Manifolds, the higher-dimensional analogs of smooth curves and surfaces, are fundamental objects in modern mathematics. Combining aspects of algebra, topology, and analysis, manifolds have also been applied to classical mechanics, general relativity, and quantum field theory. In this streamlined introduction to the subject, the theory of manifolds is presented with the aim of helping the reader achieve a rapid mastery of the essential topics. By the end of the book the reader should be able to compute, at least for simple spaces, one of the most basic topological invariants of a manifold, its de Rham cohomology. Along the way, the reader acquires the knowledge and skills necessary for further study of geometry and topology. The requisite point-set topology is included in an appendix of twenty pages; other appendices review facts from real analysis and linear algebra. Hints and solutions are provided to many of the exercises and problems. This work may be used as the text for a one-semester graduate or advanced undergraduate course, as well as by students engaged in self-study. Requiring only minimal undergraduate prerequisites, 'Introduction to Manifolds' is also an excellent foundation for Springer's GTM 82, 'Differential Forms in Algebraic Topology'.

“As always, [Stephen] Baxter plays with space and time with consummate skill. . . . He continues to be one of the leading writers of hard science fiction, and one of the most thought-provoking as well.”—Science Fiction Chronicle The year is 2020. Fueled by an insatiable curiosity, Reid Malenfant ventures to the far edge of the solar system, where he discovers a strange artifact left behind by an alien civilization: A gateway that functions as a kind of quantum transporter, allowing virtually instantaneous travel over the vast distances of interstellar space. What lies on the other side of the gateway? Malenfant decides to find out. Yet he will soon be faced with an impossible choice that will push him beyond terror, beyond sanity, beyond humanity itself. Meanwhile on Earth the Japanese scientist Nemoto fears her worst nightmares are coming true. Startling discoveries reveal that the Moon, Venus, even Mars once thrived with life—life that was snuffed out not just once but many times, in cycles of birth and destruction. And the next chilling cycle is set to begin again . . . “When the travel bug bites and usual planets don’t excite, perhaps it’s time to burst the bounds of this old solar system and really see the sights. . . . Baxter’s expansive new novel is just the ticket.”—The Washington Times “Breathtaking in its originality and scope.”—The Washington Post

Giving new meaning to the term "fast food" Rest-stop grade F meat patty? Nah. Nuggets of reconstituted poultry bits? Pass. Deep-fried fish discus? No, really, thanks all the same. It's time to bid farewell to the roadside meal as you know it. Nearly twenty years ago, Chris Maynard and Bill Scheller opened the world's eyes to the beautym of car-engine gastronomy in the original Manifold Destiny. And now that another generation of both drivers and eaters has emerged, the cult classic is due for an overhaul. In this shiny, spanking-new edition, learn how to make s'mores in your Scion, poach fish in your Pontiac, even bust out a gourmet snack from under the hood of your Escalade. With step-by-step diagrams, crowd-pleasing recipes, and thorough instructions, now you can turn your car into a kitchen without ever crossing any golden arches. Hilarious, bizarre, and ultimately (seriously!) useful, Manifold Destiny is and always will be an unparalleled original. So, slap a ham steak under the hood of your car, hit the gas, and drive until you reach delicious -- which is in approximately fifty miles, depending on traffic.

“Reading Manifold: Time is like sending your mind to the gym for a brisk workout. If you don’t feel both exhausted and exhilirated when you’re done, you haven’t been working hard enough.”—The New York Times Book Review The year is 2010. More than a century of ecological damage, industrial and technological expansion, and unchecked population growth has left the Earth on the brink of devastation. As the world’s governments turn inward, one man dares to envision a bolder, brighter future. That man, Reid Malenfant, has a very different solution to the problems plaguing the planet: the exploration and colonization of space. Now Malenfant gambles the very existence of time on a single desperate throw of the dice. Battling national sabotage and international outcry, as apocalyptic riots sweep the globe, he builds a spacecraft and launches it into deep space. The odds are a trillion to one against him. Or are they? “A staggering novel! If you ever thought you understood time, you’ll be quickly disillusioned when you read Manifold: Time.”—Sir Arthur C. Clarke

Let $V = {\mathbb R}^{p,q}$ be the pseudo-Euclidean vector space of signature $(p,q)$, $p\ge 3$ and $W$ a module over the even Clifford algebra $C\! \ell^0 (V)$. A homogeneous quaternionic manifold $(M,Q)$ is constructed for any $\mathfrak{spin}(V)$-equivariant linear map $\Pi : \wedge^2 W \rightarrow V$. If the skew symmetric vector valued bilinear form $\Pi$ is nondegenerate then $(M,Q)$ is endowed with a canonical pseudo-Riemannian metric $g$ such that $(M,Q,g)$ is a homogeneous quaternionic pseudo-Kahler manifold. If the metric $g$ is positive definite, i.e. a Riemannian metric, then the quaternionic Kahler manifold $(M,Q,g)$ is shown to admit a simply transitive solvable group of automorphisms. In this special case ($p=3$) we recover all the known homogeneous quaternionic Kahler manifolds of negative scalar curvature (Alekseevsky spaces) in a unified and direct way. If $p>3$ then $M$ does not admit any transitive action of a solvable Lie group and we obtain new families of quaternionic pseudo-Kahler manifolds. Then it is shown that for $q = 0$ the noncompact quaternionic manifold $(M,Q)$ can be endowed with a Riemannian metric $h$ such that $(M,Q,h)$ is a homogeneous quaternionic Hermitian manifold, which does not admit any transitive solvable group of isometries if $p>3$. The twistor bundle $Z \rightarrow M$ and the canonical ${\mathrm SO}(3)$-principal bundle $S \rightarrow M$ associated to the quaternionic manifold $(M,Q)$ are shown to be homogeneous under the automorphism group of the base. More specifically, the twistor space is a homogeneous complex manifold carrying an invariant holomorphic distribution $\mathcal D$ of complex codimension one, which is a complex contact structure if and only if $\Pi$ is nondegenerate. Moreover, an equivariant open holomorphic immersion $Z \rightarrow \bar{Z}$ into a homogeneous complex manifold $\bar{Z}$ of complex algebraic group is constructed. Finally, the construction is shown to have a natural mirror in the category of supermanifolds. In fact, for any $\mathfrak{spin}(V)$-equivariant linear map $\Pi : \vee^2 W \rightarrow V$ a homogeneous quaternionic supermanifold $(M,Q)$ is constructed and, moreover, a homogeneous quaternionic pseudo-Kahler supermanifold $(M,Q,g)$ if the symmetric vector valued bilinear form $\Pi$ is nondegenerate.

This book grew out of a graduate course on 3-manifolds and is intended for a mathematically experienced audience that is new to low-dimensional topology. The exposition begins with the definition of a manifold, explores possible additional structures on manifolds, discusses the classification of surfaces, introduces key foundational results for 3-manifolds, and provides an overview of knot theory. It then continues with more specialized topics by briefly considering triangulations of 3-manifolds, normal surface theory, and Heegaard splittings. The book finishes with a discussion of topics relevant to viewing 3-manifolds via the curve complex. With about 250 figures and more than 200 exercises, this book can serve as an excellent overview and starting point for the study of 3-manifolds.

Manifolds play an important role in topology, geometry, complex analysis, algebra, and classical mechanics. Learning manifolds differs from most other introductory mathematics in that the subject matter is often completely unfamiliar. This introduction guides readers by explaining the roles manifolds play in diverse branches of mathematics and physics. The book begins with the basics of general topology and gently moves to manifolds, the fundamental group, and covering spaces.