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Book Cover
E-book
Author Ovsienko, Valentin.

Title Projective differential geometry old and new : from the Schwarzian derivative to the cohomology of diffeomorphism groups / V. Ovsienko, S. Tabachnikov
Published Cambridge, UK ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2005

Copies

Description 1 online resource (xi, 249 pages) : illustrations
Series Cambridge tracts in mathematics ; 165
Cambridge tracts in mathematics ; 165.
Contents 1. Introduction -- 2. The Geometry of the projective line -- 3. The Algebra of the projective line and cohomology of Diff(S1) -- 4. Vertices of projective curves -- 5. Projective invariants of submanifolds -- 6. Projective structures on smooth manifolds -- 7. Multi-dimensional Schwarzian derivatives and differential operators -- Appendix 1. Five proofs of the Sturm theorem Appendix 2. The Language of symplectic and contact geometry -- Appendix 3. The Language of connections -- Appendix 4. The Language of homological algebra -- Appendix 5. Remarkable cocycles on groups of diffeomorphisms -- Appendix 6. The Godbillon-Vey class -- Appendix 7. The Adler-Gelfand-Dickey bracket and infinite-dimensional Poisson geometry
Summary Ideas of projective geometry keep reappearing in seemingly unrelated fields of mathematics. The authors' main goal in this 2005 book is to emphasize connections between classical projective differential geometry and contemporary mathematics and mathematical physics. They also give results and proofs of classic theorems. Exercises play a prominent role: historical and cultural comments set the basic notions in a broader context. The book opens by discussing the Schwarzian derivative and its connection to the Virasoro algebra. One-dimensional projective differential geometry features strongly. Related topics include differential operators, the cohomology of the group of diffeomorphisms of the circle, and the classical four-vertex theorem. The classical theory of projective hypersurfaces is surveyed and related to some very recent results and conjectures. A final chapter considers various versions of multi-dimensional Schwarzian derivative. In sum, here is a rapid route for graduate students and researchers to the frontiers of current research in this evergreen subject
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 236-246) and index
Notes Print version record
Subject Projective differential geometry.
MATHEMATICS -- Geometry -- Differential.
Projective differential geometry
Form Electronic book
Author Tabachnikov, Serge.
ISBN 9780511265785
0511265786
0521831865
9780521831864
0511263503
9780511263507
0511265069
9780511265068
9780511543142
051154314X