Intended for a wide range of readers, this book covers the main ideas of convex analysis and approximation theory. The author discusses the sources of these two trends in mathematical analysis, develops the main concepts and results, and mentions some beautiful theorems. The relationship of convex analysis to optimization problems, to the calculus of variations, to optimal control and to geometry is considered, and the evolution of the ideas underlying approximation theory, from its origins to the present day, is discussed. The book is addressed both to students who want to acquaint themselves with these trends and to lecturers in mathematical analysis, optimization and numerical methods, as well as to researchers in these fields who would like to tackle the topic as a whole and seek inspiration for its further development.

Infinite series, and their analogues-integral representations, became funda mental tools in mathematical analysis, starting in the second half of the seven teenth century. They have provided the means for introducing into analysis all o( the so-called transcendental functions, including those which are now called elementary (the logarithm, exponential and trigonometric functions). With their help the solutions of many differential equations, both ordinary and partial, have been found. In fact the whole development of mathematical analysis from Newton up to the end of the nineteenth century was in the closest way connected with the development of the apparatus of series and integral representations. Moreover, many abstract divisions of mathematics (for example, functional analysis) arose and were developed in order to study series. In the development of the theory of series two basic directions can be singled out. One is the justification of operations with infmite series, the other is the creation oftechniques for using series in the solution of mathematical and applied problems. Both directions have developed in parallel Initially progress in the first direction was significantly smaller, but, in the end, progress in the second direction has always turned out to be of greater difficulty."