Differential Forms and Connections

This book introduces the tools of modern differential geometry--exterior calculus, manifolds, vector bundles, connections--and covers both classical surface theory, the modern theory of connections, and curvature. Also included is a chapter on applications to theoretical physics. The author uses the powerful and concise calculus of differential forms throughout. Through the use of numerous concrete examples, the author develops computational skills in the familiar Euclidean context before exposing the reader to the more abstract setting of manifolds. The only prerequisites are multivariate calculus and linear algebra; no knowledge of topology is assumed. Nearly 200 exercises make the book ideal for both classroom use and self-study for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in mathematics, physics, and engineering.