This book consists of two parts. The first is devoted to an introduction to basic concepts in algebraic geometry: affine and projective varieties, some of their main attributes and examples. The second part is devoted to the theory of curves: local properties, affine and projective plane curves, resolution of singularities, linear equivalence of divisors and linear series, Riemann–Roch and Riemann–Hurwitz Theorems. The approach in this book is purely algebraic. The main tool is commutative algebra, from which the needed results are recalled, in most cases with proofs. The prerequisites consist of the knowledge of basics in affine and projective geometry, basic algebraic concepts regarding rings, modules, fields, linear algebra, basic notions in the theory of categories, and some elementary point–set topology. This book can be used as a textbook for an undergraduate course in algebraic geometry. The users of the book are not necessarily intended to become algebraic geometers but may be interested students or researchers who want to have a first smattering in the topic. The book contains several exercises, in which there are more examples and parts of the theory that are not fully developed in the text. Of some exercises, there are solutions at the end of each chapter.

"Presents the structure of algebras appearing in representation theory of groups and algebras with general ring theoretic methods related to representation theory. Covers affine algebraic sets and the nullstellensatz, polynomial and rational functions, projective algebraic sets. Groebner basis, dimension of algebraic sets, local theory, curves and elliptic curves, and more."

The theory of D-modules is a rich area of study combining ideas from algebra and differential equations, and it has significant applications to diverse areas such as singularity theory and representation theory. This book introduces D-modules and their applications avoiding all unnecessary over-sophistication. It is aimed at beginning graduate students and the approach taken is algebraic, concentrating on the role of the Weyl algebra. Very few prerequisites are assumed, and the book is virtually self-contained. Exercises are included at the end of each chapter and the reader is given ample references to the more advanced literature. This is an excellent introduction to D-modules for all who are new to this area.

"Presents the structure of algebras appearing in representation theory of groups and algebras with general ring theoretic methods related to representation theory. Covers affine algebraic sets and the nullstellensatz, polynomial and rational functions, projective algebraic sets. Groebner basis, dimension of algebraic sets, local theory, curves and elliptic curves, and more."

This book presents a readable and accessible introductory course in algebraic geometry, with most of the fundamental classical results presented with complete proofs. An emphasis is placed on developing connections between geometric and algebraic aspects of the theory. Differences between the theory in characteristic and positive characteristic are emphasized. The basic tools of classical and modern algebraic geometry are introduced, including varieties, schemes, singularities, sheaves, sheaf cohomology, and intersection theory. Basic classical results on curves and surfaces are proved. More advanced topics such as ramification theory, Zariski's main theorem, and Bertini's theorems for general linear systems are presented, with proofs, in the final chapters. With more than 200 exercises, the book is an excellent resource for teaching and learning introductory algebraic geometry.

The study of the mapping class group Mod(S) is a classical topic that is experiencing a renaissance. It lies at the juncture of geometry, topology, and group theory. This book explains as many important theorems, examples, and techniques as possible, quickly and directly, while at the same time giving full details and keeping the text nearly self-contained. The book is suitable for graduate students. A Primer on Mapping Class Groups begins by explaining the main group-theoretical properties of Mod(S), from finite generation by Dehn twists and low-dimensional homology to the Dehn-Nielsen-Baer theorem. Along the way, central objects and tools are introduced, such as the Birman exact sequence, the complex of curves, the braid group, the symplectic representation, and the Torelli group. The book then introduces Teichmüller space and its geometry, and uses the action of Mod(S) on it to prove the Nielsen-Thurston classification of surface homeomorphisms. Topics include the topology of the moduli space of Riemann surfaces, the connection with surface bundles, pseudo-Anosov theory, and Thurston's approach to the classification.

The importance of mathematics competitions has been widely recognised for three reasons: they help to develop imaginative capacity and thinking skills whose value far transcends mathematics; they constitute the most effective way of discovering and nurturing mathematical talent; and they provide a means to combat the prevalent false image of mathematics held by high school students, as either a fearsomely difficult or a dull and uncreative subject. This book provides a comprehensive training resource for competitions from local and provincial to national Olympiad level, containing hundreds of diagrams, and graced by many light-hearted cartoons. It features a large collection of what mathematicians call "beautiful" problems - non-routine, provocative, fascinating, and challenging problems, often with elegant solutions. It features careful, systematic exposition of a selection of the most important topics encountered in mathematics competitions, assuming little prior knowledge. Geometry, trigonometry, mathematical induction, inequalities, Diophantine equations, number theory, sequences and series, the binomial theorem, and combinatorics - are all developed in a gentle but lively manner, liberally illustrated with examples, and consistently motivated by attractive "appetiser" problems, whose solution appears after the relevant theory has been expounded. Each chapter is presented as a "toolchest" of instruments designed for cracking the problems collected at the end of the chapter. Other topics, such as algebra, co-ordinate geometry, functional equations and probability, are introduced and elucidated in the posing and solving of the large collection of miscellaneous problems in the final toolchest. An unusual feature of this book is the attention paid throughout to the history of mathematics - the origins of the ideas, the terminology and some of the problems, and the celebration of mathematics as a multicultural, cooperative human achievement. As a bonus the aspiring "mathlete" may encounter, in the most enjoyable way possible, many of the topics that form the core of the standard school curriculum.