Irving Kaplansky Reihenfolge der Bücher

In the Introduction to this concise monograph, the author states his two main goals: first, "to make the theory of infinite abelian groups available in a convenient form to the mathematical public; second, to help students acquire some of the techniques used in modern infinite algebra." Suitable for advanced undergraduates and graduate students in mathematics, the text requires no extensive background beyond the rudiments of group theory. Starting with examples of abelian groups, the treatment explores torsion groups, Zorn's lemma, divisible groups, pure subgroups, groups of bounded order, and direct sums of cyclic groups. Subsequent chapters examine Ulm's theorem, modules and linear transformations, Banach spaces, valuation rings, torsion-free and complete modules, algebraic compactness, characteristic submodules, and the ring of endomorphisms. Many exercises appear throughout the book, along with a guide to the literature and a detailed bibliography.

The author of this text seeks to remedy a common failing in teaching algebra: the neglect of related instruction in geometry. Focusing on inner product spaces, orthogonal similarity, and elements of geometry, this volume is illustrated with an abundance of examples, exercises, and proofs and is suitable for both undergraduate and graduate courses. 1974 edition.

It is not often that one gets to write a preface to a collection of one's own papers. The most urgent task is to thank the people who made this book possible. That means first of all Hy Bass who, on behalf of Springer-Verlag, approached me about the idea. The late Walter Kaufmann-Biihler was very encouraging; Paulo Ribenboim helped in an important way; and Ina Lindemann saw the project through with tact and skill that I deeply appreciate. My wishes have been indulged in two ways. First, I was allowed to follow up each selected paper with an afterthought. Back in my student days I became aware of the Gesammelte Mathematische Werke of Dedekind, edited by Fricke, Noether, and Ore. I was impressed by the editors' notes that followed most of the papers and found them very usefuL A more direct model was furnished by the collected papers of Lars Ahlfors, in which the author himself supplied afterthoughts for each paper or group of papers. These were tough acts to follow, but I hope that some readers will find at least some of my afterthoughts interesting. Second, I was permitted to add eight previously unpublished items. My model here, to a certain extent, was the charming little book, A Mathematician's Miscel lany by J. E. Littlewood. In picking these eight I had quite a selection to make -from fourteen loose-leaf notebooks of such writings. Here again I hope that at least some will be found to be of interest.