Spectral Theory And Geometry

Spectral theory is a diverse area of mathematics that derives its motivations, goals, and impetus from several sources. In particular, the spectral theory of the Laplacian on a compact Riemannian manifold is a central object in differential geometry. From a physical point a view, the Laplacian on a compact Riemannian manifold is a fundamental linear operator which describes numerous propagation phenomena: heat propagation, wave propagation, quantum dynamics, etc. Moreover, the spectrum of the Laplacian contains vast information about the geometry of the manifold. This book gives a self-contained introduction to spectral geometry on compact Riemannian manifolds. Starting with an overview of spectral theory on Hilbert spaces, the book proceeds to a description of the basic notions in Riemannian geometry. Then its makes its way to topics of main interests in spectral geometry. The topics presented include direct and inverse problems. Direct problems are concerned with computing or finding properties on the eigenvalues while the main issue in inverse problems is knowing the spectrum of the Laplacian, can we determine the geometry of the manifold? Addressed to students or young researchers, the present book is a first introduction to spectral theory applied to geometry. For readers interested in pursuing the subject further, this book will provide a basis for understanding principles, concepts, and developments of spectral geometry.

The purpose of this book is to introduce a new notion of analytic space over a non-Archimedean field. Despite the total disconnectedness of the ground field, these analytic spaces have the usual topological properties of a complex analytic space, such as local compactness and local arcwise connectedness. This makes it possible to apply the usual notions of homotopy and singular homology. The book includes a homotopic characterization of the analytic spaces associated with certain classes of algebraic varieties and an interpretation of Bruhat-Tits buildings in terms of these analytic spaces. The author also studies the connection with the earlier notion of a rigid analytic space. Geometrical considerations are used to obtain some applications, and the analytic spaces are used to construct the foundations of a non-Archimedean spectral theory of bounded linear operators. This book requires a background at the level of basic graduate courses in algebra and topology, as well as some familiarity with algebraic geometry. It would be of interest to research mathematicians and graduate students working in algebraic geometry, number theory, and -adic analysis.

Authoritative lectures from world experts on spectral theory and geometry.

This text introduces geometric spectral theory in the context of infinite-area Riemann surfaces, providing a comprehensive account of the most recent developments in the field. For the second edition the context has been extended to general surfaces with hyperbolic ends, which provides a natural setting for development of the spectral theory while still keeping technical difficulties to a minimum. All of the material from the first edition is included and updated, and new sections have been added. Topics covered include an introduction to the geometry of hyperbolic surfaces, analysis of the resolvent of the Laplacian, scattering theory, resonances and scattering poles, the Selberg zeta function, the Poisson formula, distribution of resonances, the inverse scattering problem, Patterson-Sullivan theory, and the dynamical approach to the zeta function. The new sections cover the latest developments in the field, including the spectral gap, resonance asymptotics near the critical line, and sharp geometric constants for resonance bounds. A new chapter introduces recently developed techniques for resonance calculation that illuminate the existing results and conjectures on resonance distribution. The spectral theory of hyperbolic surfaces is a point of intersection for a great variety of areas, including quantum physics, discrete groups, differential geometry, number theory, complex analysis, and ergodic theory. This book will serve as a valuable resource for graduate students and researchers from these and other related fields. Review of the first edition: "The exposition is very clear and thorough, and essentially self-contained; the proofs are detailed...The book gathers together some material which is not always easily available in the literature...To conclude, the book is certainly at a level accessible to graduate students and researchers from a rather large range of fields. Clearly, the reader...would certainly benefit greatly from it." (Colin Guillarmou, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2008 h)

The intention of this book is to introduce students to active areas of research in mathematical physics in a rather direct way minimizing the use of abstract mathematics. The main features are geometric methods in spectral analysis, exponential decay of eigenfunctions, semi-classical analysis of bound state problems, and semi-classical analysis of resonance. A new geometric point of view along with new techniques are brought out in this book which have both been discovered within the past decade. This book is designed to be used as a textbook, unlike the competitors which are either too fundamental in their approach or are too abstract in nature to be considered as texts. The authors' text fills a gap in the marketplace.

This book discusses the mathematical foundations of quantum theories. It offers an introductory text on linear functional analysis with a focus on Hilbert spaces, highlighting the spectral theory features that are relevant in physics. After exploring physical phenomenology, it then turns its attention to the formal and logical aspects of the theory. Further, this Second Edition collects in one volume a number of useful rigorous results on the mathematical structure of quantum mechanics focusing in particular on von Neumann algebras, Superselection rules, the various notions of Quantum Symmetry and Symmetry Groups, and including a number of fundamental results on the algebraic formulation of quantum theories. Intended for Master's and PhD students, both in physics and mathematics, the material is designed to be self-contained: it includes a summary of point-set topology and abstract measure theory, together with an appendix on differential geometry. The book also benefits established researchers by organizing and presenting the profusion of advanced material disseminated in the literature. Most chapters are accompanied by exercises, many of which are solved explicitly."

This book gives a detailed and self-contained introduction into the theory of spectral functions, with an emphasis on their applications to quantum field theory. All methods are illustrated with applications to specific physical problems from the forefront of current research, such as finite-temperature field theory, D-branes, quantum solitons and noncommutativity. In the first part of the book, necessary background information on differential geometry and quantization, including less standard material, is collected. The second part of the book contains a detailed description of main spectral functions and methods of their calculation. In the third part, the theory is applied to several examples (D-branes, quantum solitons, anomalies, noncommutativity). This book addresses advanced graduate students and researchers in mathematical physics with basic knowledge of quantum field theory and differential geometry. The aim is to prepare readers to use spectral functions in their own research, in particular in relation to heat kernels and zeta functions.