Introduction to the papers of R. Thom and J. Mather

Abstract

Immediately following the commentary below, the previously published article by R. Thom is printed in its entirety: R. Thom, Ensembles et morphismes stratifíes, Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society 75 (1969), no. 2, 240-284 (French). This is followed by the first publication of the 1970 lecture notes of J. Mather, Notes on topological stability. © 2012 American Mathematical Society.