• ISBN13: 9783642078101
• Binding: Paperback
• Subject: N/A
• Publisher: Springer
• Publisher Imprint: Springer
• Publication Date: November 16, 2010
• Pages: 595
• Original Price: EUR 149.99
• Language: English
• Edition: N/A
• Item Weight: 911 grams
• BISAC Subject(s): Algebra / General, Topology, and Algebra / Abstract

In algebraic topology some classical invariants - such as Betti numbers and Reidemeister torsion - are defined for compact spaces and finite group actions. They can be generalized using von Neumann algebras and their traces, and applied also to non-compact spaces and infinite groups. These new L2-invariants contain very interesting and novel information and can be applied to problems arising in topology, K-Theory, differential geometry, non-commutative geometry and spectral theory. It is particularly these interactions with different fields that make L2-invariants very powerful and exciting. The book presents a comprehensive introduction to this area of research, as well as its most recent results and developments. It is written in a way which enables the reader to pick out a favourite topic and to find the result she or he is interested in quickly and without being forced to go through other material.