This book is the first of a multivolume series devoted to an exposition of functional analysis methods in modern mathematical physics. It describes the fundamental principles of functional analysis and is essentially self-contained, although there are occasional references to later volumes. We have included a few applications when we thought that they would provide motivation for the reader. Later volumes describe various advanced topics in functional analysis and give numerous applications in classical physics, modern physics, and partial differential equations.

BESTSELLER of the XXth Century in Mathematical Physics voted on by participants of the XIIIth International Congress on Mathematical PhysicsThis revision will make this book mroe attractive as a textbook in functional analysis. Further refinement of coverage of physical topics will also reinforce its well-established use as a course book in mathemtical physics.