Introduction

This paper will provide an introductory look at Riemann surfaces: what they are, from what they are formed, and examples of them. When one searches on the internet “what is a Riemann Surface” the information can be quite daunting for a first-year college student. Any paper one finds and reads will often begin with “this is a topic studied by graduate students in mathematics”, and the information that follows just looks like a bunch of strange Greek letters. This Rhea page will hopefully break down this barrier and explain Riemann surfaces in a comprehensive way that relates this difficult topic to topics from Multivariable Calculus and beyond.