No label defined (Q4386734)

In spite of its general title, this is basically an elementary textbook on the theory and applications of metric spaces. It consists of 21 chapters with the following headings: 1. Distances and metric spaces; 2. Normes and normed linear spaces; 3. Point sequences in a metric space; 4. Density and approximation in a metric space; 5. Closed sets in a metric space; 6. Open sets in a metric space; 7. Continuous maps; 8. Uniformly continuous maps and homeomorphisms; 9. Products of metric spaces and continuity; 10. Continuous linear maps; 11. Cauchy sequences, complete metric spaces, Banach and Hilbert spaces; 12. Complete metric spaces (continued); 13. Compact metric spaces (I); 14. Compact metric spaces (II); 15. Completion of a metric space, a normed linear space, and a pre-Hilbert space; 16. Applications of complete metric spaces (I): fixed points; 17. Applications of complete metric spaces (II): projections; 18. Real Hilbert spaces (I): Riesz theorem and beyond; 19. Real Hilbert spaces (II): Hilbert bases; 20. Connectedness; 21. Minimization of a quadratic form. From this table of contents it is clear that, apart from the last chapter which reflects more the author's interest in applied functional analysis, the topics covered in the book are standard. The text is addressed to freshmen and students who get in touch with topological notions for the first time. Accordingly, the presentation is very broad, and everything is explained in detail. The main advantage of the book consists in the large number (about 250) of exercises, ranging from obvious to difficult, which are in part equipped with hints, in part with complete solutions. The reviewer found the short biographies of all cited mathematicians particularly useful, as well as the detailed subject index and list of symbols at the end. In the Introduction, the author explains the two crucial questions ``What good for?'' and ``Who cares?'' which every author should pose himself, in such a way that reading is a real pleasure. The reviewer strongly hopes that this fine textbook will soon be translated into English to make it accessible to a larger readership (although it is also pleasant to see that -- in spite of the omnipresence of the English language -- excellent books for students appear from time to time in another language). As an amusing contribution to the never-ending question about the importance of applications, the author closes the Introduction by citing two prominent German mathematicians. ``The value of a mathematical field is determined by its applicability to empirical sciences'' (C. Runge during the defense of his doctoral dissertation in Berlin on April 23, 1880), and ``The value of a mathematical field cannot be determined by its applicability to empirical sciences'' (F. Rudio during the defense of his doctoral dissertation in Berlin on April 23, 1880). Of course, both are right.