Global Variational Analysis

This book builds upon the revolutionary discovery made in 1974 that when one passes from function f to a function J of paths joining two points A1?A1 the connectivities R1 of the domain of f can be replaced by connectivities R1 over Q, common to the pathwise components of a basic Frechet space of classes of equivalent curves joining A1 to A1. The connectivities R1, termed "Frechet numbers," are proved independent of the choice of A1 ? A1, and of a replacement of Mn by any differential manifold homeomorphic to Mn. Originally published in 1976. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.