Riemann Surfaces and Algebraic Curves : A First Course in Hurwitz Theory (Hardcover)

Introduction; 1. From complex analysis to Riemann surfaces; 2. Introduction to manifolds; 3. Riemann surfaces; 4. Maps of Riemann surfaces; 5. Loops and lifts; 6. Counting maps; 7. Counting monodromy representations; 8. Representation theory of Sd; 9. Hurwitz numbers and Z(Sd); 10. The Hurwitz potential; Appendix A. Hurwitz theory in positive characteristic; Appendix B. Tropical Hurwitz numbers; Appendix C. Hurwitz spaces; Appendix D. Does physics have anything to say about Hurwitz numbers?; References; Index.