Geometry and topology are subjects generally considered to be "pure" mathematics. Recently, however, some of the methods and results in these two areas have found new utility in both wet-lab science (biology and chemistry) and theoretical physics. Conversely, science is influencing mathematics, from posing questions that call for the construction of mathematical models to exporting theoretical methods of attack on long-standing problems of mathematical interest. Based on an AMS Short Course held in January 1992, this book contains six introductory articles on these intriguing new connections. There are articles by a chemist and a biologist about mathematics, and four articles by mathematicians writing about science and mathematics involved. Because this book communicates the excitement and utility of mathematics research at an elementary level, it is an excellent textbook in an advanced undergraduate mathematics course.

Geometry and topology are subjects generally considered to be pure mathematics. However, some of the methods and results in these two areas have found uses in both wet-lab science (biology and chemistry) and theoretical physics. Conversely, science is influencing mathematics, from posing questions that call for the construction of mathematical models to exporting theoretical methods of attack on long-standing problems of mathematical interest. Based on an AMS Short Course held in January 1992, this book contains six introductory articles on these intriguing connections. There are articles by a chemist and a biologist about mathematics, and four articles by mathematicians writing about science and mathematics involved. Because this collection communicates the utility of mathematics research at an elementary level, it should be a useful textbook for an advanced undergraduate mathematics course.

Although contact geometry and topology is briefly discussed in V I Arnol''d''s book Mathematical Methods of Classical Mechanics (Springer-Verlag, 1989, 2nd edition), it still remains a domain of research in pure mathematics, e.g. see the recent monograph by H Geiges An Introduction to Contact Topology (Cambridge U Press, 2008). Some attempts to use contact geometry in physics were made in the monograph Contact Geometry and Nonlinear Differential Equations (Cambridge U Press, 2007). Unfortunately, even the excellent style of this monograph is not sufficient to attract the attention of the physics community to this type of problems. This book is the first serious attempt to change the existing status quo. In it we demonstrate that, in fact, all branches of theoretical physics can be rewritten in the language of contact geometry and topology: from mechanics, thermodynamics and electrodynamics to optics, gauge fields and gravity; from physics of liquid crystals to quantum mechanics and quantum computers, etc. The book is written in the style of famous Landau-Lifshitz (L-L) multivolume course in theoretical physics. This means that its readers are expected to have solid background in theoretical physics (at least at the level of the L-L course). No prior knowledge of specialized mathematics is required. All needed new mathematics is given in the context of discussed physical problems. As in the L-L course some problems/exercises are formulated along the way and, again as in the L-L course, these are always supplemented by either solutions or by hints (with exact references). Unlike the L-L course, though, some definitions, theorems, and remarks are also presented. This is done with the purpose of stimulating the interest of our readers in deeper study of subject matters discussed in the text.

Tim Maudlin sets out a completely new method for describing the geometrical structure of spaces, and thus a better mathematical tool for describing and understanding space-time. He presents a historical review of the development of geometry and topology, and then his original Theory of Linear Structures.

Ever since the literary works of Capek and Asimov, mankind has been fascinated by the idea of robots. Modern research in robotics reveals that along with many other branches of mathematics, topology has a fundamental role to play in making these grand ideas a reality. This volume summarizes recent progress in the field of topological robotics--a new discipline at the crossroads of topology, engineering and computer science. Currently, topological robotics is developing in two main directions. On one hand, it studies pure topological problems inspired by robotics and engineering. On the other hand, it uses topological ideas, topological language, topological philosophy, and specially developed tools of algebraic topology to solve problems of engineering and computer science. Examples of research in both these directions are given by articles in this volume, which is designed to be a mixture of various interesting topics of pure mathematics and practical engineering.