Synopsis
This fine book by Herb Clemens quickly became a favorite of many algebraic geometers when it was first published in 1980. It has been popular with novices and experts ever since. It is written as a book of 'impressions' of a journey through the theory of complex algebraic curves. Many topics of compelling beauty occur along the way. A cursory glance at the subjects visited reveals a wonderfully eclectic selection, from conics and cubics to theta functions, Jacobians, and questions of moduli. By the end of the book, the theme of theta functions becomes clear, culminating in the Schottky problem. The author's intent was to motivate further study and to stimulate mathematical activity. The attentive reader will learn much about complex algebraic curves and the tools used to study them. The book can be especially useful to anyone preparing a course on the topic of complex curves or anyone interested in supplementing his/her reading.
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Product Description
This is a book of "impressions" of a journey through the theory of com plex algebraic curves. It is neither self-contained, balanced, nor particularly tightly organized. As with any notebook made on a journey, what appears is that which strikes the writer's fancy. Some topics appear because of their compelling intrinsic beauty. Others are left out because, for all their impor tance, the traveler found them boring or was too dull or lazy to give them their due. Looking back at the end of the journey, one can see that a common theme in fact does emerge, as is so often the case; that theme is the theory of theta functions. In fact very much of the material in the book is prepara tion for our study of the final topic, the so-called Schottky problem. More than once, in fact, we tear ourselves away from interesting topics leading elsewhere and return to our main route.
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