The topic is clear from the title. The author of this monograph has attempted to be at once as clear and as complete as possible, and to serve the needs both of mathematicians and of physicists. For all the effort he has given to (the very French conception of) clarity, some physicists at any rate are likely to find the going sometimes rather difficult. But the topic is so important, and the author provides readers with so many opportunities to get back on track, that the book is likely to enjoy a large (if specialized) readership, and to contribute to the up-graded sophistication of a generation of physicists. (NW) Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.
