Elliptic cohomology is an extremely beautiful theory with both geometric and arithmetic aspects. The former is explained by the fact that the theory is a quotient of oriented cobordism localised away from 2, the latter by the fact that the coefficients coincide with a ring of modular forms. The aim of the book is to construct this cohomology theory, and evaluate it on classifying spaces BG of finite groups G. This class of spaces is important, since (using ideas borrowed from `Monstrous Moonshine') it is possible to give a bundle-theoretic definition of EU-(BG). Concluding chapters also discuss variants, generalisations and potential applications.
A small conference was held in September 1986 to discuss new applications of elliptic functions and modular forms in algebraic topology, which had led to the introduction of elliptic genera and elliptic cohomology. The resulting papers range, fom these topics through to quantum field theory, with considerable attention to formal groups, homology and cohomology theories, and circle actions on spin manifolds. Ed. Witten's rich article on the index of the Dirac operator in loop space presents a mathematical treatment of his interpretation of elliptic genera in terms of quantum field theory. A short introductory article gives an account of the growth of this area prior to the conference.
The theory of topological modular forms is an intricate blend of classical algebraic modular forms and stable homotopy groups of spheres. The construction of this theory combines an algebro-geometric perspective on elliptic curves over finite fields with techniques from algebraic topology, particularly stable homotopy theory. It has applications to and connections with manifold topology, number theory, and string theory. This book provides a careful, accessible introduction to topological modular forms. After a brief history and an extended overview of the subject, the book proper commences with an exposition of classical aspects of elliptic cohomology, including background material on elliptic curves and modular forms, a description of the moduli stack of elliptic curves, an explanation of the exact functor theorem for constructing cohomology theories, and an exploration of sheaves in stable homotopy theory. There follows a treatment of more specialized topics, including localization of spectra, the deformation theory of formal groups, and Goerss-Hopkins obstruction theory for multiplicative structures on spectra. The book then proceeds to more advanced material, including discussions of the string orientation, the sheaf of spectra on the moduli stack of elliptic curves, the homotopy of topological modular forms, and an extensive account of the construction of the spectrum of topological modular forms. The book concludes with the three original, pioneering and enormously influential manuscripts on the subject, by Hopkins, Miller, and Mahowald.
The Handbook of Homotopy Theory provides a panoramic view of an active area in mathematics that is currently seeing dramatic solutions to long-standing open problems, and is proving itself of increasing importance across many other mathematical disciplines. The origins of the subject date back to work of Henri Poincaré and Heinz Hopf in the early 20th century, but it has seen enormous progress in the 21st century. A highlight of this volume is an introduction to and diverse applications of the newly established foundational theory of ¥ -categories. The coverage is vast, ranging from axiomatic to applied, from foundational to computational, and includes surveys of applications both geometric and algebraic. The contributors are among the most active and creative researchers in the field. The 22 chapters by 31 contributors are designed to address novices, as well as established mathematicians, interested in learning the state of the art in this field, whose methods are of increasing importance in many other areas.
The 2007 Abel Symposium took place at the University of Oslo in August 2007. The goal of the symposium was to bring together mathematicians whose research efforts have led to recent advances in algebraic geometry, algebraic K-theory, algebraic topology, and mathematical physics. A common theme of this symposium was the development of new perspectives and new constructions with a categorical flavor. As the lectures at the symposium and the papers of this volume demonstrate, these perspectives and constructions have enabled a broadening of vistas, a synergy between once-differentiated subjects, and solutions to mathematical problems both old and new.
Aims to give an exposition of generalized (co)homology theories that can be read by a group of mathematicians who are not experts in algebraic topology. This title starts with basic notions of homotopy theory, and introduces the axioms of generalized (co)homology theory. It also discusses various types of generalized cohomology theories.
This book will provide readers with an overview of some of the major developments in current research in algebraic topology. Representing some of the leading researchers in the field, the book contains the proceedings of the International Conference on Algebraic Topology, held at Northwestern University in March, 1988. Several of the lectures at the conference were expository and will therefore appeal to topologists in a broad range of areas. The primary emphasis of the book is on homotopy theory and its applications. The topics covered include elliptic cohomology, stable and unstable homotopy theory, classifying spaces, and equivariant homotopy and cohomology. Geometric topics--such as knot theory, divisors and configurations on surfaces, foliations, and Siegel spaces--are also discussed. Researchers wishing to follow current trends in algebraic topology will find this book a valuable resource.
