The Centre de recherches mathematiques (CRM) was created in 1968 by the
Universite de Montreal to promote research in the mathematical sciences.
It is now a national institute that hosts several groups and holds
special theme years, summer schools, workshops, and a post-doctoral
program. The focus of its scientific activities ranges from pure to
applied mathematics and includes statistics, theoretical computer
science, mathemat- ical methods in biology and life sciences, and
mathematical and theoretical physics. The CRM also promotes
collaboration be- tween mathematicians and industry. It is subsidized by
the Nat- ural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the
Fonds FCAR of the Province of Quebec, the Canadian Institute for
Advanced Research, and has private endowments. Current activities,
fellowships, and annual reports can be found on the CRM Web page at www.
CRM. UMontreal. CA. The CRM Series in Mathematical Physics includes
mono- graphs, lecture notes, and proceedings based on research pur- sued
and on events held at the CRM. Yvan Saint-Aubin Montreal Preface This
monograph is derived from a series of six lectures which were given at
the Centre de recherches mathematiques (CRM) in Montreal, in March and
June 2000, while the author was holder of the Aisenstadt Chair. Precis
During the March 2000 meeting of the Workshop on Strings, Du- ality, and
Geometry in Montreal, Canada, three lectures were delivered on topics in
fluid mechanics, while the author was holder of the Aisenstadt Chair.