An introduction to K-theory for C*-algebras

the long version

"Over the last 25 years K-theory has become an integrated part of the study of C*-algebras. This book gives an elementary introduction to this interesting and rapidly growing area of mathematics. Fundamental to K-theory is the association of a pair of Abelian groups, K0(A) and K1(A), to each C*-algebra A. These groups reflect the properties of A in many ways. This book covers the basic properties of the functors K0 and K1 and their interrelationship. Applications of the theory include Elliott's classification theorem for AF-algebras, and it is shown that each pair of countable Abelian groups arises as the K-groups of some C*-algebra."--Pub. desc.