An unusual conference on the foundations of geometry was held in 1974 at the University of Toronto. It lasted from July 17 to August 18, a full four and a half weeks.

At most conferences contributors are asked to give a single lecture on their research; at this one a select group of leading geometers from Canada, the United States, West Germany, and other countries were invited to report at length on their recent advances. Most of these reports (with the exception of three longer series by Professors Bachmann, Lingenberg, and Tits) have been collected in this volume. The material is largely either entirely new or presented in a new way; at the very least it has not previously been conveniently accessible.

The lectures and the conference have already led to significant progress, and it is hoped that publication will stimulate research of equal relevance. Intended for other specialists in geometry and for research and university libraries, this book is also of interest to pre- and post-doctoral students working in geometry of group theory.

P. SCHERK is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Toronto.

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