Focuses on the interaction between algebra and algebraic geometry, including high-level research papers and surveys contributed by over 40 top specialists representing more than 15 countries worldwide. Describes abelian groups and lattices, algebras and binomial ideals, cones and fans, affine and projective algebraic varieties, simplicial and cellular complexes, polytopes, and arithmetics.

A clear and structured introduction to the subject. After a chapter on the definition of rings and modules there are brief accounts of Artinian rings, commutative Noetherian rings and ring constructions, such as the direct product, Tensor product and rings of fractions, followed by a description of free rings. Readers are assumed to have a basic understanding of set theory, group theory and vector spaces. Over two hundred carefully selected exercises are included, most with outline solutions.

Algebraic Geometry is a fascinating branch of Mathematics that combines methods from both Algebra and Geometry. It transcends the limited scope of pure Algebra by means of geometric construction principles. Putting forward this idea, Grothendieck revolutionized Algebraic Geometry in the late 1950s by inventing schemes. Schemes now also play an important role in Algebraic Number Theory, a field that used to be far away from Geometry. The new point of view paved the way for spectacular progress, such as the proof of Fermat's Last Theorem by Wiles and Taylor. This book explains the scheme-theoretic approach to Algebraic Geometry for non-experts, while more advanced readers can use it to broaden their view on the subject. A separate part presents the necessary prerequisites from Commutative Algebra, thereby providing an accessible and self-contained introduction to advanced Algebraic Geometry. Every chapter of the book is preceded by a motivating introduction with an informal discussion of its contents and background. Typical examples, and an abundance of exercises illustrate each section. Therefore the book is an excellent companion for self-studying or for complementing skills that have already been acquired. It can just as well serve as a convenient source for (reading) course material and, in any case, as supplementary literature. The present edition is a critical revision of the earlier text.

When looking for applications of ring theory in geometry, one first thinks of algebraic geometry, which sometimes may even be interpreted as the concrete side of commutative algebra. However, this highly de veloped branch of mathematics has been dealt with in a variety of mono graphs, so that - in spite of its technical complexity - it can be regarded as relatively well accessible. While in the last 120 years algebraic geometry has again and again attracted concentrated interes- which right now has reached a peak once more - , the numerous other applications of ring theory in geometry have not been assembled in a textbook and are scattered in many papers throughout the literature, which makes it hard for them to emerge from the shadow of the brilliant theory of algebraic geometry. It is the aim of these proceedings to give a unifying presentation of those geometrical applications of ring theo~y outside of algebraic geometry, and to show that they offer a considerable wealth of beauti ful ideas, too. Furthermore it becomes apparent that there are natural connections to many branches of modern mathematics, e. g. to the theory of (algebraic) groups and of Jordan algebras, and to combinatorics. To make these remarks more precise, we will now give a description of the contents. In the first chapter, an approach towards a theory of non-commutative algebraic geometry is attempted from two different points of view.

Focuses on the interaction between algebra and algebraic geometry, including high-level research papers and surveys contributed by over 40 top specialists representing more than 15 countries worldwide. Describes abelian groups and lattices, algebras and binomial ideals, cones and fans, affine and projective algebraic varieties, simplicial and cellular complexes, polytopes, and arithmetics.

Commutative algebra is at the crossroads of algebra, number theory and algebraic geometry. This textbook is affordable and clearly illustrated, and is intended for advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate students with some previous experience of rings and fields. Alongside standard algebraic notions such as generators of modules and the ascending chain condition, the book develops in detail the geometric view of a commutative ring as the ring of functions on a space. The starting point is the Nullstellensatz, which provides a close link between the geometry of a variety V and the algebra of its coordinate ring A=k[V]; however, many of the geometric ideas arising from varieties apply also to fairly general rings. The final chapter relates the material of the book to more advanced topics in commutative algebra and algebraic geometry. It includes an account of some famous 'pathological' examples of Akizuki and Nagata, and a brief but thought-provoking essay on the changing position of abstract algebra in today's world.

"Presents the proceedings of the recently held Third International Conference on Commutative Ring Theory in Fez, Morocco. Details the latest developments in commutative algebra and related areas-featuring 26 original research articles and six survey articles on fundamental topics of current interest. Examines wide-ranging developments in commutative algebra, together with connections to algebraic number theory and algebraic geometry."

Approach your problems from the right end It isn't that they can't see the solution. It is and begin with the answers. Then one day, that they can't see the problem. perhaps you will find the final question. G. K. Chesterton. The Scandal of Father 'The Hermit Gad in Crane Feathers' in R. Brown 'The point of a Pin'. van Gulik's The Chinese Maze Murders. Growing specialization and diversification have brought a host of monographs and textbooks on increasingly specialized topics. However, the "tree" of knowledge of mathematics and related fields does not grow only by putting forth new branches. It also happens, quite often in fact, that branches which were thought to be completely disparate are suddenly seen to be related. Further, the kind and level of s9phistication of mathematics applied in various sciences has changed drastically in recent years: measure theory is used (non trivially) in regional and theoretical economics; algebraic geometry interacts with physics; the Minkowsky lemma, coding theory and the structure of water meet one another in packing and covering theory; quantum fields, crystal defects and mathematical programming profit from homotopy theory; Lie algebras are relevant to filtering; and prediction and electrical engineering can use Stein spaces. And in addition to this there are such new emerging subdisciplines as "experimental mathematics", "CFD", "completely integrable systems", "chaos, synergetics and large-scale order", which are almost impossible to fit into the existing classification schemes. They draw upon widely different sections of mathematics.

In addition to being an interesting and profound subject in its own right, commutative ring theory is important as a foundation for algebraic geometry and complex analytical geometry. Matsumura covers the basic material, including dimension theory, depth, Cohen-Macaulay rings, Gorenstein rings, Krull rings and valuation rings. More advanced topics such as Ratliff's theorems on chains of prime ideals are also explored. The work is essentially self-contained, the only prerequisite being a sound knowledge of modern algebra, yet the reader is taken to the frontiers of the subject. Exercises are provided at the end of each section and solutions or hints to some of them are given at the end of the book.