The purpose of this unique book is to establish purely algebraic foundations for the development of certain parts of topology. Some topologists seek to understand geometric properties of solutions to finite systems of equations or inequalities and configurations which in some sense actually occur in the real world. Others study spaces constructed more abstractly using infinite limit processes. Their goal is to determine just how similar or different these abstract spaces are from those which are finitely described. However, as topology is usually taught, even the first, more concrete type of problem is approached using the language and methods of the second type. Professor Brumfiel's thesis is that this is unnecessary and, in fact, misleading philosophically. He develops a type of algebra, partially ordered rings, in which it makes sense to talk about solutions of equations and inequalities and to compare geometrically the resulting spaces. The importance of this approach is primarily that it clarifies the sort of geometrical questions one wants to ask and answer about those spaces which might have physical significance.

The book lays algebraic foundations for real geometry through a systematic investigation of partially ordered rings of semi-algebraic functions. Real spectra serve as primary geometric objects, the maps between them are determined by rings of functions associated with the spectra. The many different possible choices for these rings of functions are studied via reflections of partially ordered rings. Readers should feel comfortable using basic algebraic and categorical concepts. As motivational background some familiarity with real geometry will be helpful. The book aims at researchers and graduate students with an interest in real algebra and geometry, ordered algebraic structures, topology and rings of continuous functions.

The series is aimed specifically at publishing peer reviewed reviews and contributions presented at workshops and conferences. Each volume is associated with a particular conference, symposium or workshop. These events cover various topics within pure and applied mathematics and provide up-to-date coverage of new developments, methods and applications.

This volume contains the invited papers at the 1985 British Combinatorial Conference presented by several distinguished mathematicians.

This 1981 collection of 33 research papers follows from a conference on the interwoven themes of finite Desarguesian spaces and Steiner systems, amongst other topics.

This book is concerned with the research conducted in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the theory of commutative Neotherian rings. It consists of articles by invited speakers at the Symposium of Commutative Algebra held at the University of Durham in July 1981; these articles are all based on lectures delivered at the Symposium. The purpose of this book is to provide a record of at least some aspects of the Symposium, which several of the world leaders in the field attended. Several articles are included which provide surveys, incorporating historical perspective, details of progress made and indications of possible future lines of investigation. The book will be of interest to scholars of commutative and local algebra.

Volume 2 is divided into three parts: the first 'Surfaces' contains an article by Thurston on earthquakes and by Penner on traintracks. The second part is entitled 'Knots and 3-Manifolds' and the final part 'Kleinian Groups'.

In this volume, which is dedicated to H. Seifert, are papers based on talks given at the Isle of Thorns conference on low dimensional topology held in 1982.

An introduction to geometrical topics used in applied mathematics and theoretical physics.