Based on lectures given at an instructional course, this volume enables readers with a basic knowledge of functional analysis to access key research in the field. The authors survey several areas of current interest, making this volume ideal preparatory reading for students embarking on graduate work as well as for mathematicians working in related areas.

1. Banach algebras; 2. Harmonic analysis and amenability; 3. Invariant subspaces; 4. Local spectral theory; 5. Single-valued extension property and Fredholm theory.