Slenderness: Volume 1, Abelian Categories

Slenderness is a concept relevant to the fields of algebra, set theory, and topology. This first book on the subject is systematically presented and largely self-contained, making it ideal for researchers and graduate students. The appendix gives an introduction to the necessary set theory, in particular to the (non-)measurable cardinals, to help the reader make smooth progress through the text. A detailed index shows the numerous connections among the topics treated. Every chapter has a historical section to show the original sources for results and the subsequent development of ideas, and is rounded off with numerous exercises. More than 100 open problems and projects are presented, ready to inspire the keen graduate student or researcher. Many of the results are appearing in print for the first time, and many of the older results are presented in a new light.