The theory and applications of harmonic integrals

W. V. D. Hodge9780521358811, 0521358817

First published in 1941, this book, by one of the foremost geometers of his day, rapidly became a classic. In its original form the book constituted a section of Hodge’s essay for which the Adam’s prize of 1936 was awarded, but the author substantially revised and rewrote it. The book begins with an exposition of the geometry of manifolds and the properties of integrals on manifolds. The remainder of the book is then concerned with the application of the theory of harmonic integrals to other branches of mathematics, particularly to algebraic varieties and to continuous groups. Differential geometers and workers in allied subjects will welcome this reissue both for its lucid account of the subject and for its historical value. For this paperback edition, Professor Sir Michael Atiyah has written a foreword that sets Hodges work in its historical context and relates it briefly to developments.