturally and powerfully includes an extraordinary range of interrelated topics in topology and mathematical physics. The author takes a primarily combinatorial stance toward knot theory and its relations with these subjects. This stance has the advantage of providing direct access to the algebra and to the combinatorial topology, as well as physical ideas.The book is divided into two parts: Part I is a systematic course on knots and physics starting from the ground up, and Part II is a set of lectures on various topics related to Part I. Part II includes topics such as frictional properties of knots, relations with combinatorics, and knots in dynamical systems.In this new edition, an article on Virtual Knot Theory and Khovanov Homology has beed added.

This invaluable book is an introduction to knot and link invariants as generalized amplitudes for a quasi-physical process. The demands of knot theory, coupled with a quantum-statistical framework, create a context that naturally and powerfully includes an extraordinary range of interrelated topics in topology and mathematical physics. The author takes a primarily combinatorial stance toward knot theory and its relations with these subjects. This stance has the advantage of providing direct access to the algebra and to the combinatorial topology, as well as physical ideas.The book is divided into two parts: Part I is a systematic course on knots and physics starting from the ground up, and Part II is a set of lectures on various topics related to Part I. Part II includes topics such as frictional properties of knots, relations with combinatorics, and knots in dynamical systems.In this new edition, an article on Virtual Knot Theory and Khovanov Homology has beed added.

Although topology was recognized by Gauss and Maxwell to play a pivotal role in the formulation of electromagnetic boundary value problems, it is a largely unexploited tool for field computation. The development of algebraic topology since Maxwell provides a framework for linking data structures, algorithms, and computation to topological aspects of three-dimensional electromagnetic boundary value problems. This book attempts to expose the link between Maxwell and a modern approach to algorithms. The first chapters lay out the relevant facts about homology and cohomology, stressing their interpretations in electromagnetism. These topological structures are subsequently tied to variational formulations in electromagnetics, the finite element method, algorithms, and certain aspects of numerical linear algebra. A recurring theme is the formulation of and algorithms for the problem of making branch cuts for computing magnetic scalar potentials and eddy currents. Appendices bridge the gap between the material presented and standard expositions of differential forms, Hodge decompositions, and tools for realizing representatives of homology classes as embedded manifolds.

Mathematical models have long been used by geographers and regional scientists to explore the working of urban and regional systems, via a system where the equilibrium point changes slowly and smoothly as the parameters change slowly and smoothly. However, this all changed with the advent of catastrophe theory and bifurcation, which enabled the development of models where a quite sudden change in the position of the equilibrium point results from a slow, small, smooth change in one or more parameters. First published in 1981, this reissue of Professor Wilson's classic study outlines the implications of these mathematical models for geography and regional science, by way of a survey of contemporary applications.