The equivariant derived category of sheaves is introduced. All usual functors on sheaves are extended to the equivariant situation. Some applications to the equivariant intersection cohomology are given. The theory may be useful to specialists in representation theory, algebraic geometry or topology.

This book gives a clear introductory account of equivariant cohomology, a central topic in algebraic topology. Equivariant cohomology is concerned with the algebraic topology of spaces with a group action, or in other words, with symmetries of spaces. First defined in the 1950s, it has been introduced into K-theory and algebraic geometry, but it is in algebraic topology that the concepts are the most transparent and the proofs are the simplest. One of the most useful applications of equivariant cohomology is the equivariant localization theorem of Atiyah-Bott and Berline-Vergne, which converts the integral of an equivariant differential form into a finite sum over the fixed point set of the group action, providing a powerful tool for computing integrals over a manifold. Because integrals and symmetries are ubiquitous, equivariant cohomology has found applications in diverse areas of mathematics and physics. Assuming readers have taken one semester of manifold theory and a year of algebraic topology, Loring Tu begins with the topological construction of equivariant cohomology, then develops the theory for smooth manifolds with the aid of differential forms. To keep the exposition simple, the equivariant localization theorem is proven only for a circle action. An appendix gives a proof of the equivariant de Rham theorem, demonstrating that equivariant cohomology can be computed using equivariant differential forms. Examples and calculations illustrate new concepts. Exercises include hints or solutions, making this book suitable for self-study.

In this thesis cohomological invariants of tensor products of tautological objects in the derived category of Hilbert schemes of points on surfaces are studied. The main tool is the Bridgeland-King-Reid-Haiman equivalence between the derived category of the Hilbert scheme and the equivariant derived category of the cartesian power of the surface. The work of Scala on this topic is further developed leading to a new description of the image of tensor products of tautological bundles under the BKRH equivalence. This description leads to formulas for the Euler characteristics of triple tensor products of tautological objects for arbitrary n and for arbitrary tensor products in the case n=2. Furthermore a formula for the extension groups between tautological objects is proven and the Yoneda product is described.

This book contains written versions of the lectures given at the PCMI Graduate Summer School on the representation theory of Lie groups. The volume begins with lectures by A. Knapp and P. Trapa outlining the state of the subject around the year 1975, specifically, the fundamental results of Harish-Chandra on the general structure of infinite-dimensional representations and the Langlands classification. Additional contributions outline developments in four of the most active areas of research over the past 20 years. The clearly written articles present results to date, as follows: R. Zierau and L. Barchini discuss the construction of representations on Dolbeault cohomology spaces. D. Vogan describes the status of the Kirillov-Kostant "philosophy of coadjoint orbits" for unitary representations. K. Vilonen presents recent advances in the Beilinson-Bernstein theory of "localization". And Jian-Shu Li covers Howe's theory of "dual reductive pairs". Each contributor to the volume presents the topics in a unique, comprehensive, and accessible manner geared toward advanced graduate students and researchers. Students should have completed the standard introductory graduate courses for full comprehension of the work. The book would also serve well as a supplementary text for a course on introductory infinite-dimensional representation theory. Titles in this series are co-published with the Institute for Advanced Study/Park City Mathematics Institute. Members of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) receive a 20% discount from list price.

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This book is essentially a set of lecture notes from a graduate seminar given at Cornell in Spring 1994. It treats basic mathematical theory for superconvergence in the context of second order elliptic problems. It is aimed at graduate students and researchers. The necessary technical tools are developed in the text although sometimes long proofs are merely referenced. The book gives a rather complete overview of the field of superconvergence (in time-independent problems). It is the first text with such a scope. It includes a very complete and up-to-date list of references.

The Proceedings of the ICM publishes the talks, by invited speakers, at the conference organized by the International Mathematical Union every 4 years. It covers several areas of Mathematics and it includes the Fields Medal and Nevanlinna, Gauss and Leelavati Prizes and the Chern Medal laudatios.

Since its inception around 1980, the theory of perverse sheaves has been a vital tool of fundamental importance in geometric representation theory. This book, which aims to make this theory accessible to students and researchers, is divided into two parts. The first six chapters give a comprehensive account of constructible and perverse sheaves on complex algebraic varieties, including such topics as Artin's vanishing theorem, smooth descent, and the nearby cycles functor. This part of the book also has a chapter on the equivariant derived category, and brief surveys of side topics including étale and ℓ-adic sheaves, D-modules, and algebraic stacks. The last four chapters of the book show how to put this machinery to work in the context of selected topics in geometric representation theory: Kazhdan-Lusztig theory; Springer theory; the geometric Satake equivalence; and canonical bases for quantum groups. Recent developments such as the p-canonical basis are also discussed. The book has more than 250 exercises, many of which focus on explicit calculations with concrete examples. It also features a 4-page “Quick Reference” that summarizes the most commonly used facts for computations, similar to a table of integrals in a calculus textbook.

Time-evolution in low-dimensional topological spaces is a subject of puzzling vitality. This book is a state-of-the-art account, covering classical and new results. The volume comprises Poincaré-Bendixson, local and Morse-Smale theories, as well as a carefully written chapter on the invariants of surface flows. Of particular interest are chapters on the Anosov-Weil problem, C*-algebras and non-compact surfaces. The book invites graduate students and non-specialists to a fascinating realm of research. It is a valuable source of reference to the specialists.