Using harmonic maps, non-linear PDE and techniques from algebraic geometry this book enables the reader to study the relation between fundamental groups and algebraic geometry invariants of algebraic varieties. The reader should have a basic knowledge of algebraic geometry and non-linear analysis. This book can form the basis for graduate level seminars in the area of topology of algebraic varieties. It also contains present new techniques for researchers working in this area.

Assuming little technical background, the author presents the strong analogies between these two concepts starting at an elementary level.

The subject of these notes is the character variety of representations of a surface group in a Lie group. The author emphasizes the various points of view (combinatorial, differential, and algebraic) and is interested in the description of its smooth points, symplectic structure, volume and connected components. He also shows how a three manifold bounded by the surface leaves a trace in this character variety. These notes were originally designed for students with only elementary knowledge of differential geometry and topology. In the first chapters, the author does not focus on the details of the differential geometric constructions and refers to classical textbooks, while in the more advanced chapters proofs occasionally are provided only for special cases where they convey the flavor of the general arguments. These notes might also be used by researchers entering this fast expanding field as motivation for further studies. The concluding paragraph of every chapter provides suggestions for further research.

Gives an introduction to the general theory of representations of algebraic group schemes. This title deals with representation theory of reductive algebraic groups and includes topics such as the description of simple modules, vanishing theorems, Borel-Bott-Weil theorem and Weyl's character formula, and Schubert schemes and lne bundles on them.

* Brings together a wide variety of themes under a single unifying perspective The proceedings of a conference on Linear algebraic Groups and their Representations - the text gets to grips with the fundamental nature of this subject and its interaction with a wide variety of active areas in mathematics and physics.

Due to the lack of proper bibliographical sources stratification theory seems to be a "mysterious" subject in contemporary mathematics. This book contains a complete and elementary survey - including an extended bibliography - on stratification theory, including its historical development. Some further important topics in the book are: Morse theory, singularities, transversality theory, complex analytic varieties, Lefschetz theorems, connectivity theorems, intersection homology, complements of affine subspaces and combinatorics. The book is designed for all interested students or professionals in this area.

The primary goal of this 2003 book is to give a brief introduction to the main ideas of algebraic and geometric invariant theory. It assumes only a minimal background in algebraic geometry, algebra and representation theory. Topics covered include the symbolic method for computation of invariants on the space of homogeneous forms, the problem of finite-generatedness of the algebra of invariants, the theory of covariants and constructions of categorical and geometric quotients. Throughout, the emphasis is on concrete examples which originate in classical algebraic geometry. Based on lectures given at University of Michigan, Harvard University and Seoul National University, the book is written in an accessible style and contains many examples and exercises. A novel feature of the book is a discussion of possible linearizations of actions and the variation of quotients under the change of linearization. Also includes the construction of toric varieties as torus quotients of affine spaces.

This book is motivated by the problem of determining the set of rational points on a variety, but its true goal is to equip readers with a broad range of tools essential for current research in algebraic geometry and number theory. The book is unconventional in that it provides concise accounts of many topics instead of a comprehensive account of just one—this is intentionally designed to bring readers up to speed rapidly. Among the topics included are Brauer groups, faithfully flat descent, algebraic groups, torsors, étale and fppf cohomology, the Weil conjectures, and the Brauer-Manin and descent obstructions. A final chapter applies all these to study the arithmetic of surfaces. The down-to-earth explanations and the over 100 exercises make the book suitable for use as a graduate-level textbook, but even experts will appreciate having a single source covering many aspects of geometry over an unrestricted ground field and containing some material that cannot be found elsewhere.

Comprehensive introduction to the theory of algebraic group schemes over fields, based on modern algebraic geometry, with few prerequisites.

This book is a compilation of several works from well-recognized figures in the field of Representation Theory. The presentation of the topic is unique in offering several different points of view, which should makethe book very useful to students and experts alike.Presents several different points of view on key topics in representation theory, from internationally known experts in the field