Operator theory has come of age during the last twenty years. The subject has developed in several directions using new and powerful methods that have led to the solution of basic problems previously thought to be inaccessible. In addition, operator theory has had fundamental connections with a range of other mathematical topics. For example, operator theory has made mutually enriching contacts with other areas of mathematics, such as algebraic topology and index theory, complex analysis, and probability theory. The algebraic methods employed in operator theory are diverse and touch upon a broad area of mathematics. There have been direct applications of operator theory to systems theory and statistical mechanics. And significant problems and motivations have arisen from the subject's traditional underpinnings for partial differential equations.

This two-volume set contains the proceedings of an AMS Summer Institute on Operator Theory/Operator Algebras, held in July 1988 at the University of New Hampshire. The Institute sought to summarize progress and examine the common points of view that now run through the subject. With contributions from some of the top experts in the field, this publication illuminates a broad range of current research topics in operator theory.