Riemann Roch

This book is devoted to classical and modern achievements in complex analysis. In order to benefit most from it, a first-year university background is sufficient; all other statements and proofs are provided.

In various contexts of topology, algebraic geometry, and algebra (e.g. group representations), one meets the following situation. One has two contravariant functors K and A from a certain category to the category of rings, and a natural transformation p:K–+A of contravariant functors. The Chern character being the central exam­ ple, we call the homomorphisms Px: K(X)–+ A(X) characters.