The words "microdifferential systems in the complex domain" refer to seve ral branches of mathematics: micro local analysis, linear partial differential equations, algebra, and complex analysis. The microlocal point of view first appeared in the study of propagation of singularities of differential equations, and is spreading now to other fields of mathematics such as algebraic geometry or algebraic topology. How ever it seems that many analysts neglect very elementary tools of algebra, which forces them to confine themselves to the study of a single equation or particular square matrices, or to carryon heavy and non-intrinsic formula tions when studying more general systems. On the other hand, many alge braists ignore everything about partial differential equations, such as for example the "Cauchy problem", although it is a very natural and geometri cal setting of "inverse image". Our aim will be to present to the analyst the algebraic methods which naturally appear in such problems, and to make available to the algebraist some topics from the theory of partial differential equations stressing its geometrical aspects. Keeping this goal in mind, one can only remain at an elementary level.

The series is aimed specifically at publishing peer reviewed reviews and contributions presented at workshops and conferences. Each volume is associated with a particular conference, symposium or workshop. These events cover various topics within pure and applied mathematics and provide up-to-date coverage of new developments, methods and applications.

From the reviews: "This is a very interesting book containing material for a comprehensive study of the cyclid homological theory of algebras, cyclic sets and S1-spaces. Lie algebras and algebraic K-theory and an introduction to Connes'work and recent results on the Novikov conjecture. The book requires a knowledge of homological algebra and Lie algebra theory as well as basic technics coming from algebraic topology. The bibliographic comments at the end of each chapter offer good suggestions for further reading and research. The book can be strongly recommended to anybody interested in noncommutative geometry, contemporary algebraic topology and related topics." European Mathematical Society Newsletter In this second edition the authors have added a chapter 13 on MacLane (co)homology.

In recent years approximation theory and the theory of orthogonal polynomials have witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of solutions of difficult and previously untouchable problems. This is due to the interaction of approximation theoretical techniques with classical potential theory (more precisely, the theory of logarithmic potentials, which is directly related to polynomials and to problems in the plane or on the real line). Most of the applications are based on an exten sion of classical logarithmic potential theory to the case when there is a weight (external field) present. The list of recent developments is quite impressive and includes: creation of the theory of non-classical orthogonal polynomials with re spect to exponential weights; the theory of orthogonal polynomials with respect to general measures with compact support; the theory of incomplete polynomials and their widespread generalizations, and the theory of multipoint Pade approximation. The new approach has produced long sought solutions for many problems; most notably, the Freud problems on the asymptotics of orthogonal polynomials with a respect to weights of the form exp(-Ixl ); the "l/9-th" conjecture on rational approximation of exp(x); and the problem of the exact asymptotic constant in the rational approximation of Ixl. One aim of the present book is to provide a self-contained introduction to the aforementioned "weighted" potential theory as well as to its numerous applications. As a side-product we shall also fully develop the classical theory of logarithmic potentials.

This work aims to be of interest to those who have to work with differential equations and acts either as a reference or as a book to learn from. The authors have made the treatment self-contained.