Conics and Cubics - A Concrete Introduction to Algebraic Curves

Conics and Cubics offers an accessible and well illustrated introduction to algebraic curves. By classifying irreducible cubics over the real numbers and proving that their points form Abelian groups, the book gives readers easy access to the study of elliptic curves. It includes a simple proof of Bezout's Theorem on the number of intersections of two curves. The subject area is described by means of concrete and accessible examples. The book is a text for a one-semester course.