239 Pages
    by Chapman & Hall

    239 Pages
    by Chapman & Hall

    Group representation theory is both elegant and practical, with important applications to quantum mechanics, spectroscopy, crystallography, and other fields in the physical sciences. This book offers an easy-to-follow introduction to the theory of groups and of group characters. Designed as a rapid survey of the subject, it emphasizes examples and applications of the theorems, and avoids many of the longer and more difficult proofs. The text includes sections that provide the mathematical basis for some of the applications of group theory. It also offers numerous exercises, some stressing computation of concrete examples, others stressing development of the theory.

    Introductory Examples
    Groups and Subgroups
    Point Groups and Cosets
    Homomorphisms and Normal Subgroups
    Isomorphisms and Automorphisms
    Factor Groups
    Sylow Subgroups
    Permutation Groups
    Matrix Groups
    Group Representations
    Regular Representations
    Irreducible Representations
    Representations of Abelian Groups
    Group Characters
    Orthogonality Relations and Character Tables
    Reducible Characters
    The Burnside Counting Theorem
    Real Characters
    Induced Representations and Characters
    The Character Table for S5
    Space Groups and Semi-Direct Products
    Proofs of the Sylow Theorems
    References
    Bibliography
    Index
    Index of Symbols.

    Biography

    Victor E Hill

    "…rigorous and appropriate…excellent starting point for anyone interested in the theory of groups, representations and characters. Upper division undergraduates through professionals."
    -D. S. Larson, Gonzago University in CHOICE