Synopses & Reviews
Smooth Manifolds and Observables is about the differential calculus, smooth manifolds, and commutative algebra. While these theories arose at different times and under completely different circumstances, this book demonstrates how they constitute a unified whole. The motivation behind this synthesis is the mathematical formalization of the process of observation in classical physics. The main objective of this book is to explain how differential calculus is a natural part of commutative algebra. This is achieved by studying the corresponding algebras of smooth functions that result in a general construction of the differential calculus on various categories of modules over the given commutative algebra. It is shown in detail that the ordinary differential calculus and differential geometry on smooth manifolds turns out to be precisely the particular case that corresponds to the category of geometric modules over smooth algebras. This approach opens the way to numerous applications, ranging from delicate questions of algebraic geometry to the theory of elementary particles. This unique textbook contains a large number of exercises and is intended for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and research mathematicians and physicists.
Review
From the reviews: "Main themes of the book are manifolds, fibre bundles and differential operators acting on sections of vector bundles. ... A classical treatment of these topics starts with a coordinate description of a manifold M ... . The present book is based on an alternative point of view, where calculus on manifolds is treated as a part of commutative algebra. ... The book contains quite a few exercises and many useful illustrations." (EMS, September, 2004) "The book provides a self-contained introduction to the theory of smooth manifolds and fibre bundles, oriented towards graduate students in mathematics and physics. The approach followed here, however, substantially differs from most textbooks on manifold theory. ... This book is certainly quite interesting and may appeal even to people who merely want to study algebraic geometry, in the sense that they will gain extra insight here by the attention which is paid to making certain constructions in algebraic geometry physically or intuitively acceptable." (Willy Sarlet, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1021, 2003)
Review
From the reviews:
"Main themes of the book are manifolds, fibre bundles and differential operators acting on sections of vector bundles. ... A classical treatment of these topics starts with a coordinate description of a manifold M ... . The present book is based on an alternative point of view, where calculus on manifolds is treated as a part of commutative algebra. ... The book contains quite a few exercises and many useful illustrations." (EMS, September, 2004)
"The book provides a self-contained introduction to the theory of smooth manifolds and fibre bundles, oriented towards graduate students in mathematics and physics. The approach followed here, however, substantially differs from most textbooks on manifold theory. ... This book is certainly quite interesting and may appeal even to people who merely want to study algebraic geometry, in the sense that they will gain extra insight here by the attention which is paid to making certain constructions in algebraic geometry physically or intuitively acceptable." (Willy Sarlet, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1021, 2003)
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. [217]-218) and index.
Synopsis
This book is a self-contained introduction to fiber spaces and differential operators on smooth manifolds that is accessible to graduate students specializing in mathematics and physics. The authors offer an algebraic approach which is based on the fundamential notion of observable used by physicists, and which will further the understanding of the mathematics underlying quantum field theory. The prerequisites for this book are a standard advanced calculus course as well as courses in linear algebra and algebraic structures.
Synopsis
This book gives an introduction to fiber spaces and differential operators on smooth manifolds. Over the last 20 years, the authors developed an algebraic approach to the subject and they explain in this book why differential calculus on manifolds can be considered as an aspect of commutative algebra. This new approach is based on the fundamental notion of observable which is used by physicists and will further the understanding of the mathematics underlying quantum field theory.
Table of Contents
* Preface to English Edition * Preface * Introduction * Cutoff and Other Special Smooth Functions on R^n * Algebras and Points * Smooth Manifolds (Algebraic Definition) * Charts and Atlases * Smooth Maps * Equivalence of Coordinate and Algebraic Definitions * Spectra and Ghosts * The Differential Calculus as a Part of Commutative Algebra * Smooth Bundles * Vector Bundles and Projective Modules * Afterword * Appendix * References * Index