Talagrand, M., Universite Pierre Marie Curie, Paris, France

Spin Glasses: A Challenge for Mathematicians
Cavity and Mean Field Models

2003 IX, 586 p. Hardcover
3-540-00356-8

In the eighties, a group of theoretical physicists introduced several models for certain disordered systems, called "spin glasses". These models are simple and rather canonical random structures, that physicists studied by non-rigorous methods. They predicted spectacular behaviors, previously unknown in probability theory. They believe these behaviors occur in many models of considerable interest for several branches of science (statistical physics, neural networks and computer science).

This book introduces in a rigorous manner this exciting new area to the mathematically minded reader. It requires no knowledge whatsoever of any physics, and contains proofs in complete detail of much of what is rigorously known on spin glasses at the time of writing.

Keywords: Random Structures, Disordered Systems, Sherrington Kirkpatrick Model, Hopfield Model, Neural Networks

Contents:

0. Introduction.- 1. A Toy Model, the REM.- 2. The Sherrington-Kirkpatrick Model.- 3. The Capacity of the Perceptron: The Ising Case.- 4. Capacity of the Perceptron: The Gaussian and the Spherical Case.- 5. The Hopfield Model.- 6. The p-Spin Interaction Model at Low Temperature.- 7. The Diluted SK Model and the K-Sat Problems.- 8. An Assignment Problem.- A. Appendix.- Elements of Probability Theory.- References.- Index.


Series: Ergebnisse der Mathematik und ihrer Grenzgebiete. 3. Folge / A Series of Modern Surveys in Mathematics. Vol.. 46

Albeverio, S., University of Bonn, Germany; Schachermayer, W., Vienna University of Technology, Austria; Talagrand, M., Universite Paris VI, France

Lectures on Probability Theory and Statistics
Ecole d'Ete de Probabilites de Saint-Flour XXX - 2000

2003 VIII, 296 p. Softcover
3-540-40335-3

In World Mathematical Year 2000 the traditional St. Flour Summer School was hosted jointly with the European Mathematical Society. Sergio Albeverio reviews the theory of Dirichlet forms, and gives applications including partial differential equations, stochastic dynamics of quantum systems, quantum fields and the geometry of loop spaces. The second text, by Walter Schachermayer, is an introduction to the basic concepts of mathematical finance, including the Bachelier and Black-Scholes models. The fundamental theorem of asset pricing is discussed in detail. Finally Michel Talagrand, gives an overview of the mean field models for spin glasses. This text is a major contribution towards the proof of certain results from physics, and includes a discussion of the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick and the p-spin interaction models.

Contents:

Part I, S. Albeverio: Theory of Dirichlet forms and applications: 0. Introduction.- 1. Functional analytic background: semigroups, generators, resolvents.- 2. Closed symmetric coersive forms associated with C0-contraction semigroups.- 3. Contraction properties of forms, positivity preserving and submarkovian semigroups.- 4. Potential Theory and Markov Processes associated with Dirichlet Forms.- 5. Diffusions and stochastic differential equations associated with classical Dirichlet Forms.- 6. Applications.- References.- Index.- Part II, W. Schachermayer: Introduction to the Mathematics of Financial Markets: 1. Introduction: Bachelier's Thesis from 1900.- 2. Models of Financial Markets on Finite Probability Spaces.- 3. The Binomial Model, Bachelier's Model and the Blach-Scholes Model.- 4. The No-Arbitrage Theory for General Processes.- 5. Some Applications of the Fundamental Theorem of Asset Pricing.- References.- Part III, M. Talagrand: Mean field models for spin glasses: a first course: 1. Introduction.- 2. What this is all about: the REM.- 3. The Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model at high temperature.- 4. The p-spin interaction model.- 5. External field and the replica-symmetric solution.- 6. Exponential inequalities.- 7. Central limit theorems and the Almeida-Thoules line.- 8. Emergence and separation of the lumps in the p-spin interaction model.- Bibliography.

Series: Lecture Notes in Mathematics. Vol.. 1816

Masser, D., Basel University, Switzerland; Nesterenko, Y. V., Moscow State University, Russia; Schlickewei, H. P., Philipps University Marburg, Germany; Schmidt, W. M., University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA; Waldschmidt, M., Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France

Diophantine Approximation
Lectures given at the C.I.M.E. Summer School held in Cetraro, Italy, June 28 - July 6, 2000

2003 XI, 353 p. Softcover
3-540-40392-2

The C.I.M.E. session in Diophantine Approximation, held in Cetraro (Italy) June 28 - July 6, 2000 focused on height theory, linear independence and transcendence in group varieties, Baker's method, approximations to algebraic numbers and applications to polynomial-exponential diophantine equations and to diophantine theory of linear recurrences. Very fine lectures by D. Masser, Y. Nesterenko, H.-P. Schlickewei, W.M. Schmidt and M. Walsschmidt have resulted giving a good overview of these topics, and describing central results, both classical and recent, emphasizing the new methods and ideas of the proofs rather than the details. They are addressed to a wide audience and do not require any prior specific knowledge.

