Topics in Modern Geometry 3 (MATH30001)

12/13 Go
Academic Year:

Contents of this document:

 Administrative information
 Unit aims, General Description, and Relation to Other Units
 Teaching methods and Learning objectives
 Assessment methods and Award of credit points
 Transferable skills
 Texts and Syllabus

Administrative Information
1. Unit number and title: MATH30001 Topics in Modern Geometry 3
2. Level: H/6
3. Credit point value: 10 credit points
4. Year: 12/13
5. First Given in this form: 2012
6. Unit Organiser: Thomas Jordan
7. Lecturer: Andrew Barwell, Oliver Gray and Tony Nixon
8. Teaching block: 1
9. Prerequisites: MATH20200 (Metric Spaces) and MATH21800 (Algebra 2). MATH33300 (Group Theory) is helpful but not
essential. Students may not take this unit if they have taken the corresponding Level M/7 unit Topics in Modern Geometry
34.

Unit aims

To provide an introduction to various types of geometries which are all central to modern research. The unit will look at non-

Euclidean geometries and also at algebraic geometry and in particular will look at areas very relevant to recent research.

General Description of the Unit

Geometry is a very significant part of several areas of mathematics and also has important applications to physics. The

development of different geometries has been an important theme throughout the history of mathematics and is very relevant to

current research. The unit will start by giving the key definitions of topological groups, discrete groups and manifolds, with several

examples given to illustrate the definitions. The unit will then look at spherical geometry and hyperbolic geometry, as illustrations

of non-Euclidean geometries. Finally the unit will give an introduction to algebraic curves and introduce the concept of a Lie

group, both of these will be illustrated with several examples.

Relation to Other Units

The course expands ideas introduced in Metric Spaces (Math 20200) and Algebra 2 (Math21800), and has relations to Group

Theory (Math 33300) and Algebraic Topology (Math M1200).

Teaching Methods

Lectures, including examples and revision classes, supported by lecture notes with problem sets and model solutions.

Learning Objectives

Students who successfully complete the unit should:

 be able to clearly define topological groups, discrete groups and manifolds and be familiar with examples of all three;

 use techniques from abstract algebra and mathematical analysis to solve problems in geometry;

 be familiar with aspects of Lie groups;

 be familiar with aspects of algebraic curves.

Assessment Methods
The final assessment mark will be entirely based on a 1½-hour written examination in April consisting of THREE questions. A

candidate's best TWO answers will be used for assessment. Calculators are NOT permitted in this examination.

Award of Credit Points

Credit points for the unit are gained by passing the unit (i.e. getting a final assessment mark of 40 or over).

Transferable Skills

Using an abstract framework to better understand how to attack a concrete problem.

Texts

Lecture notes and handouts will be provided covering all the main material.

The following supplementary texts provide additional background reading:

Hyperbolic geometry, James W. Anderson, Springer, 2007.

The geometry of discrete groups, Alan F. Beardon, Springer, 1983.

Fuchsian groups, Svetlana Katok, University of Chicago Press, 1992.

Complex algebraic curves, Frances Kirwan, Cambridge University Press, 1992.

Algebraic curves: an introduction to algebraic geometry, William Fulton, Benjamin/Cummings Publishing, 1969.

Lie groups: an introduction through linear groups, Wulf Rossmann, Oxford University Press, 2002.

Introduction to metric and topological spaces, W.A. Sutherland, Oxford University Press, 1975.

General Topology, S. Williard, Dover 1970.

Differential forms and connections, R.W.R. Darling, Cambridge University Press, 1970.

Lie groups, Lie algebras and representations, B. C. Hall, Springer graduate texts in mathematics.

Syllabus

General topology: definitions and examples.

Topological groups: definitions and examples.

 Discrete groups: definitions and examples

Manifolds: definitions and examples

In addition some of the following topics may be covered

Spherical geometry

Hyperbolic geometry

Algebraic curves

Lie groups and Lie algebras

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