Springer monographs in mathematics

This is an English translation of the now classic "Algèbre Locale - Multiplicités" originally published by Springer as LNM 11, in several editions since 1965. It gives a short account of the main theorems of commutative algebra, with emphasis on modules, homological methods and intersection multiplicities ("Tor-formula"). Many modifications to the original French text have been made by the author for this English edition: they make the text easier to read, without changing its intended informal character.

These notes, already well known in their original French edition, give the basic theory of semisimple Lie algebras over the complex numbers including the basic classification theorem. The author begins with a summary of the general properties of nilpotent, solvable, and semisimple Lie algebras. Subsequent chapters introduce Cartan subalgebras, root systems, and representation theory. The theory is illustrated by using the example of sln; in particular, the representation theory of sl2 is completely worked out. The last chapter discusses the connection between Lie algebras and Lie groups, and is intended to guide the reader towards further study.