Convex Integration Theory: Solutions to the h-Principle in Geometry and Topology (Modern Birkh�user Classics)

David Spring

ISBN 10: 3034800592 / ISBN 13: 9783034800594

Published by Birkh�user 2010-12-09, 2010

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Seller Inventory # 6666-IUK-9783034800594

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Convex Integration Theory: Solutions to the h-Principle in Geometry and Topology (Modern Birkh�user Classics)
• Publisher: Birkh�user 2010-12-09
• Publication Date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3034800592
• ISBN 13: 9783034800594
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: New

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Synopsis

§1. Historical Remarks Convex Integration theory, ?rst introduced by M. Gromov [17], is one of three general methods in immersion-theoretic topology for solving a broad range of problems in geometry and topology. The other methods are: (i) Removal of Singularities, introduced by M. Gromov and Y. Eliashberg [8]; (ii) the covering homotopy method which, following M. Gromov’s thesis [16], is also referred to as the method of sheaves. The covering homotopy method is due originally to S. Smale [36] who proved a crucial covering homotopy result in order to solve the classi?cation problem for immersions of spheres in Euclidean space. These general methods are not linearly related in the sense that succ- sive methods subsumed the previous methods. Each method has its own distinct foundation, based on an independent geometrical or analytical insight. Con- quently, each method has a range of applications to problems in topology that are best suited to its particular insight. For example, a distinguishing feature of ConvexIntegrationtheoryisthatitappliestosolveclosed relationsinjetspaces, including certain general classes of underdetermined non-linear systems of par- 1 tial di?erential equations. As a case of interest, the Nash-Kuiper C -isometric immersion theorem can be reformulated and proved using Convex Integration theory (cf. Gromov [18]). No such results on closed relations in jet spaces can be proved by means of the other two methods. On the other hand, many classical results in immersion-theoretic topology, such as the classi?cation of immersions, are provable by all three methods.

About the Author

David Spring is a Professor of mathematics at the Glendon College in Toronto, Canada.