Introduction to Complex Reflection Groups and Their Braid Groups

Weyl groups are particular cases of complex reflection groups, i.e. finite subgroups of GLr(C) generated by (pseudo)reflections. These are groups whose polynomial ring of invariants is a polynomial al

In this well-written presentation, motivated by numerous examples and problems, the authors introduce the basic theory of braid groups, highlighting several definitions that show their equivalence; th

In this well-written presentation, motivated by numerous examples and problems, the authors introduce the basic theory of braid groups, highlighting several definitions that show their equivalence; th

A complex reflection is a linear transformation which fixes each point in a hyperplane. Intuitively, it resembles the transformation an image undergoes when it is viewed through a kaleidoscope, or arrangement of mirrors. This book gives a complete classification of all groups of transformations of n-dimensional complex space which are generated by complex reflections, using the method of line systems. In particular: irreducible groups are studied in detail, and are identified with finite linear groups; reflection subgroups of reflection groups are completely classified; the theory of eigenspaces of elements of reflection groups is discussed fully; an appendix outlines links to representation theory, topology and mathematical physics. Containing over 100 exercises ranging in difficulty from elementary to research level, this book is ideal for honours and graduate students, or for researchers in algebra, topology and mathematical physics.

This graduate textbook presents a concrete and up-to-date introduction to the theory of Coxeter groups. The book is self-contained, making it suitable either for courses and seminars or for self-study. The first part is devoted to establishing concrete examples. Finite reflection groups acting on Euclidean spaces are discussed, and the first part ends with the construction of the affine Weyl groups, a class of Coxeter groups that plays a major role in Lie theory. The second part (which is logically independent of, but motivated by, the first) develops from scratch the properties of Coxeter groups in general, including the Bruhat ordering and the seminal work of Kazhdan and Lusztig on representations of Hecke algebras associated with Coxeter groups is introduced. Finally a number of interesting complementary topics as well as connections with Lie theory are sketched. The book concludes with an extensive bibliography on Coxeter groups and their applications.

Approximate groups have shot to prominence in recent years, driven both by rapid progress in the field itself and by a varied and expanding range of applications. This text collects, for the first time in book form, the main concepts and techniques into a single, self-contained introduction. The author presents a number of recent developments in the field, including an exposition of his recent result classifying nilpotent approximate groups. The book also features a considerable amount of previously unpublished material, as well as numerous exercises and motivating examples. It closes with a substantial chapter on applications, including an exposition of Breuillard, Green and Tao's celebrated approximate-group proof of Gromov's theorem on groups of polynomial growth. Written by an author who is at the forefront of both researching and teaching this topic, this text will be useful to advanced students and to researchers working in approximate groups and related areas.

Approximate groups have shot to prominence in recent years, driven both by rapid progress in the field itself and by a varied and expanding range of applications. This text collects, for the first time in book form, the main concepts and techniques into a single, self-contained introduction. The author presents a number of recent developments in the field, including an exposition of his recent result classifying nilpotent approximate groups. The book also features a considerable amount of previously unpublished material, as well as numerous exercises and motivating examples. It closes with a substantial chapter on applications, including an exposition of Breuillard, Green and Tao's celebrated approximate-group proof of Gromov's theorem on groups of polynomial growth. Written by an author who is at the forefront of both researching and teaching this topic, this text will be useful to advanced students and to researchers working in approximate groups and related areas.

Suitable for advanced undergraduates and graduate students in mathematics, this introduction to topological groups presumes familiarity with the elementary concepts of set theory, elements of function

This monograph lays down the foundations of the theory of complex Kleinian groups, a newly born area of mathematics whose origin traces back to the work of Riemann, Poincare, Picard and many others. K

The quantum groups discussed in this book are the quantized enveloping algebras introduced by Drinfeld and Jimbo in 1985, or variations thereof. The theory of quantum groups has led to a new, extremel

