Quantum symmetry modelled through quantum group or its dual, quantum algebra, is a very active field of relevant physical and mathematical research stimulated often by physical intuition and with promising physical applications. This volume gives some information on the progress of this field during the years after the quantum group workshop in Clausthal 1989. Quantum symmetry is connected with very different approaches and views. The field is not yet coherent; there are different notions of quantum groups and of quantum algebras through algebraic deformations of groups and algebras. Hence its development has various directions following more special mathematical and physical interests.

Quantum groups are a generalization of the classical Lie groups and Lie algebras and provide a natural extension of the concept of symmetry fundamental to physics. This monograph is a survey of the major developments in quantum groups, using an original approach based on the fundamental concept of a tensor operator. Using this concept, properties of both the algebra and co-algebra are developed from a single uniform point of view, which is especially helpful for understanding the noncommuting co-ordinates of the quantum plane, which we interpret as elementary tensor operators. Representations of the q-deformed angular momentum group are discussed, including the case where q is a root of unity, and general results are obtained for all unitary quantum groups using the method of algebraic induction. Tensor operators are defined and discussed with examples, and a systematic treatment of the important (3j) series of operators is developed in detail. This book is a good reference for graduate students in physics and mathematics.

The following topics are discussed in this volume: recent developments in operator theory, coherent states and wavelet analysis, geometric and topological methods in theoretical physics and quantum field theory, and applications of these methods of mathematical physics to problems in atomic and molecular physics as well as the world of the elementary particles and their fundamental interactions. Two extensive sets of lecture notes on quantization techniques in general, and quantum gauge theories and strings as an avenue towards quantum geometry, are also included. The volume should be of interest to anyone working in a field using the mathematical methods associated with any of these topics.

The following topics are discussed in this volume: recent developments in operator theory, coherent states and wavelet analysis, geometric and topological methods in theoretical physics and quantum field theory, and applications of these methods of mathematical physics to problems in atomic and molecular physics as well as the world of the elementary particles and their fundamental interactions. Two extensive sets of lecture notes on quantization techniques in general, and quantum gauge theories and strings as an avenue towards quantum geometry, are also included. The volume should be of interest to anyone working in a field using the mathematical methods associated with any of these topics.

The COPROMAPH Conference series has now evolved into a significant international arena where fundamental concepts in mathematical and theoretical physics and their physics applications can be conceived, developed and disseminated. Basic ideas for addressing a variety of contemporary problems in mathematical and theoretical physics are presented in a nonintimidating atmosphere. Experts provide the reader the fundamentals to predict new possibilities in physics and other fields.The proceedings have been selected for coverage in:• Index to Scientific & Technical Proceedings® (ISTP® / ISI Proceedings)• Index to Scientific & Technical Proceedings (ISTP CDROM version / ISI Proceedings)• CC Proceedings — Engineering & Physical Sciences

This volume contains material submitted to a symposium on mathematical physics in July 1993 at the Technical University of Clausthal. It focuses on mathematical and physical notions of symmetries, especially on generalized and quantum symmetries (quantum groups and algebras) with applications to integrable systems, quasi-exact solvability, quantization methods and nonlinear problems. The workshop is a continuation of the series of meetings and workshops on mathematical physics in Clausthal which brings together mathematicians, theoretical and mathematical physicists working in the different parts of generalized symmetries. Recent developments in the mathematical structure and physical applications of generalized symmetries are discussed.

The COPROMAPH Conference series has now evolved into a significant international arena where fundamental concepts in mathematical and theoretical physics and their applications can be conceived, developed and disseminated. The contributions in this volume address a variety of contemporary problems in mathematical and theoretical physics.

The seminar on Stochastic Analysis and Mathematical Physics started in 1984 at the Catholic University of Chile in Santiago and has been an on going research activity. Since 1995, the group has organized international workshops as a way of promoting a broader dialogue among experts in the areas of classical and quantum stochastic analysis, mathematical physics and physics. This volume, consisting primarily of contributions to the Third Inter national Workshop on Stochastic Analysis and Mathematical Physics (in Spanish ANESTOC), held in Santiago, Chile, in October 1998, focuses on an analysis of quantum dynamics and related problems in probability the ory. Various articles investigate quantum dynamical semigroups and new results on q-deformed oscillator algebras, while others examine the appli cation of classical stochastic processes in quantum modeling. As in previous workshops, the topic of quantum flows and semigroups occupied an important place. In her paper, R. Carbone uses a spectral type analysis to obtain exponential rates of convergence towards the equilibrium of a quantum dynamical semigroup in the £2 sense. The method is illus trated with a quantum extension of a classical birth and death process. Quantum extensions of classical Markov processes lead to subtle problems of domains. This is in particular illustrated by F. Fagnola, who presents a pathological example of a semigroup for which the largest * -subalgebra (of the von Neumann algebra of bounded linear operators of £2 (lR+, IC)), con tained in the domain of its infinitesimal generator, is not a-weakly dense.

The international conference on which the book is based brought together many of the world's leading experts, with particular effort on the interaction between established scientists and emerging young promising researchers, as well as on the interaction of pure and applied mathematics. All material has been rigorously refereed. The contributions contain much material developed after the conference, continuing research and incorporating additional new results and improvements. In addition, some up-to-date surveys are included.

This is the fourth conference on “Supersymmetry and Perturbation Theory” (SPT 2002). The proceedings present original results and state-of-the-art reviews on topics related to symmetry, integrability and perturbation theory, etc.