Algebraic Geometry: An Introduction

Aimed primarily at graduate students and beginning researchers, this book provides an introduction to algebraic geometry that is particularly suitable for those with no previous contact with the subject; it assumes only the standard background of undergraduate algebra. It is developed from a masters course given at the Universit Paris-Sud, Orsay, and focuses on projective algebraic geometry over an algebraically closed base field. The book starts with easily-formulated problems with non-trivial solutions and uses these problems to introduce the fundamental tools of modern algebraic geometry: dimension; singularities; sheaves; varieties; and cohomology. The treatment uses as little commutative algebra as possible, the priority being to develop an understanding of the phenomena rather than a mastery of the technique. A range of exercises is provided for each topic discussed, and a selection of problems and exam papers are collected in an appendix to provide material for further study.