Presenting groups in a formal, abstract algebraic manner is both useful and powerful, yet it avoids a fascinating geometric perspective on group theory - which is also useful and powerful, particularly in the study of infinite groups. This book presents the modern, geometric approach to group theory, in an accessible and engaging approach to the subject. Topics include group actions, the construction of Cayley graphs, and connections to formal language theory and geometry. Theorems are balanced by specific examples such as Baumslag-Solitar groups, the Lamplighter group and Thompson's group. Only exposure to undergraduate-level abstract algebra is presumed, and from that base the core techniques and theorems are developed and recent research is explored. Exercises and figures throughout the text encourage the development of geometric intuition. Ideal for advanced undergraduates looking to deepen their understanding of groups, this book will also be of interest to graduate students and r

Presenting groups in a formal, abstract algebraic manner is both useful and powerful, yet it avoids a fascinating geometric perspective on group theory - which is also useful and powerful, particularly in the study of infinite groups. This book presents the modern, geometric approach to group theory, in an accessible and engaging approach to the subject. Topics include group actions, the construction of Cayley graphs, and connections to formal language theory and geometry. Theorems are balanced by specific examples such as Baumslag-Solitar groups, the Lamplighter group and Thompson's group. Only exposure to undergraduate-level abstract algebra is presumed, and from that base the core techniques and theorems are developed and recent research is explored. Exercises and figures throughout the text encourage the development of geometric intuition. Ideal for advanced undergraduates looking to deepen their understanding of groups, this book will also be of interest to graduate students and r

This book is an introduction to the theory of Lie groups and their representations at the advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate level. It covers the essentials of the subject starting from basi

This book is an introduction to the theory of Lie groups and their representations at the advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate level. It covers the essentials of the subject starting from basi

Reflection groups and their invariant theory provide the main themes of this book and the first two parts focus on these topics. The first 13 chapters deal with reflection groups (Coxeter groups and

This book describes various approaches to the Inverse Galois Problem, a classical unsolved problem of mathematics posed by Hilbert at the beginning of the century. It brings together ideas from group theory, algebraic geometry and number theory, topology, and analysis. Assuming only elementary algebra and complex analysis, the author develops the necessary background from topology, Riemann surface theory and number theory. The first part of the book is quite elementary, and leads up to the basic rigidity criteria for the realisation of groups as Galois groups. The second part presents more advanced topics, such as braid group action and moduli spaces for covers of the Riemann sphere, GAR- and GAL- realizations, and patching over complete valued fields. Graduate students and mathematicians from other areas (especially group theory) will find this an excellent introduction to a fascinating field.

Graduate students in many branches of mathematics need to know something about topological groups and the Haar integral to enable them to understand applications in their own fields. In this introduction to the subject, Professor Higgins covers the basic theorems they are likely to need, assuming only some elementary group theory. The book is based on lecture courses given for the London M.Sc. degree in 1969 and 1972, and the treatment is more algebraic than usual, reflecting the interests of the author and his audience. The volume ends with an informal account of one important application of the Haar integral, to the representation theory of compact groups, and suggests further reading on this and similar topics.

This elegantly edited landmark edition of Gert Kjærgård Pedersen’s C*-Algebras and their Automorphism Groups (1979) carefully and sensitively extends the classic work to reflect the wealth of relevant

This text systematically presents the basics of quantum mechanics, emphasizing the role of Lie groups, Lie algebras, and their unitary representations. The mathematical structure of the subject is bro

With roots in the nineteenth century, Lie theory has since found many and varied applications in mathematics and mathematical physics, to the point where it is now regarded as a classical branch of mathematics in its own right. This graduate text focuses on the study of semisimple Lie algebras, developing the necessary theory along the way. The material covered ranges from basic definitions of Lie groups to the classification of finite-dimensional representations of semisimple Lie algebras. Written in an informal style, this is a contemporary introduction to the subject which emphasizes the main concepts of the proofs and outlines the necessary technical details, allowing the material to be conveyed concisely. Based on a lecture course given by the author at the State University of New York, Stony Brook, the book includes numerous exercises and worked examples, and is ideal for graduate courses on Lie groups and Lie algebras.

