Deformation Spaces

The first instances of deformation theory were given by Kodaira and Spencer for complex structures and by Gerstenhaber for associative algebras. Since then, deformation theory has been applied as a useful tool in the study of many other mathematical structures, and even today it plays an important role in many developments of modern mathematics. This volume collects a few self-contained and peer-reviewed papers by experts which present up-to-date research topics in algebraic and motivic topology, quantum field theory, algebraic geometry, noncommutative geometry and the deformation theory of Poisson algebras. They originate from activities at the Max-Planck-Institute for Mathematics and the Hausdorff Center for Mathematics in Bonn.

This book contains the latest developments of the theory of discontinuous groups acting on homogenous spaces, from basic concepts to a comprehensive exposition. It develops the newest approaches and methods in the deformation theory of topological modules and unitary representations and focuses on the geometry of discontinuous groups of solvable Lie groups and their compact extensions. It also presents proofs of recent results, computes fundamental examples, and serves as an introduction and reference for students and experienced researchers in Lie theory, discontinuous groups, and deformation (and moduli) spaces.

Three volume narrative history of 20th century.

The basic problem of deformation theory in algebraic geometry involves watching a small deformation of one member of a family of objects, such as varieties, or subschemes in a fixed space, or vector bundles on a fixed scheme. In this new book, Robin Hartshorne studies first what happens over small infinitesimal deformations, and then gradually builds up to more global situations, using methods pioneered by Kodaira and Spencer in the complex analytic case, and adapted and expanded in algebraic geometry by Grothendieck. The author includes numerous exercises, as well as important examples illustrating various aspects of the theory. This text is based on a graduate course taught by the author at the University of California, Berkeley.

The mathematical works of Lars Ahlfors and Lipman Bers are fundamental and lasting. They have influenced and altered the development of twentieth century mathematics. The personalities of these two scientists helped create a mathematical family and have had a permanent positive effect on a whole generation of mathematicians. Their mathematical heritage continues to lead succeeding generations. In the fall of 1994, one year after Bers' death, some members of this family decided to inaugurate a series of conferences, The Bers Colloquium, to be held every three years. The theme was to be a topic in the Ahlfors-Bers mathematical tradition, broadly interpreted. Ahlfors died a year after the first colloquium; future colloquia in this series will be called The Ahlfors-Bers Colloquium. The first colloquium was held in October 1995 at the Graduate Center, CUNY in New York. It coincided roughly with the second anniversary of Bers' death. There were six lectures and much informal mathematical discussion. This volume contains papers by the speakers and many of the participants. The broad range of papers indicates how strong and far-reaching Bers' influence has been. The topics represented in the book include Teichmuller theory, Kleinian groups, higher dimensional hyperbolic geometry, geometry of numbers, circle packings, theory of discrete groups, classical complex function theory, one dimensional dynamics, fluid dynamics, quasiconformal mappings in higher dimensions, partial differential equations, and classical algebraic geometry. Features: Twenty-seven very high-level papers on related topics Open problems Expository articles

This book furnishes a comprehensive treatment of differential graded Lie algebras, L-infinity algebras, and their use in deformation theory. We believe it is the first textbook devoted to this subject, although the first chapters are also covered in other sources with a different perspective. Deformation theory is an important subject in algebra and algebraic geometry, with an origin that dates back to Kodaira, Spencer, Kuranishi, Gerstenhaber, and Grothendieck. In the last 30 years, a new approach, based on ideas from rational homotopy theory, has made it possible not only to solve long-standing open problems, but also to clarify the general theory and to relate apparently different features. This approach works over a field of characteristic 0, and the central role is played by the notions of differential graded Lie algebra, L-infinity algebra, and Maurer–Cartan equations. The book is written keeping in mind graduate students with a basic knowledge of homological algebra and complex algebraic geometry as utilized, for instance, in the book by K. Kodaira, Complex Manifolds and Deformation of Complex Structures. Although the main applications in this book concern deformation theory of complex manifolds, vector bundles, and holomorphic maps, the underlying algebraic theory also applies to a wider class of deformation problems, and it is a prerequisite for anyone interested in derived deformation theory. Researchers in algebra, algebraic geometry, algebraic topology, deformation theory, and noncommutative geometry are the major targets for the book.

This volume contains articles written by the invited speakers and workshop participants from the conference on 'Crystallographic Groups and Their Generalizations', held at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kortrijk (Belgium). Presented are recent developments and open problems. Topics include the theory of affine structures and polynomial structures, affine Schottky groups and crooked tilings, theory and problems on the geometry of finitely generated solvable groups, flat Lorentz 3-manifolds and Fuchsian groups, filiform Lie algebras, hyperbolic automorphisms and Anosov diffeomorphisms on infra-nilmanifolds, localization theory of virtually nilpotent groups and aspherical spaces, projective varieties, and results on affine appartment systems. Participants delivered high-level research mathematics and a discussion was held forum for new researchers. The survey results and original papers contained in this volume offer a comprehensive view of current developments in the field.

This book consists of 16 surveys on Thurston's work and its later development. The authors are mathematicians who were strongly influenced by Thurston's publications and ideas. The subjects discussed include, among others, knot theory, the topology of 3-manifolds, circle packings, complex projective structures, hyperbolic geometry, Kleinian groups, foliations, mapping class groups, Teichmüller theory, anti-de Sitter geometry, and co-Minkowski geometry. The book is addressed to researchers and students who want to learn about Thurston’s wide-ranging mathematical ideas and their impact. At the same time, it is a tribute to Thurston, one of the greatest geometers of all time, whose work extended over many fields in mathematics and who had a unique way of perceiving forms and patterns, and of communicating and writing mathematics.