The second volume of the Geometry of Algebraic Curves is devoted to the
foundations of the theory of moduli of algebraic curves. Its authors are
research mathematicians who have actively participated in the
development of the Geometry of Algebraic Curves. The subject is an
extremely fertile and active one, both within the mathematical community
and at the interface with the theoretical physics community. The
approach is unique in its blending of algebro-geometric, complex
analytic and topological/combinatorial methods. It treats important
topics such as Teichmüller theory, the cellular decomposition of moduli
and its consequences and the Witten conjecture. The careful and
comprehensive presentation of the material is of value to students who
wish to learn the subject and to experts as a reference source.
The first volume appeared 1985 as vol. 267 of the same series.