Elementary Topics in Differential Geometry (Undergraduate Texts in Mathematics) - Hardcover

Thorpe, John A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 3540903577 ISBN 13: 9783540903574

Publisher: Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & Co. K, 1994

Synopsis

This introductory text develops the geometry of n-dimensional oriented surfaces in Rn+1. By viewing such surfaces as level sets of smooth functions, the author is able to introduce global ideas early without the need for preliminary chapters developing sophisticated machinery. The calculus of vector fields is used as the primary tool in developing the theory. Co-ordinate patches are introduced only after preliminary discussions of geodesics, parallel transport, curvature, and convexity. Differential forms are introduced only as needed for use in integration. The text, which draws significantly on students' prior knowledge of linear algebra, multivariate calculus, and differential equations, is designed for a one-semester course at the junior/senior level.

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Edition details

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & Co. K
• Publication date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3540903577
• ISBN 13: 9783540903574
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 4
• Number of pages: 266