Non Euclidean Geometry In The Theory Of Automorphic Functions

"This unique exposition by Hadamard offers a fascinating and intuitive introduction to the subject of automorphic functions and illuminates its connection to differential equations, a connection not often found in other texts."--Jacket.

This is the English translation of a volume originally published only in Russian and now out of print. The book was written by Jacques Hadamard on the work of Poincare. Poincare's creation of a theory of automorphic functions in the early 1880s was one of the most significant mathematical achievements of the nineteenth century. It directly inspired the uniformization theorem, led to a class of functions adequate to solve all linear ordinary differential equations, and focused attention on a large new class of discrete groups. It was the first significant application of non-Euclidean geometry. This unique exposition by Hadamard offers a fascinating and intuitive introduction to the subject of automorphic functions and illuminates its connection to differential equations, a connection not often found in other texts.

This is an excellent tract on what is now an extensive subject. The main points are very clearly put; room has even been found for an outline of non-Euclidean geometry, and the expression of co-ordinates of points on an algebraic curve as one-valued functions. There is a bibliography which seems to include most of the books and papers of really first-rate importance; and there is a sufficient number of diagrams. English-speaking students ought now, at any rate, to appreciate Poincaré's wonderful discoveries in this field. -Nature, Vol. 96

There are many technical and popular accounts, both in Russian and in other languages, of the non-Euclidean geometry of Lobachevsky and Bolyai, a few of which are listed in the Bibliography. This geometry, also called hyperbolic geometry, is part of the required subject matter of many mathematics departments in universities and teachers' colleges-a reflec tion of the view that familiarity with the elements of hyperbolic geometry is a useful part of the background of future high school teachers. Much attention is paid to hyperbolic geometry by school mathematics clubs. Some mathematicians and educators concerned with reform of the high school curriculum believe that the required part of the curriculum should include elements of hyperbolic geometry, and that the optional part of the curriculum should include a topic related to hyperbolic geometry. I The broad interest in hyperbolic geometry is not surprising. This interest has little to do with mathematical and scientific applications of hyperbolic geometry, since the applications (for instance, in the theory of automorphic functions) are rather specialized, and are likely to be encountered by very few of the many students who conscientiously study (and then present to examiners) the definition of parallels in hyperbolic geometry and the special features of configurations of lines in the hyperbolic plane. The principal reason for the interest in hyperbolic geometry is the important fact of "non-uniqueness" of geometry; of the existence of many geometric systems.

Much has been written on the theory of discontinuous groups and automorphic functions since 1880, when the subject received its first formulation. The purpose of this book is to bring together in one place both the classical and modern aspects of the theory, and to present them clearly and in a modern language and notation. The emphasis in this book is on the fundamental parts of the subject. The book is directed to three classes of readers: graduate students approaching the subject for the first time, mature mathematicians who wish to gain some knowledge and understanding of automorphic function theory, and experts.

Concise treatment covers basics of Fuchsian groups, development of Poincaré series and automorphic forms, and the connection between theory of Riemann surfaces with theories of automorphic forms and discontinuous groups. 1966 edition.