Graph theory is a young but rapidly maturing subject. Even during the quarter of a century that I lectured on it in Cambridge, it changed considerably, and I have found that there is a clear need for a text which introduces the reader not only to the well-established results, but to many of the newer developments as well. It is hoped that this volume will go some way towards satisfying that need.
H-J Stockmann was born in 1945 in Gottingen, Germany. He started his studies in physics and mathematics in 1964 at the University of Heidelberg. He performed his diploma work in experimental physics, on Optical spectroscopy which the finished in 1969. For his doctoral work he changed to nuclear solid state physics, with experiments at the research reactor of the Kernforschungszentrum karlsruhe.
The author's book on GewShnliche Differentialgleichungen (Ordinary Differential Equations) was published in 1972. The present book is based on a translation of the latest, 6th, edition, which appeared in 1996, but it also treats some important subjects that are not found there. The German book is widely used as a textbook for a first course in ordinary differential equations. This is a rigorous course, and it contains some material that is more difficult than that usually found in a first course textbook; such as, for example, Peano's existence theorem. It is addressed to students of mathematics, physics, and computer science and is usually taken in the third semester. Let me remark here that in the German system the student learns calculus of one variable at the gymnasium1 and begins at the university with a two-semester course on real analysis which is usually followed by ordinary differential equations.