Handbook of Algebra, Volume 3 (Handbook of Algebra)

Algebra, as we know it today, consists of many different ideas, concepts and results. An estimate of the number of these different "items" would be between 50,000 and 200,000. Many of these have been named and many more could have a "name" or a convenient designation. Even the non-specialist is likely to encounter most of these, either somewhere in the literature, disguised as a definition or a theorem or to hear about them and feel the need for more information. This handbook is designed to supply the necessary information in any of these cases. In addition to the primary information given in the handbook, there are references to relevant articles, books or lecture notes to help the reader. A particularly important function of the book is to provide professional mathematicians working in an area other than their own with sufficient information on the topic in question if and when it is needed.