Contents:

Preface.- D. Masser: Heights, Transcendence, and Linear Independence on Commutative Group Varieties.- Yu. Nesterenko: Linear Forms in Logarithms of Rational Numbers.- H. P. Schlickewei: Approximation of Algebraic Numbers.- W. M. Schmidt: Linear Recurrence Sequences.- M. Waldschmidt: Linear Independence Measures for Logarithms of Algebraic Numbers.

Series: Lecture Notes in Mathematics. Vol.. 1819

Cuntz, J., Universitat Munster, Germany; Skandalis, G., University Paris VII, Paris, France; Tsygan, B., Nortwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA

Cyclic Homology in Non-Commutative Geometry

2004 Approx. 150 p. Hardcover
3-540-40469-4

Contributions by three authors treat aspects of noncommutative geometry that are related to cyclic homology. The authors give rather complete accounts of cyclic theory from different points of view. The connections between (bivariant) K-theory and cyclic theory via generalized Chern-characters are discussed in detail. Cyclic theory is the natural setting for a variety of general abstract index theorems. A survey of such index theorems is given and the concepts and ideas involved in these theorems are explained.

Keywords: cyclic homology, K-theory, non-commutative geometry

Contents:

I. Cyclic Theory, Bivariant K-Theory and the Bivariant Chern-Connes Character by J. Cuntz: 1. Cyclic Theory; 2. Cyclic Theory for Locally Convex Algebras; 3. Bivariant K-Theory; 4. Infinite-Dimensional Cyclic Theories; A. Locally Convex Algebras; B. Standard Extensions.- II. Noncommutative Geometry, the Transverse Signature Operator, and Hopf Algebras (after A. Connes and H. Moscovici) by G. Skandalis: 1. Preliminaries; 2. The Local Index Formula; 3. The Diff-Invariant Signature Operator; 4. The "Transverse" Hopf Algebra.- III. Cyclic Homology by B. Tsygan: 1. Introduction; 2. Hochschild and Cyclic Homology of Algebras; 3. The Cyclic Complex C^{\lambda}_{\bullet}; 4. Non-Commutative Differential Calculus; 5. Cyclic Objects; 6. Examples; 7. Index Theorems; 8. Riemann-Roch Theorem for D-Modules.

Series: Encyclopaedia of Mathematical Sciences. Vol.. 121

Rosenthal, J., University of Notre Dame, IN, USA; Gilliam, D. S., Texas University, Lubbock, TX, USA (Eds.)

Mathematical Systems Theory in Biology, Communications, Computation and Finance

2003 Approx. 510 p. 66 illus. Hardcover
0-387-40319-1

Mathematical systems theory is a vibrant research area in its own right. The theory has an impact in numerous applications areas including aeronautics, biological systems, chemical engineering, communication systems, financial engineering and robotics to name just a few. This volume contains survey and research articles by some of the leading researchers in mathematical systems theory. Many authors have taken special care that their articles are self-contained and accessible also to non-specialists. The articles contained in this volume are from those presented as plenary lectures, invited one hour lectures and minisymposia at the 15th International Symposium on the Mathematical Theory of Networks and Systems held at the University of Notre Dame, August 12-16, 2002.

Contents:

On cellular automaton approaches to modeling biological cells.- Crystalline stochastic systems and curvature driven flows.- Overdetermined multidimensional systems: state space and frequency domain methods.- Dissipative dynamics in classical and quantum conservative systems.- A state space approach to control of interconnected systems.- Multi-dimensional capacity, pressure and Hausdorff dimension.- Numerics versus control.- Manipulating matrix inequalities automatically.- A dynamical system approach to matrix eigenvalue algorithms.- Belief propagation on partially ordered sets.- Smoothing by Savitzky-Golay and Legendre filters.- On stochastic control in finance.- Control and financial engineering.- Passive and conservative infinite-dimensional impedance and scattering systems (from a personal point of view).- Spectral theory for neural delay equations with applications to control and stabilization.- On factor graphs and electrical networks.- Dissipative distributed systems.

Series: The IMA Volumes in Mathematics and its Applications. Vol.. 134

Gabber, O., IHES, Bures-sur-Yvette, France; Ramero, L., Universite Bordeaux I, France

Almost Ring Theory

2003 VI, 307 p. Softcover
3-540-40594-1

The authors develop thorough and complete foundations for the method of almost etale extensions, which is at the basis of Faltings' approach to p-adic Hodge theory. The central notion is that of an "almost ring". Almost rings are the commutative unitary monoids in a tensor category obtained as a quotient V-Mod/S of the category V-Mod of modules over a fixed ring V; the subcategory S consists of all modules annihilated by a fixed ideal m of V, satisfying certain natural conditions.

The reader is assumed to be familiar with general categorical notions, some basic commutative algebra and some advanced homological algebra (derived categories, simplicial methods). Apart from these general prerequisites, the text is as self-contained as possible. One novel feature of the book - compared with Faltings' earlier treatment - is the systematic exploitation of the cotangent complex, especially for the study of deformations of almost algebras.

Keywords: Almost rings, deformations, valuations, rigid geometry

Contents:

Introduction.- Homological Theory.- Almost Ring Theory.- Fine Study of Almost Projective Modules.- Henselian Pairs.- Valuation Theory.- Analytic Geometry.- Appendix.- References.- Index.

Series: Lecture Notes in Mathematics. Vol.. 1800