Geometry - MX4549

One of the aims of the course is to understand the mathematical concept of curvature. We will do it, first by studying the geometry of plygonal surfaces, and then by looking at smooth surfaces in the Euclidean space.

Lecture notes - version March 27, 2018.

Weekly problems: Every section of the notes ends with a set of problems. You should try solve them before the tutorial. Come to the tutorial with questions about the problems you could not solve. By this I mean that you tried and spent at lest two hours on the problem and have at least five pages of notes with your unsuccessful attempts.

Lectures: Thursday, 10:00-11:00 and 15:00-16:00 (Fraser Noble 156)
Tutorial: Tuesday, 15:00-16:00 (Fraser Noble 156)

Reading: The course is partly based on the books 'Metric spaces of non-positive curvature' by M. Bridson and A. Haefliger and 'A course in differential geometry' by W. Klingenberg. Reading wikipedia articles about the concepts discussed in the course can be also helpful.

Additional reading, watching and playing:
Invitation to Alexandrov geometry: CAT[0] spaces by S. Alexander, V. Kapovich and A. Petrunin.
Wireframe, a program for drawing polygonal surfaces by Danny Calegari.
Dimensions by Jos Leys, Étienne Ghys and Aurélien Alvarez.
On being Thurstonized by Benson Farb.
Spaces and Questions by Misha Gromov.
Puzzles in geometry which I know and love by Anton Petrunin.



Examples of exam problems.