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Algebraic Curves

Towards Moduli Spaces

  • Leads a reader to far advanced topics widely used in modern research, using basic tools from the first two years of university studies
  • From the very beginning, the study of algebraic curves is aimed at the construction of their moduli spaces in the final chapters
  • Supplied with numerous exercises and problems both making the book a convenient base for a university lecture course and allowing the reader to control his/her progress

Part of the book series: Moscow Lectures (ML, volume 2)

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Table of contents (19 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiv
  2. Preliminaries

    • Maxim E. Kazaryan, Sergei K. Lando, Victor V. Prasolov
    Pages 1-11
  3. Algebraic Curves

    • Maxim E. Kazaryan, Sergei K. Lando, Victor V. Prasolov
    Pages 13-31
  4. Complex Structure and the Topology of Curves

    • Maxim E. Kazaryan, Sergei K. Lando, Victor V. Prasolov
    Pages 33-49
  5. Curves in Projective Spaces

    • Maxim E. Kazaryan, Sergei K. Lando, Victor V. Prasolov
    Pages 51-57
  6. Plücker Formulas

    • Maxim E. Kazaryan, Sergei K. Lando, Victor V. Prasolov
    Pages 59-69
  7. Mappings of Curves

    • Maxim E. Kazaryan, Sergei K. Lando, Victor V. Prasolov
    Pages 71-90
  8. Differential 1-Forms on Curves

    • Maxim E. Kazaryan, Sergei K. Lando, Victor V. Prasolov
    Pages 91-102
  9. Line Bundles, Linear Systems, and Divisors

    • Maxim E. Kazaryan, Sergei K. Lando, Victor V. Prasolov
    Pages 103-111
  10. Riemann–Roch Formula and Its Applications

    • Maxim E. Kazaryan, Sergei K. Lando, Victor V. Prasolov
    Pages 113-123
  11. Proof of the Riemann–Roch Formula

    • Maxim E. Kazaryan, Sergei K. Lando, Victor V. Prasolov
    Pages 125-130
  12. Weierstrass Points

    • Maxim E. Kazaryan, Sergei K. Lando, Victor V. Prasolov
    Pages 131-138
  13. Abel’s Theorem

    • Maxim E. Kazaryan, Sergei K. Lando, Victor V. Prasolov
    Pages 139-156
  14. Examples of Moduli Spaces

    • Maxim E. Kazaryan, Sergei K. Lando, Victor V. Prasolov
    Pages 157-162
  15. Approaches to Constructing Moduli Spaces

    • Maxim E. Kazaryan, Sergei K. Lando, Victor V. Prasolov
    Pages 163-175
  16. Moduli Spaces of Rational Curves with Marked Points

    • Maxim E. Kazaryan, Sergei K. Lando, Victor V. Prasolov
    Pages 177-192
  17. Stable Curves

    • Maxim E. Kazaryan, Sergei K. Lando, Victor V. Prasolov
    Pages 193-200
  18. A Backward Look from the Viewpoint of Characteristic Classes

    • Maxim E. Kazaryan, Sergei K. Lando, Victor V. Prasolov
    Pages 201-212
  19. Moduli Spaces of Stable Maps

    • Maxim E. Kazaryan, Sergei K. Lando, Victor V. Prasolov
    Pages 213-220
  20. Exam Problems

    • Maxim E. Kazaryan, Sergei K. Lando, Victor V. Prasolov
    Pages 221-226

About this book

This book offers a concise yet thorough introduction to the notion of moduli spaces of complex algebraic curves. Over the last few decades, this notion has become central not only in algebraic geometry, but in mathematical physics, including string theory, as well.

The book begins by studying individual smooth algebraic curves, including the most beautiful ones, before addressing families of curves. Studying families of algebraic curves often proves to be more efficient than studying individual curves: these families and their total spaces can still be smooth, even if there are singular curves among their members. A major discovery of the 20th century, attributed to P. Deligne and D. Mumford, was that curves with only mild singularities form smooth compact moduli spaces. An unexpected byproduct of this discovery was the realization that the analysis of more complex curve singularities is not a necessary step in understanding the geometry of the moduli spaces.

Thebook does not use the sophisticated machinery of modern algebraic geometry, and most classical objects related to curves – such as Jacobian, space of holomorphic differentials, the Riemann-Roch theorem, and Weierstrass points – are treated at a basic level that does not require a profound command of algebraic geometry, but which is sufficient for extending them to vector bundles and other geometric objects associated to moduli spaces. Nevertheless, it offers clear information on the construction of the moduli spaces, and provides readers with tools for practical operations with this notion.

Based on several lecture courses given by the authors at the Independent University of Moscow and Higher School of Economics, the book also includes a wealth of problems, making it suitable not only for individual research, but also as a textbook for undergraduate and graduate coursework

Reviews

“The book under review is an accessible introduction to the study of complex algebraic curves and their moduli spaces. … The book comes with sets of exercises in each of its chapters and can be used as a textbook for a graduate course or for self-study by a motivated reader.” (Felipe Zaldivar, MAA Reviews, April 22, 2019)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Steklov Mathematical Institute of RAS, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia

    Maxim E. Kazaryan

  • National Research University Higher School of Economics, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia

    Sergei K. Lando

  • Independent University of Moscow, Moscow, Russia

    Victor V. Prasolov

About the authors

Maxim Kazaryan is a researcher at the Steklov Mathematical Institute RAS. He also works as a professor of mathematics at the NRU Higher School of Economics since 2008 and at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology since 2016.

Sergei Lando is a professor of mathematics at the NRU Higher School of Economics since 2008 and at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology since 2016. He was the first Dean of the Department of Mathematics at the NRU HSE. He also is a Vice-President of the Moscow Mathematical Society.

Victor Prasolov is a permanent teacher of mathematics at the Independent University of Moscow.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Algebraic Curves

  • Book Subtitle: Towards Moduli Spaces

  • Authors: Maxim E. Kazaryan, Sergei K. Lando, Victor V. Prasolov

  • Translated by: Natalia Tsilevich

  • Series Title: Moscow Lectures

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02943-2

  • Publisher: Springer Cham

  • eBook Packages: Mathematics and Statistics, Mathematics and Statistics (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2018

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-02942-5Published: 06 February 2019

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-02943-2Published: 21 January 2019

  • Series ISSN: 2522-0314

  • Series E-ISSN: 2522-0322

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XIV, 231

  • Number of Illustrations: 37 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: Algebraic Geometry, Functions of a Complex Variable, Mathematical Physics

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 29.99 USD 59.99
50% discount Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book USD 39.99 USD 79.99
50% discount Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access