I.M.Gelfand, one of the leading contemporary mathematicians, largely
determined the modern view of functional analysis with its numerous
relations to other branches of mathematics, including mathematical
physics, algebra, topology, differential geometry and analysis. With the
publication of these Collected Papers in three volumes Gelfand gives
a representative choice of his papers written in the last fifty years.
Gelfand's research led to the development of remarkable mathematical
theories - most now classics - in the field of Banach algebras,
infinite-dimensional representations of Lie groups, the inverse
Sturm-Liouville problem, cohomology of infinite-dimensional Lie
algebras, integral geometry, generalized functions and general
hypergeometric functions. The corresponding papers form the major part
of the Collected Papers. Some articles on numerical methods and
cybernetics as well as a few on biology are included. A substantial part
of the papers have been translated into English especially for this
edition. This edition is rounded off by a preface by S.G.Gindikin, a
contribution by V.I.Arnold and an extensive bibliography with almost 500
references. Gelfand's Collected Papers will provide stimulating and
serendipitous reading for researchers in a multitude of mathematical
disciplines.