Number Fields and Function Fields – Two Parallel Worlds

Ever since the analogy between number fields and function fields was discovered, it has been a source of inspiration for new ideas, and a long history has not in any way detracted from the appeal of the subject. As a deeper understanding of this analogy could have tremendous consequences, the search for a unified approach has become a sort of Holy Grail. The arrival of Arakelov's new geometry that tries to put the archimedean places on a par with the finite ones gave a new impetus and led to spe