stoutfellow

As I mentioned earlier, this semester I'm teaching a course on differential geometry. Now, close study of the subject involves the student in a lot of gritty and unpleasant computations. Still, there's stuff in there that can be described qualitatively, and I think some of it is rather interesting.

So here's what I'm thinking. If there's any interest, I'll compose a few posts touching on some highlights of the subject. It'll be strictly 19th-century material, and early 19th-century at that; the subject exploded once people like Riemann and Poincaré got their hands on it, and I really don't want to get into that. I'll discuss it qualitatively as far as possible, and I'll try to make that material self-contained, but I'll also include (for those who feel up to it) a few details to make precise what I'm talking about. Following the details will involve some calculus; those who aren't interested can skip them. (I'll set them off from the main text somehow, probably by blockquoting.)

Any takers?