This book presents some of the most important aspects of rigid geometry, namely its applications to the study of smooth algebraic curves, of their Jacobians, and of abelian varieties - all of them defined over a complete non-archimedean valued field. The text starts with a survey of the foundation of rigid geometry, and then focuses on a detailed treatment of the applications. In the case of curves with split rational reduction there is a complete analogue to the fascinating theory of Riemann surfaces. In the case of proper smooth group varieties the uniformization and the construction of abelian varieties are treated in detail. Rigid geometry was established by John Tate and was enriched by a formal algebraic approach launched by Michel Raynaud. It has proved as a means to illustrate the geometric ideas behind the abstract methods of formal algebraic geometry as used by Mumford and Faltings. This book should be of great use to students wishing to enter this field, as well as those already working in it.

Neron models were invented by A. Neron in the early 1960s in order to study the integral structure of abelian varieties over number fields. Since then, arithmeticians and algebraic geometers have applied the theory of Neron models with great success. Quite recently, new developments in arithmetic algebraic geometry have prompted a desire to understand more about Neron models, and even to go back to the basics of their construction. The authors have taken this as their incentive to present a comprehensive treatment of Neron models. This volume of the renowned "Ergebnisse" series provides a detailed demonstration of the construction of Neron models from the point of view of Grothendieck's algebraic geometry. In the second part of the book the relationship between Neron models and the relative Picard functor in the case of Jacobian varieties is explained. The authors helpfully remind the reader of some important standard techniques of algebraic geometry. A special chapter surveys the theory of the Picard functor.

NA(c)ron models were invented by A. NA(c)ron in the early 1960s in order to study the integral structure of abelian varieties over number fields. Since then, arithmeticians and algebraic geometers have applied the theory of NA(c)ron models with great success. Quite recently, new developments in arithmetic algebraic geometry have prompted a desire to understand more about NA(c)ron models, and even to go back to the basics of their construction. The authors have taken this as their incentive to present a comprehensive treatment of NA(c)ron models. This volume of the renowned "Ergebnisse" series provides a detailed demonstration of the construction of NA(c)ron models from the point of view of Grothendieck's algebraic geometry. In the second part of the book the relationship between NA(c)ron models and the relative Picard functor in the case of Jacobian varieties is explained. The authors helpfully remind the reader of some important standard techniques of algebraic geometry. A special chapter surveys the theory of the Picard functor.

This book presents some of the most important aspects of rigid geometry, namely its applications to the study of smooth algebraic curves, of their Jacobians, and of abelian varieties - all of them defined over a complete non-archimedean valued field. The text starts with a survey of the foundation of rigid geometry, and then focuses on a detailed treatment of the applications. In the case of curves with split rational reduction there is a complete analogue to the fascinating theory of Riemann surfaces. In the case of proper smooth group varieties the uniformization and the construction of abelian varieties are treated in detail. Rigid geometry was established by John Tate and was enriched by a formal algebraic approach launched by Michel Raynaud. It has proved as a means to illustrate the geometric ideas behind the abstract methods of formal algebraic geometry as used by Mumford and Faltings. This book should be of great use to students wishing to enter this field, as well as those already working in it.

Beginnend mit der Fragestellung nach zuverlassiger Datenubertragung wird die elementare lineare Codierungstheorie dargestellt. Insbesondere wird das Problem der Konstruktion von optimalen Codes herausgearbeitet. Dieses anspruchsvolle Problem wird mit Mitteln der algebraischen Geometrie geloest. Das Buch liefert einen schnellen elementaren Zugang zu den algebraischen Kurven und fuhrt den Leser an die grundlegenden Satze von Bezout und Riemann-Roch heran. Weiterhin werden klassische Fragen von E. Artin und A. Weil uber die Zetafunktion eines algebraischen Funktionenkoerpers ebenfalls vollstandig behandelt. Ausserdem werden algebraische Kurven uber endlichen Koerpern mit vielen rationalen Punkten konstruiert. Nach der mehr theoretischen Loesung des Problems optimaler Codes wird abschliessend der algorithmische Zugang von der Codierung bis zur Decodierung behandelt.