I.M.Gelfand, one of the leading contemporary mathematicians, largely determined the modern view of functional analysis with its numerous relations to other branches of mathematics, including mathematical physics, algebra, topology, differential geometry and analysis. With the publication of these Collected Papers in three volumes Gelfand gives a representative choice of his papers written in the last fifty years. Gelfand's research led to the development of remarkable mathematical theories - most now classics - in the field of Banach algebras, infinite-dimensional representations of Lie groups, the inverse Sturm-Liouville problem, cohomology of infinite-dimensional Lie algebras, integral geometry, generalized functions and general hypergeometric functions. The corresponding papers form the major part of the Collected Papers. Some articles on numerical methods and cybernetics as well as a few on biology are included. A substantial part of the papers have been translated into English especially for this edition. This edition is rounded off by a preface by S.G.Gindikin, a contribution by V.I.Arnold and an extensive bibliography with almost 500 references. Gelfand's Collected Papers will provide stimulating and serendipitous reading for researchers in a multitude of mathematical disciplines.

Equivariant cohomology on smooth manifolds is the subject of this book which is part of a collection of volumes edited by J. Bruning and V.W. Guillemin. The point of departure are two relatively short but very remarkable papers be Henry Cartan, published in 1950 in the Proceedings of the "Colloque de Topologie." These papers are reproduced here, together with a modern introduction to the subject, written by two of the leading experts in the field. This "introduction" comes as a textbook of its own, though, presenting the first full treatment of equivariant cohomology in the de Rahm setting. The well known topological approach is linked with the differential form aspect through the equivariant de Rahm theorem. The systematic use of supersymmetry simplifies considerably the ensuing development of the basic technical tools which are then applied to a variety of subjects, leading up to the localization theorems and other very recent results."

What is the true mark of inspiration? Ideally it may mean the originality, freshness and enthusiasm of a new breakthrough in mathematical thought. The reader will feel this inspiration in all four seminal papers by Duistermaat, Guillemin and H rmander presented here for the first time ever in one volume. However, as time goes by, the price researchers have to pay is to sacrifice simplicity for the sake of a higher degree of abstraction. Thus the original idea will only be a foundation on which more and more abstract theories are being built. It is the unique feature of this book to combine the basic motivations and ideas of the early sources with knowledgeable and lucid expositions on the present state of Fourier Integral Operators, thus bridging the gap between the past and present. A handy and useful introduction that will serve novices in this field and working mathematicians equally well.

Equivariant cohomology on smooth manifolds is the subject of this book which is part of a collection of volumes edited by J. Bruning and V.W. Guillemin. The point of departure are two relatively short but very remarkable papers be Henry Cartan, published in 1950 in the Proceedings of the "Colloque de Topologie." These papers are reproduced here, together with a modern introduction to the subject, written by two of the leading experts in the field. This "introduction" comes as a textbook of its own, though, presenting the first full treatment of equivariant cohomology in the de Rahm setting. The well known topological approach is linked with the differential form aspect through the equivariant de Rahm theorem. The systematic use of supersymmetry simplifies considerably the ensuing development of the basic technical tools which are then applied to a variety of subjects, leading up to the localization theorems and other very recent results."

What is the true mark of inspiration? Ideally it may mean the originality, freshness and enthusiasm of a new breakthrough in mathematical thought. The reader will feel this inspiration in all four seminal papers by Duistermaat, Guillemin and H rmander presented here for the first time ever in one volume. However, as time goes by, the price researchers have to pay is to sacrifice simplicity for the sake of a higher degree of abstraction. Thus the original idea will only be a foundation on which more and more abstract theories are being built. It is the unique feature of this book to combine the basic motivations and ideas of the early sources with knowledgeable and lucid expositions on the present state of Fourier Integral Operators, thus bridging the gap between the past and present. A handy and useful introduction that will serve novices in this field and working mathematicians equally well.

I.M. Gelfand (1913 - 2009), one of the world's leading contemporary mathematicians, largely determined the modern view of functional analysis with its numerous relations to other branches of mathematics, including mathematical physics, algebra, topology, differential geometry and analysis. In this three-volume Collected Papers Gelfand presents a representative sample of his work. Gelfand's research led to the development of remarkable mathematical theories - most of which are now classics - in the field of Banach algebras, infinite-dimensional representations of Lie groups, the inverse Sturm-Liouville problem, cohomology of infinite-dimensional Lie algebras, integral geometry, generalized functions and general hypergeometric functions. The corresponding papers form the major part of the collection. Some articles on numerical methods and cybernetics as well as a few on biology are also included. A substantial number of the papers have been translated into English especially for this edition. The collection is rounded off by an extensive bibliography with almost 500 references. Gelfand's Collected Papers will be a great stimulus, especially for the younger generation, and will provide a strong incentive to researchers.