Algebraic Geometry 1: From Algebraic Varieties to Schemes by Kenji Ueno [repost]

Difference algebra grew out of the study of algebraic difference equations with coefficients from functional fields in much the same way as the classical algebraic geometry arose from the study of polynomial equations with numerical coefficients. The first stage of the development of the theory is associated with its founder J. F. Ritt (1893 - 1951) and R. Cohn whose book Difference Algebra (1965) remained the only fundamental monograph on the subject for many years.

This book presents beautiful photos of mathematical models of geometric surfaces made from a variety of materials including plaster, metal, paper, wood, and string. The construction of these models at the time (of Felix Klein and others) was not an end in itself, but was accompanied by mathematical research especially in the field of algebraic geometry. The models were used to illustrate the mathematical objects defined by abstract formulas, either as equations or parameterizations. In the second part of the book, the models are explained by experts in the field of geometry.