Seiberg-Witten gauge theory (Q5918073)

This book is one of many introductions to Seiberg-Witten theory written shortly after the new equations were introduced in 1994. Since M. Marcolli is one of the people who worked on the Seiberg-Witten Floer theory, it is not surprising that this book has a large chapter on the Seiberg-Witten theory of 3-manifolds. This is one of the main differences between this book and other introductions to Seiberg-Witten theory. The other thing that sets this book apart is the extensive bibliography. M. Marcolli included every paper that she could find related to Seiberg-Witten gauge theory written between 1994 and 1998. The main bibliography was divided into eleven different parts and there are additional bibliographies after two of the chapters. This means that one must be careful to pick the correct reference number 11, when referred to reference 11. This book touches upon many different topics related to Seiberg-Witten theory. There is not room in the 200 pages to cover all the necessary details. The author's intent was to provide a guide on `how to approach the study of Seiberg-Witten gauge theory'. This book will certainly give the reader a taste of many different topics and serve as a guide to the literature.