A great book ... a necessary item in any mathematical library. --S. S. Chern, University of California A brilliant book: rigorous, tightly organized, and covering a vast amount of good mathematics. --Barrett O'Neill, University of California This is obviously a very valuable and well thought-out book on an important subject. --Andre Weil, Institute for Advanced Study The study of homogeneous spaces provides excellent insights into both differential geometry and Lie groups. In geometry, for instance, general theorems and properties will also hold for homogeneous spaces, and will usually be easier to understand and to prove in this setting. For Lie groups, a significant amount of analysis either begins with or reduces to analysis on homogeneous spaces, frequently on symmetric spaces. For many years and for many mathematicians, Sigurdur Helgason's classic Differential Geometry, Lie Groups, and Symmetric Spaces has been--and continues to be--the standard source for this material. Helgason begins with a concise, self-contained introduction to differential geometry. Next is a careful treatment of the foundations of the theory of Lie groups, presented in a manner that since 1962 has served as a model to a number of subsequent authors. This sets the stage for the introduction and study of symmetric spaces, which form the central part of the book. The text concludes with the classification of symmetric spaces by means of the Killing-Cartan classification of simple Lie algebras over $\mathbb{C}$ and Cartan's classification of simple Lie algebras over $\mathbb{R}$, following a method of Victor Kac. The excellent exposition is supplemented by extensive collections of useful exercises at the end of each chapter. All of the problems have either solutions or substantial hints, found at the back of the book. For this edition, the author has made corrections and added helpful notes and useful references. Sigurdur Helgason was awarded the Steele Prize for Differential Geometry, Lie Groups, and Symmetric Spaces and Groups and Geometric Analysis.

It is remarkable that so much about Lie groups could be packed into this small book. But after reading it, students will be well-prepared to continue with more advanced, graduate-level topics in differential geometry or the theory of Lie groups. The theory of Lie groups involves many areas of mathematics. In this book, Arvanitoyeorgos outlines enough of the prerequisites to get the reader started. He then chooses a path through this rich and diverse theory that aims for an understanding of the geometry of Lie groups and homogeneous spaces. In this way, he avoids the extra detail needed for a thorough discussion of other topics. Lie groups and homogeneous spaces are especially useful to study in geometry, as they provide excellent examples where quantities (such as curvature) are easier to compute. A good understanding of them provides lasting intuition, especially in differential geometry. The book is suitable for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and research mathematicians interested in differential geometry and neighboring fields, such as topology, harmonic analysis, and mathematical physics.

Describing many of the most important aspects of Lie group theory, this book presents the subject in a 'hands on' way. Rather than concentrating on theorems and proofs, the book shows the applications of the material to physical sciences and applied mathematics. Many examples of Lie groups and Lie algebras are given throughout the text. The relation between Lie group theory and algorithms for solving ordinary differential equations is presented and shown to be analogous to the relation between Galois groups and algorithms for solving polynomial equations. Other chapters are devoted to differential geometry, relativity, electrodynamics, and the hydrogen atom. Problems are given at the end of each chapter so readers can monitor their understanding of the materials. This is a fascinating introduction to Lie groups for graduate and undergraduate students in physics, mathematics and electrical engineering, as well as researchers in these fields.

Group-theoretic methods have taken an increasingly prominent role in analysis. Some of this change has been due to the writings of Sigurdur Helgason. This book is an introduction to such methods on spaces with symmetry given by the action of a Lie group. The introductory chapter is a self-contained account of the analysis on surfaces of constant curvature. Later chapters cover general cases of the Radon transform, spherical functions, invariant operators, compact symmetric spaces and other topics. This book, together with its companion volume, Geometric Analysis on Symmetric Spaces (AMS Mathematical Surveys and Monographs series, vol. 39, 1994), has become the standard text for this approach to geometric analysis. Sigurdur Helgason was awarded the Steele Prize for outstanding mathematical exposition for Groups and Geometric Analysis and Differential Geometry, Lie Groups and Symmetric Spaces.