Description
Book SynopsisThe Rogers--Ramanujan identities are a pair of infinite seriesinfinite product identities that were first discovered in 1894. Over the past several decades these identities, and identities of similar type, have found applications in number theory, combinatorics, Lie algebra and vertex operator algebra theory, physics (especially statistical mechanics), and computer science (especially algorithmic proof theory). Presented in a coherant and clear way, this will be the first book entirely devoted to the RogersRamanujan identities and will include related historical material that is unavailable elsewhere.
Trade ReviewThis one-of-a-kind text, best suited for graduate level students and above, focuses exclusively on the Rogers-Ramanujan identities and their history. These two identities from number theory involve both infinite series and infinite products. The identities were independently discovered by Leonard James Rogers (1894 with proof), Srinivasa Ramanujan (before 1913 without proof), and Issai Schur (1917 with proof). The identities are relevant to the study of integer partitions, Lie algebras, statistical mechanics, computer science, and several other areas. Sills (Georgia Southern Univ.) begins with a review of partition theory and hypergeometric series. In the next two chapters, he moves on to prove the Rogers-Ramanujan identities and to explain their combinatorial aspects, as well as related identities and extensions. The final two chapters treat applications including continued fractions and knot theory. One appendix lists 236 related identities. A second appendix enhances the book's historical utility by providing transcriptions of letters between key researchers from 1943 to 1961. The book also includes more than 60 enlightening exercises.
—D. P. Turner, Faulkner University, CHOICE Reviews
"In recent years ¿-series have arisen in knot theory, and Sills discusses a few ¿-series that arise in the study of certain simple fundamental knots. While there have been systematic discussions of many of the topics mentioned above in various books, monographs, and survey articles, Sills’s book is the first comprehensive discussion of R-R type identities in all their forms, describing the state of the art. Since the subject is so vast, he does not provide proofs for most of the identities discussed, but he provides an interesting and illuminating historical context for each topic, gives good motivation, and describes the key ideas underlying the proofs. He also provides a substantial number of references that will lead both the studen
Table of ContentsBackground and the Pre-History. The Golden Age and its Modern Legacy. Infinite Families...Everywhere! From Infinite to Finite. Motivated Proofs, Connections to Lie Algebras, and More Identities. But wait...there's more!
