Handbook of Algebra

Book excerpt: Handbook of Algebra defines algebra as consisting of many different ideas, concepts and results. Even the nonspecialist is likely to encounter most of these, either somewhere in the literature, disguised as a definition or a theorem or to hear about them and feel the need for more information. Each chapter of the book combines some of the features of both a graduate-level textbook and a research-level survey. This book is divided into eight sections. Section 1A focuses on linear algebra and discusses such concepts as matrix functions and equations and random matrices. Section 1B cover linear dependence and discusses matroids. Section 1D focuses on fields, Galois Theory, and algebraic number theory. Section 1F tackles generalizations of fields and related objects. Section 2A focuses on category theory, including the topos theory and categorical structures. Section 2B discusses homological algebra, cohomology, and cohomological methods in algebra. Section 3A focuses on commutative rings and algebras. Finally, Section 3B focuses on associative rings and algebras. This book will be of interest to mathematicians, logicians, and computer scientists.