A Guide to Plane Algebraic Curves

This is an informal and accessible introduction to plane algebraic curves that also serves as a natural entry point to algebraic geometry. There is a unifying theme to the book: give curves enough living space and beautiful theorems will follow. This book provides the reader with a solid intuition for the subject, while at the same time keeping the exposition simple and understandable, by introducing abstract concepts with concrete examples and pictures. It can be used as the text for an undergraduate course on plane algebraic curves, or as a companion to algebraic geometry at graduate level. This book is accessible to those with a limited mathematical background. This is because for those outside mathematics there is a growing need for an entrée to algebraic geometry, a need created by the ever-expanding role algebraic geometry is playing in areas ranging from biology to chemistry and robotics to cryptology.