There have been remarkably few systematic expositions of the theory of derived categories since its inception in the work of Grothendieck and Verdier in the 1960s. This book is the first in-depth treatment of this important component of homological algebra. It carefully explains the foundations in detail before moving on to key applications in commutative and noncommutative algebra, many otherwise unavailable outside of research articles. These include commutative and noncommutative dualizing complexes, perfect DG modules, and tilting DG bimodules. Written with graduate students in mind, the emphasis here is on explicit constructions (with many examples and exercises) as opposed to axiomatics, with the goal of demystifying this difficult subject. Beyond serving as a thorough introduction for students, it will serve as an important reference for researchers in algebra, geometry and mathematical physics.

‘The book is perfectly suited for the interested graduate student with plenty of explicit constructions, examples and exercises. In addition to being a thorough introduction to the subject, the book is a monograph filled with applications otherwise available only in research articles.’

Felipe Zaldiva Source: MAA Reviews

‘This is a clear, well-motivated book which gives a leisurely exposition of the theory of derived categories, describing many concepts and results which were previously scattered in the literature.’

Hollis Williams Source: Mathematics Today

‘Individuals hoping to learn about derived categories from the ground up (and willing to commit a significant amount of time to the process) will find that this book provides a solid foundation for the topic. Researchers already familiar with some of the theory may benefit from reading this linear development of derived categories, as it also offers a number of enlightening historical and contextual remarks along the way.’

Peder Thompson Source: Mathematical Reviews