Stedall, Jacqueline A.

The Arithmetic of Infinitesimals
John Wallis 1656

Series: Sources and Studies in the History of Mathematics and Physical Sciences

2004, Approx. 170 p. 50 illus., Hardcover
ISBN: 0-387-20709-0

About this book

John Wallis was appointed Savilian Professor of Geometry at Oxford University in 1649. He was then a relative newcomer to mathematics, and largely self-taught, but in his first few years at Oxford he produced his two most significant works: De sectionibus conicis and Arithmetica infinitorum. In both books, Wallis drew on ideas originally developed in France, Italy, and the Netherlands: analytic geometry and the method of indivisibles. He handled them in his own way, and the resulting method of quadrature, based on the summation of indivisible or infinitesimal quantities, was a crucial step towards the development of a fully fledged integral calculus some ten years later. To the modern reader, the Arithmetica Infinitorum reveals much that is of historical and mathematical interest, not least the mid seventeenth-century tension between classical geometry on the one hand, and arithmetic and algebra on the other. Newton was to take up Wallis?s work and transform it into mathematics that has become part of the mainstream, but in Wallis?s text we see what we think of as modern mathematics still struggling to emerge. It is this sense of watching new and significant ideas force their way slowly and sometimes painfully into existence that makes the Arithmetica Infinitorum such a relevant text even now for students and historians of mathematics alike. Dr J.A. Stedall is a Junior Research Fellow at Queen's University. She has written a number of papers exploring the history of algebra, particularly the algebra of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Her two previous books, A Discourse Concerning Algebra: English Algebra to 1685 (2002) and The Greate Invention of Algebra: Thomas Harriot's Treatise on Equations (2003), were both published by Oxford University Press.

Table of contents

* Acknowledgements * Introduction by J. A. Stedall * To the Most Distinguished and Worthy Gentleman and Most Skilled Mathematician, Dr. William Oughtre, Rector of the Church of Aldbury in the County of Surrey * To the Most Respected Gentleman Doctor William Oughtred,Most Widely Famed Amongst Mathematicians, by John Wallis, Savilian Professor Of Geometry at Oxford * Glossary * Bibliography

Godement, Roger

Analysis II

Series: Universitext

2004, Approx. 300 p., Softcover
ISBN: 3-540-20921-2


Analysis II
Series: Universitext
Godement, Roger
2004, Approx. 300 p., Softcover
ISBN: 3-540-20921-2

About this textbook

Functions in R and C, including the theory of Fourier series, Fourier integrals and part of that of holomorphic functions, form the focal topic of these two volumes. Based on a course given by the author to large audiences at Paris VII University for many years, the exposition proceeds somewhat nonlinearly, blending rigorous mathematics skilfully with didactical and historical considerations. It sets out to illustrate the variety of possible approaches to the main results, in order to initiate the reader to methods, the underlying reasoning, and fundamental ideas. It is suitable for both teaching and self-study. In his familiar, personal style, the author emphasizes ideas over calculations and, avoiding the condensed style frequently found in textbooks, explains these ideas without parsimony of words. The French edition in four volumes, published from 1998, has met with resounding success: the first two volumes are now available in English.

Written for:
Undergraduate students, and lecturers in analysis

Keywords:
Convergence
derivations
integrals

Korevaar, Jacob

Tauberian Theory
A Century of Developments

Series: Grundlehren der mathematischen Wissenschaften, Vol. 329

2004, XV, 483 p., Hardcover
ISBN: 3-540-21058-X

About this book

Tauberian theory compares summability methods for series and integrals, helps to decide when there is convergence, and provides asymptotic and remainder estimates. The author shows the development of the theory from the beginning and his expert commentary evokes the excitement surrounding the early results. He shows the fascination of the difficult Hardy-Littlewood theorems and of an unexpected simple proof, and extolls Wiener's breakthrough based on Fourier theory. There are the spectacular "high-indices" theorems and Karamata's "regular variation", which permeates probability theory. The author presents Gelfand's elegant algebraic treatment of Wiener theory and his own distributional approach. There is also a new unified theory for Borel and "circle" methods. The text describes many Tauberian ways to the prime number theorem. A large bibliography and a substantial index round out the book.

Table of contents

The Hardy-Littlewood Theorems.- Wiener's Theory.- Complex Tauberian Theorems.- Karamata's Heritage: Regular Variation.- Extensions of the Classical Theory.- Borel Summability and General Circle Methods.- Tauberian Remainder Theory.- References.- Index.

Bourbaki, N.

Lie Groups and Lie Algebras: chapters 7-9
Elements of Mathematics

2004, Approx. 300 pp., Hardcover
ISBN: 3-540-43405-4

About this book

This is the English translation of Bourbaki's text Groupes et Algebres de Lie, Chapters 7 to 9. It completes the previously published translations of Chapters 1 to 3 (3-540-64242-0) and 4 to 6 (3-540-42650-7) by covering the structure and representation theory of semi-simple Lie algebras and compact Lie groups. Chapter 7 deals with Cartan subalgebras of Lie algebras, regular elements and conjugacy theorems. Chapter 8 begins with the structure of split semi-simple Lie algebras and their root systems. It goes on to describe the finite-dimensional modules for such algebras, including the character formula of Hermann Weyl. It concludes with the theory of Chevalley orders. Chapter 9 is devoted to the theory of compact Lie groups, beginning with a discussion of their maximal tori, root systems and Weyl groups. It goes on to describe the representation theory of compact Lie groups, including the application of integration to establish Weyl's formula in this context. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the actions of compact Lie groups on manifolds. The nine chapters together form the most comprehensive text available on the theory of Lie groups and Lie algebras.

Written for:

Mathematicians and graduate students

Keywords:

Lie algebra
Lie groups
harmonic analysis
representation theory
root system