DIVIntroduction to the geometry of euclidean, affine and projective spaces with special emphasis on the important groups of symmetries of these spaces. Many exercises, extensive bibliography. Advanced undergraduate level. /div

This new book for mathematics and mathematics education majors helps students gain an appreciation of geometry and its importance in the history and development of mathematics. The material is presented in three parts. The first is devoted to a rigorous introduction of Euclidean geometry, the second covers various noneuclidean geometries, and the last part delves into symmetry and polyhedra. Historical contexts accompany each topic. Exercises and activities are interwoven with the text to enable the students to explore geometry. Some of the activities take advantage of geometric software so students - in particular, future teachers - gain a better understanding of its capabilities. Others explore the construction of simple models or use manipulatives allowing students to experience the hands-on, creative side of mathematics. While this text contains a rigorous mathematical presentation, key design features and activities allow it to be used successfully in mathematics for teachers courses as well.

Mirror symmetry began when theoretical physicists made some astonishing predictions about rational curves on quintic hypersurfaces in four-dimensional projective space. Understanding the mathematics behind these predictions has been a substantial challenge. This book is the first completely comprehensive monograph on mirror symmetry, covering the original observations by the physicists through the most recent progress made to date. Subjects discussed include toric varieties, Hodge theory, Kahler geometry, moduli of stable maps, Calabi-Yau manifolds, quantum cohomology, Gromov-Witten invariants, and the mirror theorem. This title features: numerous examples worked out in detail; an appendix on mathematical physics; an exposition of the algebraic theory of Gromov-Witten invariants and quantum cohomology; and, a proof of the mirror theorem for the quintic threefold.

Through a careful treatment of number theory and geometry, Number, Shape, & Symmetry: An Introduction to Number Theory, Geometry, and Group Theory helps readers understand serious mathematical ideas and proofs. Classroom-tested, the book draws on the authors’ successful work with undergraduate students at the University of Chicago, seventh to tenth grade mathematically talented students in the University of Chicago’s Young Scholars Program, and elementary public school teachers in the Seminars for Endorsement in Science and Mathematics Education (SESAME). The first half of the book focuses on number theory, beginning with the rules of arithmetic (axioms for the integers). The authors then present all the basic ideas and applications of divisibility, primes, and modular arithmetic. They also introduce the abstract notion of a group and include numerous examples. The final topics on number theory consist of rational numbers, real numbers, and ideas about infinity. Moving on to geometry, the text covers polygons and polyhedra, including the construction of regular polygons and regular polyhedra. It studies tessellation by looking at patterns in the plane, especially those made by regular polygons or sets of regular polygons. The text also determines the symmetry groups of these figures and patterns, demonstrating how groups arise in both geometry and number theory. The book is suitable for pre-service or in-service training for elementary school teachers, general education mathematics or math for liberal arts undergraduate-level courses, and enrichment activities for high school students or math clubs.

This book will appeal to at least three groups of readers: prospective high school teachers, liberal arts students, and parents whose children are studying high school or college math. It is modern in its selection of topics, and in the learning models used by the authors. The book covers some exciting but non-traditional topics from the subject area of geometry. It is also intended for undergraduates and tries to engage their interest in mathematics. Many innovative pedagogical modes are used throughout.

Symmetry and Pattern in Projective Geometry is a self-contained study of projective geometry which compares and contrasts the analytic and axiomatic methods. The analytic approach is based on homogeneous coordinates, and brief introductions to Plücker coordinates and Grassmann coordinates are presented. This book looks carefully at linear, quadratic, cubic and quartic figures in two, three and higher dimensions. It deals at length with the extensions and consequences of basic theorems such as those of Pappus and Desargues. The emphasis throughout is on special configurations that have particularly interesting symmetry properties. The intricate and novel ideas of ‘Donald’ Coxeter, who is considered one of the great geometers of the twentieth century, are also discussed throughout the text. The book concludes with a useful analysis of finite geometries and a description of some of the remarkable configurations discovered by Coxeter. This book will be appreciated by mathematics students and those wishing to learn more about the subject of geometry. It makes accessible subjects and theorems which are often considered quite complicated and presents them in an easy-to-read and enjoyable manner.

Transformation Geometry: An Introduction to Symmetry offers a modern approach to Euclidean Geometry. This study of the automorphism groups of the plane and space gives the classical concrete examples that serve as a meaningful preparation for the standard undergraduate course in abstract algebra. The detailed development of the isometries of the plane is based on only the most elementary geometry and is appropriate for graduate courses for secondary teachers.