Can anyone recommend some books talking about differential forms ?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around recommendations for books on differential forms, with participants seeking guidance on where to start and which texts are most useful for learning this mathematical concept. The scope includes introductory and advanced texts, as well as resources for geometric understanding.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest "Advanced calculus: A differential forms approach" by Harold M. Edwards and "A Geometric Approach to Differential Forms" by David Bachman as useful starting points.
  • One participant highlights Bachman's book for its geometric understanding and mentions Henri Cartan's book as more advanced but also outstanding.
  • Another participant recommends "Introduction to Smooth Manifolds" by John M. Lee for its good coverage of forms.
  • A link to a course page is shared, suggesting that downloading the notes and reading Weinstraub's book could provide a solid introduction.
  • One participant lists several books they are considering, indicating that they believe these texts are good introductory resources worth checking out.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the value of specific texts for learning differential forms, but there is no consensus on a single best resource, as multiple recommendations are provided.

Contextual Notes

Some recommendations are based on personal experiences and preferences, which may vary in terms of difficulty and focus. The discussion does not resolve which book is definitively the best starting point.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in learning about differential forms, particularly those seeking introductory and advanced texts in mathematics.

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As in the title , I recently somehow want to learn differential form , but ,actually , I do not really know where I should start , or what books I should read ..

So,can anyone recommend some useful books ?
 
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abcdefg10645 said:
As in the title , I recently somehow want to learn differential form , but ,actually , I do not really know where I should start , or what books I should read ..

So,can anyone recommend some useful books ?

"Advanced calculus: A differential forms approach", by Harold M. Edwards

"A Geometric Approach to Differential Forms", by David Bachman
 
Bachman's book is excellent for a geometric understanding. The book of Henri Cartan is also outstanding, but more advanced than Bachman. I myself first overcame my fear of forms by reading the elementary exposition by Harley Flanders in an MAA book on global geometry.
 
The stuff about forms in "Introduction to smooth manifolds" by John M. Lee is very good.
 
Have a look at this link: http://www.math.cornell.edu/~sjamaar/classes/3210/
I would download the notes and get Weinstraub's book which is excellent as introduction.
 
 
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sponsoredwalk,
Have a look at this link: http://www.math.cornell.edu/~sjamaar/classes/3210/
I would download the notes and get Weinstraub's book which is excellent as introduction.
 

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