Mathematics 256A Fall 2012

Professor: Richard Borcherds

Office hours: Tuesday, Thursday 2:00-3:30 927 Evans Hall

Our class meets in TuTh 12:30-02:00P, 81 EVANS. This is the course home page (address http://math.berkeley.edu/~reb/256A). The course control number is 54451.

Catalogue Description: Mathematics 256A

Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisites: 250A-250B for 256A; 256A for 256B. Affine and projective algebraic varieties. Theory of schemes and morphisms of schemes. Smoothness and differentials in algebraic geometry. Coherent sheaves and their cohomology. Riemann-Roch theorem and selected applications. Sequence begins fall.

Textbook and course notes:

The textbook is Algebraic geometry by Hartshorne. We will cover much of chapters 1 (varieties) and parts of chapters 2 and 4. .

Background reading

The book Commutative algebra with a view towards algebraic geometry by Eisenbud covers the commutative algebra we need. The older book Introduction to commutative algebra by Atiyah and Macdonald is also fine. The ultimate reference is Grothendieck's FGA, EGA, and SGA. Other online books or notes at about the same level as this course include:

Grading.

Possibly based on homework and a take-home final.

Homework:

The grader for the course is ???. Put homework in his mailbox by Thursday the week after it is assigned. Links related to the course: