Homotopy Theory of Function Spaces and Related Topics

Book excerpt: This volume contains the proceedings of the Workshop on Homotopy Theory of Function Spaces and Related Topics, which was held at the Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach, in Germany, from April 5-11, 2009. This volume contains fourteen original research articles covering a broad range of topics that include: localization and rational homotopy theory, evaluation subgroups, free loop spaces, Whitehead products, spaces of algebraic maps, gauge groups, loop groups, operads, and string topology. In addition to reporting on various topics in the area, this volume is supposed to facilitate the exchange of ideas within Homotopy Theory of Function Spaces, and promote cross-fertilization between Homotopy Theory of Function Spaces and other areas. With these latter aims in mind, this volume includes a survey article which, with its extensive bibliography, should help bring researchers and graduate students up to speed on activity in this field as well as a problems list, which is an expanded and edited version of problems discussed in sessions held at the conference. The problems list is intended to suggest directions for future work.