The goal of the book is to present a tapestry of ideas from various areas of mathematics in a clear and rigorous yet informal and friendly way. Prerequisites include undergraduate courses in real analysis and in linear algebra, and some knowledge of complex analysis. --from publisher description.

Surfaces are among the most common and easily visualized mathematical objects, and their study brings into focus fundamental ideas, concepts, and methods from geometry, topology, complex analysis, Morse theory, and group theory. This book introduces many of the principal actors - the round sphere, flat torus, Mobius strip, and Klein bottle.

The geometry of surfaces is an ideal starting point for learning geometry, for, among other reasons, the theory of surfaces of constant curvature has maximal connectivity with the rest of mathematics. This text provides the student with the knowledge of a geometry of greater scope than the classical geometry taught today, which is no longer an adequate basis for mathematics or physics, both of which are becoming increasingly geometric. It includes exercises and informal discussions.

The problem of enumerating maps (a map is a set of polygonal "countries" on a world of a certain topology, not necessarily the plane or the sphere) is an important problem in mathematics and physics, and it has many applications ranging from statistical physics, geometry, particle physics, telecommunications, biology, ... etc. This problem has been studied by many communities of researchers, mostly combinatorists, probabilists, and physicists. Since 1978, physicists have invented a method called "matrix models" to address that problem, and many results have been obtained. Besides, another important problem in mathematics and physics (in particular string theory), is to count Riemann surfaces. Riemann surfaces of a given topology are parametrized by a finite number of real parameters (called moduli), and the moduli space is a finite dimensional compact manifold or orbifold of complicated topology. The number of Riemann surfaces is the volume of that moduli space. Mor e generally, an important problem in algebraic geometry is to characterize the moduli spaces, by computing not only their volumes, but also other characteristic numbers called intersection numbers. Witten's conjecture (which was first proved by Kontsevich), was the assertion that Riemann surfaces can be obtained as limits of polygonal surfaces (maps), made of a very large number of very small polygons. In other words, the number of maps in a certain limit, should give the intersection numbers of moduli spaces. In this book, we show how that limit takes place. The goal of this book is to explain the "matrix model" method, to show the main results obtained with it, and to compare it with methods used in combinatorics (bijective proofs, Tutte's equations), or algebraic geometry (Mirzakhani's recursions). The book intends to be self-contained and accessible to graduate students, and provides comprehensive proofs, several examples, and give s the general formula for the enumeration of maps on surfaces of any topology. In the end, the link with more general topics such as algebraic geometry, string theory, is discussed, and in particular a proof of the Witten-Kontsevich conjecture is provided.

This textbook offers an accessible introduction to translation surfaces. Building on modest prerequisites, the authors focus on the fundamentals behind big ideas in the field: ergodic properties of translation flows, counting problems for saddle connections, and associated renormalization techniques. Proofs that go beyond the introductory nature of the book are deftly omitted, allowing readers to develop essential tools and motivation before delving into the literature. Beginning with the fundamental example of the flat torus, the book goes on to establish the three equivalent definitions of translation surface. An introduction to the moduli space of translation surfaces follows, leading into a study of the dynamics and ergodic theory associated to a translation surface. Counting problems and group actions come to the fore in the latter chapters, giving a broad overview of progress in the 40 years since the ergodicity of the Teichmüller geodesic flow was proven. Exercises are included throughout, inviting readers to actively explore and extend the theory along the way. Translation Surfaces invites readers into this exciting area, providing an accessible entry point from the perspectives of dynamics, ergodicity, and measure theory. Suitable for a one- or two-semester graduate course, it assumes a background in complex analysis, measure theory, and manifolds, while some familiarity with Riemann surfaces and ergodic theory would be beneficial.

This book presents the basics and characterization of defects at oxide surfaces. It provides a state-of-the-art review of the field, containing information to the various types of surface defects, describes analytical methods to study defects, their chemical activity and the catalytic reactivity of oxides. Numerical simulations of defective structures complete the picture developed. Defects on planar surfaces form the focus of much of the book, although the investigation of powder samples also form an important part. The experimental study of planar surfaces opens the possibility of applying the large armoury of techniques that have been developed over the last half-century to study surfaces in ultra-high vacuum. This enables the acquisition of atomic level data under well-controlled conditions, providing a stringent test of theoretical methods. The latter can then be more reliably applied to systems such as nanoparticles for which accurate methods of characterization of structure and electronic properties have yet to be developed. The book gives guidance to tailor oxide surfaces by controlling the nature and concentration of defects. The importance of defects in the physics and chemistry of metal oxide surfaces is presented in this book together with the prominent role of oxides in common life. The book contains contributions from leaders in the field. It serves as a reference for experts and beginners in the field.