An introduction to Morse theory

This book introduces basic concepts related to finite dimensions, including critical points, the Hessian, and handle decompressions. It first uses surfaces to illustrate these ideas, and then generalizes them to apply to higher dimensions. This treatment then informs a discussion of handlebodies, homology, and low-dimensional manifold theory. Illustrations are provided throughout. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)