The central topic of this research monograph is the relation between p-adic modular forms and p-adic Galois representations, and in particular the theory of deformations of Galois representations recently introduced by Mazur. The classical theory of modular forms is assumed known to the reader, but the p-adic theory is reviewed in detail, with ample intuitive and heuristic discussion, so that the book will serve as a convenient point of entry to research in that area. The results on the U operator and on Galois representations are new, and will be of interest even to the experts. A list of further problems in the field is included to guide the beginner in his research. The book will thus be of interest to number theorists who wish to learn about p-adic modular forms, leading them rapidly to interesting research, and also to the specialists in the subject.

There are numbers of all kinds: rational, real, complex, p-adic. The p-adic numbers are less well known than the others, but they play a fundamental role in number theory and in other parts of mathematics. This elementary introduction offers a broad understanding of p-adic numbers. From the reviews: "It is perhaps the most suitable text for beginners, and I shall definitely recommend it to anyone who asks me what a p-adic number is." --THE MATHEMATICAL GAZETTE

Algebraic structures have come to be ubiquitous in mathematics, with almost all mathematicians encountering groups, rings, fields or more exotic related objects during the course of their research. This book presents an overview of some of the most important algebraic structures in modern mathematics, with an emphasis on creating a coherent picture of how they all interact. In addition to the standard material on groups, rings, modules, fields, and Galois theory, the book includes discussions of other important topics, including linear groups, group representations, Artinian rings, projective, injective and flat modules, Dedekind domains, and central simple algebras. All of the important theorems are discussed, typically without proofs, but often with a discussion of the intuitive ideas behind those proofs. This insightful guide is ideal for both graduate students in mathematics who are beginning their studies, and researchers who wish to understand the bigger picture of the algebraic structures they encounter.

There is now a large body of theory concerning algebraic varieties over finite fields, and many conjectures exist in this area that are of great interest to researchers in number theory and algebraic geometry. This book is concerned with the arithmetic of diagonal hypersurfaces over finite fields, with special focus on the Tate conjecture and the Lichtenbaum-Milne formula for the central value of the L-function. It combines theoretical and numerical work, and includes tables of Picard numbers. Although this book is aimed at experts, the authors have included some background material to help non-specialists gain access to the results.