No label defined (Q4023722)

The present book gives a detailed and thorough introduction to \(n\)- dimensional hyperbolic geometry. The approach is based on standard results of linear algebra (quadratic forms, Witt's theorem, Sylvester's law of inertia, Lorentz transformations,\(\dots)\) which are presented in the first chapter. This permits to introduce the various well-known models for a hyperbolic space like one sheet of a (two-sheeted) hyperboloid, Poincaré's half space or the ball model of Cayley- Klein. Special attention is paid to the hyperbolic plane. The material includes a complete classification of the isometries and this leads to the main themes of the book which are studied in detail: discrete groups of isometries of the hyperbolic plane. Fuchsian groups, fundamental domains, Poincaré's theorem for a polygon with side pairings to determine a discrete group of isometries. The final part of the book is devoted to special features of 3- dimensional hyperbolic geometry like its representation in terms of Hermitian 2 by 2 matrices. Each of the eight chapters closes with a collection of exercises. A short appendix is concerned with an axiomatic foundation of the hyperbolic plane.