This elegant book is sure to become the standard introduction to synthetic differential geometry. It deals with some classical spaces in differential geometry, namely 'prolongation spaces' or neighbourhoods of the diagonal. These spaces enable a natural description of some of the basic constructions in local differential geometry and, in fact, form an inviting gateway to differential geometry, and also to some differential-geometric notions that exist in algebraic geometry. The presentation conveys the real strength of this approach to differential geometry. Concepts are clarified, proofs are streamlined, and the focus on infinitesimal spaces motivates the discussion well. Some of the specific differential-geometric theories dealt with are connection theory (notably affine connections), geometric distributions, differential forms, jet bundles, differentiable groupoids, differential operators, Riemannian metrics, and harmonic maps. Ideal for graduate students and researchers wishing to familiarize themselves with the field.

Synthetic Differential Geometry is a method of reasoning in differential geometry and differential calculus, based on the assumption of sufficiently many nilpotent elements on the number line, in particular numbers d such that d2=0. The use of nilpotent elements allows one to replace the limit processes of calculus by purely algebraic calculations and notions. For the first half of the book, first published in 2006, familiarity with differential calculus and abstract algebra is presupposed during the development of results in calculus and differential geometry on a purely axiomatic/synthetic basis. In the second half basic notions of category theory are presumed in the construction of suitable Cartesian closed categories and the interpretation of logical formulae within them. This is a second edition of Kock's classical text from 1981. Many notes have been included, with comments on developments in the field from the intermediate years, and almost 100 new bibliographic entries have been added.