The list of those to whom I am indebted is a long one. Prof. Neil
Wallace (University of Minnesota) stimulated my interest in the kind of
models with which the book deals. I am grateful for a large number of
conversations with him. I learned a lot from him and will always be
proud that I have been one of his student. I hope that he is not
dissappointed with the outcome. I am deeply indebted to Prof. Dr.
Hans-Werner Sinn (University of Munich). His observations and critical
remarks were instrumental for a great number of changes and improvements
which I was able to introduce while revising the manuscript again and
again, and rethinking the basic arguments. I also want to thank Prof.
Dr. Utta Gruber (University of Munich) for her helpful comments and for
her support. I am very much obliged to Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Hans Moller
(University of Munich). For many years I have had the honour of a nearly
continuous dialogue with him. I am also grateful to Prof. Dr. Werner
Gumpel (University). The stimulating atmosphere and the research
opportunities which were provided by his seminar contributed a lot to my
work. Finally I want to thank my wife Sigrid for looking through the
English draft of this book and correcting numerous linguistic flaws. The
remaining errors are of course mine. CONTENTS Page v Preface 1.
INTRODUCTION 1. 1.