This book provides a rigorous and self-contained review of desingularization theory. Focusing on arbitrary dimensional schemes, it discusses the important concepts in full generality, complete with proofs, and includes an introduction to the basis of Hironaka's Theory. The core of the book is a complete proof of desingularization of surfaces; despite being well-known, this result was no more than folklore for many years, with no existing references. Throughout the book there are numerous computations on standard bases, blowing ups and characteristic polyhedra, which will be a source of inspiration for experts exploring bigger dimensions. Beginners will also benefit from a section which presents some easily overlooked pathologies.

The subject of algebraic cycles has thrived through its interaction with algebraic K-theory, Hodge theory, arithmetic algebraic geometry, number theory, and topology. These interactions have led to such developments as a description of Chow groups in terms of algebraic K-theory, the arithmetic Abel-Jacobi mapping, progress on the celebrated conjectures of Hodge and Tate, and the conjectures of Bloch and Beilinson. The immense recent progress in algebraic cycles, based on so many interactions with so many other areas of mathematics, has contributed to a considerable degree of inaccessibility, especially for graduate students. Even specialists in one approach to algebraic cycles may not understand other approaches well. This book offers students and specialists alike a broad perspective of algebraic cycles, presented from several viewpoints, including arithmetic, transcendental, topological, motives and K-theory methods. Topics include a discussion of the arithmetic Abel-Jacobi mapping, higher Abel-Jacobi regulator maps, polylogarithms and L-series, candidate Bloch-Beilinson filtrations, applications of Chern-Simons invariants to algebraic cycles via the study of algebraic vector bundles with algebraic connection, motivic cohomology, Chow groups of singular varieties, and recent progress on the Hodge and Tate conjectures for Abelian varieties.

The subject of algebraic cycles has thrived through its interaction with algebraic K-theory, Hodge theory, arithmetic algebraic geometry, number theory, and topology. These interactions have led to such developments as a description of Chow groups in terms of algebraic K-theory, the arithmetic Abel-Jacobi mapping, progress on the celebrated conjectures of Hodge and Tate, and the conjectures of Bloch and Beilinson. The immense recent progress in algebraic cycles, based on so many interactions with so many other areas of mathematics, has contributed to a considerable degree of inaccessibility, especially for graduate students. Even specialists in one approach to algebraic cycles may not understand other approaches well. This book offers students and specialists alike a broad perspective of algebraic cycles, presented from several viewpoints, including arithmetic, transcendental, topological, motives and K-theory methods. Topics include a discussion of the arithmetic Abel-Jacobi mapping, higher Abel-Jacobi regulator maps, polylogarithms and L-series, candidate Bloch-Beilinson filtrations, applications of Chern-Simons invariants to algebraic cycles via the study of algebraic vector bundles with algebraic connection, motivic cohomology, Chow groups of singular varieties, and recent progress on the Hodge and Tate conjectures for Abelian varieties.