The number theoretic properties of curves of genus 2 are attracting increasing attention. This book provides new insights into this subject; much of the material here is entirely new, and none has appeared in book form before. Included is an explicit treatment of the Jacobian, which throws new light onto the geometry of the Kummer surface. The Mordell-Weil group can then be determined for many curves, and in many non-trivial cases all rational points can be found. The results exemplify the power of computer algebra in diophantine contexts, but computer expertise is not assumed in the main text. Number theorists, algebraic geometers and workers in related areas will find that this book offers unique insights into the arithmetic of curves of genus 2.

The articles in these two volumes arose from papers given at the 1991 International Symposium on Geometric Group Theory, and they represent some of the latest thinking in this area. Many of the world's leading figures in this field attended the conference, and their contributions cover a wide diversity of topics. This second volume contains solely a ground breaking paper by Gromov, which provides a fascinating look at finitely generated groups. For anyone whose interest lies in the interplay between groups and geometry, these books will be an essential addition to their library.

The study of special cases of elliptic curves goes back to Diophantos and Fermat, and today it is still one of the liveliest centers of research in number theory. This book, addressed to beginning graduate students, introduces basic theory from a contemporary viewpoint but with an eye to the historical background. The central portion deals with curves over the rationals: the Mordell-Wei finite basis theorem, points of finite order (Nagell-Lutz), etc. The treatment is structured by the local-global standpoint and culminates in the description of the Tate-Shafarevich group as the obstruction to a Hasse principle. In an introductory section the Hasse principle for conics is discussed. The book closes with sections on the theory over finite fields (the "Riemann hypothesis for function fields") and recently developed uses of elliptic curves for factoring large integers. Prerequisites are kept to a minimum; an acquaintance with the fundamentals of Galois theory is assumed, but no knowledge either of algebraic number theory or algebraic geometry is needed. The p-adic numbers are introduced from scratch. Many examples and exercises are included for the reader, and those new to elliptic curves, whether they are graduate students or specialists from other fields, will find this a valuable introduction.

From the reviews: "A well-written, very thorough account ... Among the topics are lattices, reduction, Minkowskis Theorem, distance functions, packings, and automorphs; some applications to number theory; excellent bibliographical references." The American Mathematical Monthly

Provides a self-contained introduction at the post-graduate level in number theory or algebra. After a general introduction the book focuses on p-adic numbers and their use in the theory of numbers. There are also chapters on algebraic number theory, on diophantine equations and on the analysis of a p-adic variable.

This is the expanded notes of a course intended to introduce students specializing in mathematics to some of the central ideas of traditional economics. The book should be readily accessible to anyone with some training in university mathematics; more advanced mathematical tools are explained in the appendices. Thus this text could be used for undergraduate mathematics courses or as supplementary reading for students of mathematical economics.

This tract sets out to give some idea of the basic techniques and of some of the most striking results of Diophantine approximation. A selection of theorems with complete proofs are presented, and Cassels also provides a precise introduction to each chapter, and appendices detailing what is needed from the geometry of numbers and linear algebra. Some chapters require knowledge of elements of Lebesgue theory and algebraic number theory. This is a valuable and concise text aimed at the final-year undergraduate and first-year graduate student.

First printed in 1967, this book has been essential reading for aspiring algebraic number theorists for more than forty years. It contains the lecture notes from an instructional conference held in Brighton in 1965, which was a milestone event that introduced class field theory as a standard tool of mathematics. There are landmark contributions from Serre and Tate. The book is a standard text for taught courses in algebraic number theory. This Second Edition includes a valuable list of errata compiled by mathematicians who have read and used the text over the years.

This exploration of quadratic forms over rational numbers and rational integers offers an excellent elementary introduction to many aspects of a classical subject, including recent developments. The author, a Professor Emeritus at Trinity College, University of Cambridge, offers a largely self-contained treatment that develops most of the prerequisites.Topics include the theory of quadratic forms over local fields, forms with integral coefficients, genera and spinor genera, reduction theory for definite forms, and Gauss' composition theory. The final chapter explains how to formulate the proofs in earlier chapters independently of Dirichlet's theorems related to the existence of primes in arithmetic progressions. Specialists will particularly value the several helpful appendixes on class numbers, Siegel's formulas, Tamagawa numbers, and other topics. Each chapter concludes with many exercises and hints, plus notes that include historical remarks and references to the literature.