Computation is the process of applying a procedure or algorithm to the solution of a mathematical problem. Mathematicians and physicists have been occupied for many decades pondering which problems can be solved by which procedures, and, for those that can be solved, how this can most efficiently be done. In recent years, quantum mechanics has augmented our understanding of the process of computation and of its limitations.
"Perspectives in Computation" covers three broad topics: the computation process and its limitations, the search for computational efficiency, and the role of quantum mechanics in computation. The emphasis is theoretical; Robert Geroch asks what can be done, and what, in principle, are the limitations on what can be done? Geroch guides readers through these topics by combining general discussions of broader issues with precise mathematical formulations--as well as through examples of how computation works.
Requiring little technical knowledge of mathematics or physics, "Perspectives in Computation" will serve both advanced undergraduates and graduate students in mathematics and physics, as well as other scientists working in adjacent fields.

This beautiful little book is certainly suitable for anyone who has had an introductory course in physics and even for some who have not. Moreover, it contains enough substance so that a modern physicist may find that he can learn something--perhaps only that a difficult topic can be presented to a general audience. The whole succeeds so well because Geroch believes that 'physics is a human activity...' and wants to share some of its joys with others. - Joshua N. Goldberg, Physics Today.

Mathematical Physics is an introduction to such basic mathematical structures as groups, vector spaces, topological spaces, measure spaces, and Hilbert space. Geroch uses category theory to emphasize both the interrelationships among different structures and the unity of mathematics. Perhaps the most valuable feature of the book is the illuminating intuitive discussion of the "whys" of proofs and of axioms and definitions. This book, based on Geroch's University of Chicago course, will be especially helpful to those working in theoretical physics, including such areas as relativity, particle physics, and astrophysics.

Robert Geroch's lecture notes on general relativity are unique in three main respects. First, the physics of general relativity and the mathematics, which describes it, are masterfully intertwined in such a way that both reinforce each other to facilitate the understanding of the most abstract and subtle issues. Second, the physical phenomena are first properly explained in terms of spacetime and then it is shown how they can be "decomposed" into familiar quantities, expressed in terms of space and time, which are measured by an observer. Third, Geroch's successful pedagogical approach to teaching theoretical physics through visualization of even the most abstract concepts is fully applied in his lectures on general relativity by the use of around a hundred figures. Although the book contains lecture notes written in 1972, it is (and will remain) an excellent introduction to general relativity, which covers its physical foundations, its mathematical formalism, the classical tests of its predictions, its application to cosmology, a number of specific and important issues (such as the initial value formulation of general relativity, signal propagation, time orientation, causality violation, singularity theorems, conformal transformations, and asymptotic structure of spacetime), and the early approaches to quantization of the gravitational field. Geroch's "Differential Geometry: 1972 Lecture Notes" can serve as a very helpful companion to this book.

This book is about the branch of mathematics called topology. But its larger purpose is to illustrate how mathematics works: The interplay between intuition on the one hand and a pure mathematical formulation on the other. Thus, we develop the axioms for a topological space, formulate definitions within the context of those axioms and actually prove theorems from the axioms. But underlying all this is our intuition about topology. It is this intuition that guides and gives "meaning" to the definitions we make and to the theorems we prove. No prior knowledge of mathematics is assumed. In fact, these were originally the notes for a course for freshman non-scientists. This book, including over 100 figures and problem sets with solutions, should be of interest to those who would like to understand what mathematics is all about, as well as those who would like to learn about the this important branch of mathematics.

Robert Geroch's lecture notes on differential geometry reflect his original and successful style of teaching - explaining abstract concepts with the help of intuitive examples and many figures. The book introduces the most important concepts of differential geometry and can be used for self-study since each chapter contains examples and exercises, plus test and examination problems which are given in the Appendix. As these lecture notes are written by a theoretical physicist, who is an expert in general relativity, they can serve as a very helpful companion to Geroch's excellent "General Relativity: 1972 Lecture Notes."

Could the day ever come when mathematics proceeds in a purely mechanistic fashion - that it requires no genuinely new insights? This sounds like a good question for an afternoon's debate. But, strange as it may seem, there is actually a "theorem" in mathematics to the effect that this subject can never become routine This result, called Godel's theorem, is one of the greatest discoveries in mathematics of the twentieth century. And - perhaps even more remarkable - the proof of this theorem can be understood by anyone, without any knowledge at all of mathematics. The statement and proof of Godel's theorem is the subject of this book. The idea is quite simple, but it requires thinking about things in a new way. The book includes homework problems and exams with solutions and comments.

This book comprises Robert Geroch's course notes on quantum field theory. Although written in 1971 Geroch's lecture notes are still a very helpful text on quantum field theory since they contain a concise exposition of its core topics accompanied by compressed but deep and clear explanations. What also makes this book a valuable contribution to the existing textbooks on quantum field theory is Geroch's unique approach to teaching theoretical and mathematical physics - the physical concepts and the mathematics, which describes them, are masterfully intertwined in such a way that both reinforce each other to facilitate the understanding of even the most abstract and subtle issues.

Geroch's lecture notes on geometrical quantum mechanics are divided into three parts Differential Geometry, Mechanics, and Quantum Mechanics. The necessary geometrical ideas are presented in the first part of the book and are applied to mechanics and quantum mechanics in the second and third part. What also makes this book a valuable contribution to the existing textbooks on quantum physics is Geroch's unique approach to teaching theoretical and mathematical physics the physical concepts and the mathematics, which describes them, are masterfully intertwined in such a way that both reinforce each other to facilitate the understanding even of the most abstract and subtle issues.