The Geometry of Infinite Dimensional Groups

This book is devoted to an exposition of the theory of finite-dimensional Lie groups and Lie algebras, which is a beautiful and central topic in modern mathematics. At the end of the nineteenth century this theory came to life in the works of Sophus Lie. It had its origins in Lie's idea of applying Galois theory to differential equations and in Klein's "Erlanger Programm" of treat­ ing symmetry groups as the fundamental objects in geometry. Lie's approach to many problems of analysis and geometry was mainly local, that is, valid in local coordinate systems only. At the beginning of the twentieth century E. Cartan and Weyl began a systematic treatment of the global aspects of Lie's theory. Since then this theory has ramified tremendously and now, as the twentieth century is coming to a close, its concepts and methods pervade mathematics and theoretical physics.

Infinite dimensional holomorphy is the study of holomorphic or analytic func­ tions over complex topological vector spaces. The terms in this description are easily stated and explained and allow the subject to project itself ini­ tially, and innocently, as a compact theory with well defined boundaries. However, a comprehensive study would include delving into, and interacting with, not only the obvious topics of topology, several complex variables theory and functional analysis but also, differential geometry, Jordan algebras, Lie groups, operator theory, logic, differential equations and fixed point theory.

Infinite dimensional holomorphy is the study of holomorphic or analytic func­ tions over complex topological vector spaces. The terms in this description are easily stated and explained and allow the subject to project itself ini­ tially, and innocently, as a compact theory with well defined boundaries. However, a comprehensive study would include delving into, and interacting with, not only the obvious topics of topology, several complex variables theory and functional analysis but also, differential geometry, Jordan algebras, Lie groups, operator theory, logic, differential equations and fixed point theory.

Infinite dimensional holomorphy is the study of holomorphic or analytic func­ tions over complex topological vector spaces. The terms in this description are easily stated and explained and allow the subject to project itself ini­ tially, and innocently, as a compact theory with well defined boundaries. However, a comprehensive study would include delving into, and interacting with, not only the obvious topics of topology, several complex variables theory and functional analysis but also, differential geometry, Jordan algebras, Lie groups, operator theory, logic, differential equations and fixed point theory.

This volume presents the invited lectures of a conference devoted to Infinite Length Modules, held at Bielefeld, September 7-11, 1998. Some additional surveys have been included in order to establish a unified picture. The scientific organization of the conference was in the hands of K. Brown (Glasgow), P. M. Cohn (London), I. Reiten (Trondheim) and C. M. Ringel (Bielefeld). The conference was concerned with the role played by modules of infinite length when dealing with problems in the representation theory of algebras.