Riemannian Geometry (Universitext) - Softcover

Lafontaine, Jacques; Gallot, Sylvestre; Hulin, Dominique

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0387524010 ISBN 13: 9780387524016

Publisher: Springer Verlag, 1991

Synopsis

This book is intended for a one year course in Riemannian Geometry. It will serve as a single source, introducing students to the important techniques and theorems while also containing enough background on advanced topics to appeal to those students wishing to specialize in Riemannian Geometry. Instead of variational techniques, the author uses a unique approach emphasizing distance functions and special coordinate systems. He also uses standard calculus with some techniques from differential equations, instead of variational calculus, thereby providing a more elementary route for students. Many of the chapters contain material typically found in specialized texts and never before published together in one source. Key sections include noteworthy coverage of: geodesic geometry, Bochner technique, symmetric spaces, holonomy, comparison theory for both Ricci and sectional curvature, and convergence theory. This volume is one of the few published works to combine both the geometric parts of Riemannian geometry and the analytic aspects of the theory as well as presenting the most up-to-date research including sections on convergence and compactness of families of manifolds. This book will appeal to readers with a knowledge of standard manifold theory, including such topics as tensors and Stoke's theorem. Scattered throughout the text is a variety of exercises which will help to motivate readers to deepen their understanding of the subject.

About this title

Review:

From the reviews of the third edition:

"This new edition maintains the clear written style of the original, including many illustrations ... examples and exercises (most with solutions)." (Joseph E. Borzellino, Mathematical Reviews, 2005)

"This book based on graduate course on Riemannian geometry ... covers the topics of differential manifolds, Riemannian metrics, connections, geodesics and curvature, with special emphasis on the intrinsic features of the subject. Classical results ... are treated in detail. ... contains numerous exercises with full solutions and a series of detailed examples which are picked up repeatedly to illustrate each new definition or property introduced. For this third edition, some topics ... have been added and worked out in the same spirit." (L'ENSEIGNEMENT MATHEMATIQUE, Vol. 50, (3-4), 2004)

"This book is based on a graduate course on Riemannian geometry and analysis on manifolds that was held in Paris. ... Classical results on the relations between curvature and topology are treated in detail. The book is almost self-contained, assuming in general only basic calculus. It contains nontrivial exercises with full solutions at the end. Properties are always illustrated by many detailed examples." (EMS Newsletter, December 2005)

"The guiding line of this by now classic introduction to Riemannian geometry is an in-depth study of each newly introduced concept on the basis of a number of reoccurring well-chosen examples ... . The book continues to be an excellent choice for an introduction to the central ideas of Riemannian geometry." (M. Kunzinger, Monatshefte für Mathematik, Vol. 147 (1), 2006)

About this edition

• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Publication date: 1991
• ISBN 10: 0387524010
• ISBN 13: 9780387524016
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 284