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Geometry from a Differentiable Viewpoint John McCleary (Professor of Mathematics, Vassar College, New York)

Geometry from a Differentiable Viewpoint By John McCleary (Professor of Mathematics, Vassar College, New York)

Geometry from a Differentiable Viewpoint by John McCleary (Professor of Mathematics, Vassar College, New York)


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Summary

This book offers a new treatment of differential geometry which is designed to make the subject approachable for advanced undergraduates. Professor McCleary considers the historical development of non-Euclidean geometry, placing differential geometry in the context of geometry with which students will be familiar from high school.

Geometry from a Differentiable Viewpoint Summary

Geometry from a Differentiable Viewpoint by John McCleary (Professor of Mathematics, Vassar College, New York)

Differential geometry has developed in many directions since its beginnings with Euler and Gauss. This often poses a problem for undergraduates: which direction should be followed? What do these ideas have to do with geometry? This book is designed to make differential geometry an approachable subject for advanced undergraduates. The text serves as both an introduction to the classical differential geometry of curves and surfaces and as a history of the non-Euclidean plane. The book begins with the theorems of non-Euclidean geometry, then introduces the methods of differential geometry and develops them towards the goal of constructing models of the hyperbolic plane. Interesting diversions are offered, such as Huygens' pendulum clock and mathematical cartography; however, the focus of the book is on the models of non-Euclidean geometry and the modern ideas of abstract surfaces and manifolds. Although the main use of this text is as an advanced undergraduate course book, the historical aspect of the text should appeal to most mathematicians.

Geometry from a Differentiable Viewpoint Reviews

' ... this is an unusual and interesting account of two subjects and their close historical interrelation.' The Mathematical Gazette

About John McCleary (Professor of Mathematics, Vassar College, New York)

John McCleary is Professor of Mathematics at Vassar College on the Elizabeth Stillman Williams Chair. His research interests lie at the boundary between geometry and topology, especially where algebraic topology plays a role. His papers on topology have appeared in Inventiones Mathematicae, the American Journal of Mathematics and other journals, and he has written expository papers that have appeared in American Mathematical Monthly. He is also interested in the history of mathematics, especially the history of geometry in the nineteenth century and of topology in the twentieth century. He is the author of A User's Guide to Spectral Sequences and A First Course in Topology: Continuity and Dimension and he has edited proceedings in topology and in history, as well as a volume of the collected works of John Milnor. He has been a visitor to the mathematics institutes in Goettingen, Strasbourg and Cambridge, and to MSRI in Berkeley.

Table of Contents

Prelude and themes; Part I. Synthetic Methods and Results: 1. Spherical geometry; 2. Euclid; 3. The theory of parallels; 4. Non-Euclidean geometry I; 5. Non-Euclidean geometry II; Part II. Development: Differential Geometry: 6. Curves; 7. Curves in space; 8. Surfaces; 9. Curvature for surfaces; 10. Metric equivalence of surfaces; 11. Geodesics; 12. The Gauss-Bonnet theorem; 13. Constant curvature surfaces; Part III. Recapitulation; 14. Abstract surfaces; 15. Modelling non-Euclidean geometry; 16. Coda: generalizations.

Additional information

GOR013558806
9780521424806
0521424801
Geometry from a Differentiable Viewpoint by John McCleary (Professor of Mathematics, Vassar College, New York)
Used - Like New
Paperback
Cambridge University Press
1995-01-27
324
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
The book has been read, but looks new. The book cover has no visible wear, and the dust jacket is included if applicable. No missing or damaged pages, no tears, possible very minimal creasing, no underlining or highlighting of text, and no writing in the margins

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