Providing a nearly complete selection of up-to-date methods and results on block invariants with respect to their defect groups, this book covers the classical theory pioneered by Brauer, the modern t

The new virtual era is already here. We use the internet every day, to retrieve information, to purchase merchandise, and to connect with others. But do we really understand the psychology of the inte

Groups are a means of classification, via the group action on a set, but also the object of a classification. How many groups of a given type are there, and how can they be described? Holder’s program

" This introductory exposition of group theory by an eminent Russian mathematician is particularly suited to undergraduates, developing material of fundamental importance in a clear and rigorous fashi

A user-friendly introduction to metric and topological groupsTopological Groups: An Introduction provides a self-contained presentation with an emphasis on important families of topological groups. Th

With roots in the nineteenth century, Lie theory has since found many and varied applications in mathematics and mathematical physics, to the point where it is now regarded as a classical branch of mathematics in its own right. This graduate text focuses on the study of semisimple Lie algebras, developing the necessary theory along the way. The material covered ranges from basic definitions of Lie groups to the classification of finite-dimensional representations of semisimple Lie algebras. Written in an informal style, this is a contemporary introduction to the subject which emphasizes the main concepts of the proofs and outlines the necessary technical details, allowing the material to be conveyed concisely. Based on a lecture course given by the author at the State University of New York, Stony Brook, the book includes numerous exercises and worked examples, and is ideal for graduate courses on Lie groups and Lie algebras.

This book describes various approaches to the Inverse Galois Problem, a classical unsolved problem of mathematics posed by Hilbert at the beginning of the century. It brings together ideas from group theory, algebraic geometry and number theory, topology, and analysis. Assuming only elementary algebra and complex analysis, the author develops the necessary background from topology, Riemann surface theory and number theory. The first part of the book is quite elementary, and leads up to the basic rigidity criteria for the realisation of groups as Galois groups. The second part presents more advanced topics, such as braid group action and moduli spaces for covers of the Riemann sphere, GAR- and GAL- realizations, and patching over complete valued fields. Graduate students and mathematicians from other areas (especially group theory) will find this an excellent introduction to a fascinating field.

This book takes the reader from the end of introductory Lie group theory to the threshold of infinite-dimensional group representations. Merging algebra and analysis throughout, the author uses Lie-t

Anyone who has studied abstract algebra and linear algebra as an undergraduate can understand this book. The first six chapters provide material for a first course, while the rest of the book covers m

A leading scholar introduces and explains the history, lifestyle, customs, and beliefs of both the Old Order and the Conservative Mennonites—two growing separatist movements of Mennonites in North Ame

Presented here are papers from the 1993 Como meeting on groups of Lie type and their geometries. The meeting was attended by many leading figures, as well as younger researchers in this area, and this book brings together many of their excellent contributions. Themes represented here include: subgroups of finite and algebraic groups; buildings and other geometries associated to groups of Lie type or Coxeter groups; generation and applications. This book will be a necessary addition to the library of all researchers in group theory and related areas.

To attack certain problems in 4-dimensional knot theory the author draws on a variety of techniques, focusing on knots in S^T4, whose fundamental groups contain abelian normal subgroups. Their class contains the most geometrically appealing and best understood examples. Moreover, it is possible to apply work in algebraic methods to these problems. Work in four-dimensional topology is applied in later chapters to the problem of classifying 2-knots.

This book's aim is to make accessible techniques for studying Whitehead groups of finite groups, as well as a variety of related topics such as induction theory and p-adic logarithms. The author has included a lengthy introduction to set the scene for non-specialists who want an overview of the field, its history and its applications. The rest of the book consists of three parts: general theory, group rings of p-groups and general finite groups. The book will be welcomed by specialists in K- and L-theory and by algebraists in general as a state-of-the art survey of the area.

The theory of Lie groups is a very active part of mathematics and it is the twofold aim of these notes to provide a self-contained introduction to the subject and to make results about the structure of Lie groups and compact groups available to a wide audience. Particular emphasis is placed upon results and techniques which explicate the interplay between a Lie group and its Lie algebra, and, in keeping with current trends, a coordinate-free notation is used. Much of the general theory is illustrated by examples and exercises involving specific Lie groups.