This book includes review articles in the field of elliptic integrals, elliptic functions and modular forms intending to foster the discussion between theoretical physicists working on higher loop calculations and mathematicians working in the field of modular forms and functions and analytic solutions of higher order differential and difference equations.

Engineers and physicists are more and more encountering integrations involving nonelementary integrals and higher transeendental functions. Such integrations frequently involve (not always in immediately re cognizable form) elliptic functions and elliptic integrals. The numerous books written on elliptic integrals, while of great value to the student or mathematician, are not especially suitable for the scientist whose primary objective is the ready evaluation of the integrals that occur in his practical problems. As a result, he may entirely avoid problems which lead to elliptic integrals, or is likely to resort to graphical methods or other means of approximation in dealing with all but the siruplest of these integrals. It became apparent in the course of my work in theoretical aero dynamics that there was a need for a handbook embodying in convenient form a comprehensive table of elliptic integrals together with auxiliary formulas and numerical tables of values. Feeling that such a book would save the engineer and physicist much valuable time, I prepared the present volume.

The book focuses on advanced computer algebra methods and special functions that have striking applications in the context of quantum field theory. It presents the state of the art and new methods for (infinite) multiple sums, multiple integrals, in particular Feynman integrals, difference and differential equations in the format of survey articles. The presented techniques emerge from interdisciplinary fields: mathematics, computer science and theoretical physics; the articles are written by mathematicians and physicists with the goal that both groups can learn from the other field, including most recent developments. Besides that, the collection of articles also serves as an up-to-date handbook of available algorithms/software that are commonly used or might be useful in the fields of mathematics, physics or other sciences.

The problems of conditional optimization of the uniform (or C-) norm for polynomials and rational functions arise in various branches of science and technology. Their numerical solution is notoriously difficult in case of high degree functions. The book develops the classical Chebyshev's approach which gives analytical representation for the solution in terms of Riemann surfaces. The techniques born in the remote (at the first glance) branches of mathematics such as complex analysis, Riemann surfaces and Teichmüller theory, foliations, braids, topology are applied to approximation problems. The key feature of this book is the usage of beautiful ideas of contemporary mathematics for the solution of applied problems and their effective numerical realization. This is one of the few books where the computational aspects of the higher genus Riemann surfaces are illuminated. Effective work with the moduli spaces of algebraic curves provides wide opportunities for numerical experiments in mathematics and theoretical physics.​

Proceedings of the Third Alexander von Humboldt Colloquium on Celestial Mechanics