Sc-smoothness, retractions and new models for smooth spaces (Q983461)

In several previous papers [J. Eur. Math. Soc. 9, 841--876 (2007; Zbl 1149.53053); Geom. Funct. Anal. 19, 206--293 (2009; Zbl 1217.58005); Geom. Topol. 13, 2279--2387 (2009; Zbl 1185.58002)], the authors have described a generalization of differential geometry based on the notion of splicings. The associated Fredholm theory in polyfolds is crucial in symplectic field theory, and also has applications to Floer theory, Gromov-Witten theory and the study of families of elliptic pde's on varying domains. A key step in the generalization of differential geometry is new notion of differentiability, called sc-smoothness. In the article under review the authors describe these ideas and provide some of the hard analysis results, which enter the polyfolds constructions in symplectic field theory. The concepts are illustrated by holomorphic mappings between conformal cylinders which break apart as the modulus tends to infinity.