Product Description

Based on the author’s well-established courses, Group Theory for the Standard Model of Particle Physics and Beyond explores the use of symmetries through descriptions of the techniques of Lie groups and Lie algebras. The text develops the models, theoretical framework, and mathematical tools to understand these symmetries.

After linking symmetries with conservation laws, the book works through the mathematics of angular momentum and extends operators and functions of classical mechanics to quantum mechanics. It then covers the mathematical framework for special relativity and the internal symmetries of the standard model of elementary particle physics. In the chapter on Noether’s theorem, the author explains how Lagrangian formalism provides a natural framework for the quantum mechanical interpretation of symmetry principles. He then examines electromagnetic, weak, and strong interactions; spontaneous symmetry breaking; the elusive Higgs boson; and supersymmetry. He also introduces new techniques based on extending space–time into dimensions described by anticommuting coordinates.

Designed for graduate and advanced undergraduate students in physics, this text provides succinct yet complete coverage of the group theory of the symmetries of the standard model of elementary particle physics. It will help students understand current knowledge about the standard model as well as the physics that potentially lies beyond the standard model.

Product Description

Group theory is the branch of mathematics that studies symmetry, found in crystals, art, architecture, music and many other contexts. But its beauty is lost on students when it is taught in a technical style that is difficult to understand. Visual Group Theory assumes only a high school mathematics background and covers a typical undergraduate course in group theory from a thoroughly visual perspective.

The more than 300 illustrations in Visual Group Theory bring groups, subgroups, homomorphisms, products, and quotients into clear view. Every topic and theorem is accompanied with a visual demonstration of its meaning and import, from the basics of groups and subgroups through advanced structural concepts such as semidirect products and Sylow theory.

Customer Reviews (1)

I really wanted to love this book but...
Given that I am not a fan of the formal turgid theorem/proof type of math text, I waited with much
anticipation to get a copy of this text. Without a doubt, this is a very original and fun text that presents a novel
approach to teaching group theory. However, if I had come to group theory with this text as my first
introduction, I do not think it would have been effective and I would have quickly become frustrated. Simply put, the author
goes to far to build up intuition aboutgroups before he actually defines a group mathematically.
I think it would have been better to define a group early and then start to build up
intuition after the definition is secure. Sort of "Here is the abstract definition, lets now start to understand why anyone would want to define a group in the first place and lets see some examples involving symmetry and other physical situations where groups arise".

A better choicefor the absolute novice in group theory (really any motivated high school student could pick it up and learn from it is the small volume by Grossman and Magnus "Groups and Their Graphs".For the person interested in exploring the entire landscape of abstract algebra (groups, rings, fields, Galois theory)
"A Book of Abstract Algebra" by Pinter is unmatched for its clarity.

In summary,I cannot recommend Visual Group Theory as a textbook for a course in group theory although some might find it a refreshing supplement to an overly formal abstract algebra text/course.I think its target audience
falls outside workers in the mathematical sciences and is geared towardchemists, molecular biologists, future/current
high school math teachers, and weekend math warriors
who are looking for intellectual stimulation. ... Read more

Product Description
An introductory text book for graduates and advanced undergraduates on group representation theory. It emphasizes group theory's role as the mathematical framework for describing symmetry properties of classical and quantum mechanical systems.

Familiarity with basic group concepts and techniques is invaluable in the education of a modern-day physicist. This book emphasizes general features and methods which demonstrate the power of the group-theoretical approach in exposing the systematics of physical systems with associated symmetry.

Particular attention is given to pedagogy. In developing the theory, clarity in presenting the main ideas and consequences is given the same priority as comprehensiveness and strict rigor. To preserve the integrity of the mathematics, enough technical information is included in the appendices to make the book almost self-contained.

A set of problems and solutions has been published in a separate booklet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

An excellent presentation of group theory in physics
I got to this book at a time when I was interested in a presentation of the method of induced representations, of fundamental importance for quantum physics because it allows a systematical derivation of the fields consistent with a given Lie group, so that it is of basic importance for quantum field theory.After a lot of search through books on group theory I found this method very clearly presented here in Wu-Ki Tung's book, and then I started to study it thoroughly, following it with pen and paper.Of course, I went through many other parts of this book, and I found it excellently written by a person who loves this subject and who strived and succeeded to patiently present it all, gradually, from simple to complex and in a very clear and coherent exposition from beginning to end.I am delighted by it.It was very useful to me.By the way, I was directed to this book by the bibliography given in a chapter of the outstanding The Quantum Theory of Fields, Volume 1: Foundations by Steven Weinberg.

mostly math, a little physics
I like this book. I got it after struggling with some books on quantum field theory and finding myself unable to answer basic self-asked questions like "what is a spinor?". I went through the first 8 chapters and will go back and finish it some day. It's almost all math, very few explicit physics applications (apart from an interesting introduction in Chapter 1) which seems to upset some of the other reviewers, but I enjoyed it anyway. Group theory is beautiful and logical, and Professor Tung's exposition is concise and elegant. He doesn't waste any words and the notation is dense, which also seems to upset some of the other reviewers, but hey, that's math for you. If you would like to learn the essentials of the groups used in physics, this book will do the trick. You can then go back to the physics books for the applications.

P.S. I was only able to find a single typo!

Not useful for real physics
It is difficult to fathom how someone could write a 350+ page book on group theory for physicists in 1985, which contains almost nothing addressing the most important applications of group theory in the last half century.Hello, ever hear of the Standard Model? Grand Unification?It's like this book was written in the 1950s; it goes on and on about SO(3) and the lorentz group, etc.Special unitary groups are only mentioned in passing.Not even a hint of the exceptional groups.Georgi's book has what physicists actually need in a small fraction of the page count.

A great reference
I bought this as a supplement to a course I'm taking on the standard model and it's very well written, clear, and concise as a group theory source. However, I do not recommend this book as a sole reference. A second source like Georgi's book is needed for any text on group theory.

He can do better.
This is not a bad book. The contents are comprehensive. The theorems are well proved. Graphs are used appropriatly to clarify the concept. But it has several shortcomings. One is the line space is too small, too many words are clustered together. Another is sometimes the proofs are too short. Some explanation should be given on certain points because those points are not so obvious and should not be taken for granted. Frankly, I love group theory, but after reading this book for 20 pages, I felt very tired, both because of the bad format and hard thinking. Hamermesh's book will give you a more enjoyable reading. ... Read more

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Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

one the the most important work in quantum mechanics
It's a very important book, written by the father of group theory application in physics (with Wigner and Pauli), and one of the best mathematician of 20th century, Hermann Weyl. Everyone who wants study a deeper view of quantum mechanics, in his intrinsic mathematical formulation, should read this work. After a firt brief introduction to quantum theory, he passes to explain the theory of rapresentation of groups, and its physical application, like the rotation group, or Lorentz group, and finally the theory of simmetry. It's a fundamental book for a good understandig of the importance of simmetries in modern physics. Without any doubt one the the most important work in quantum mechanics.

Still a good book
Written in the early years of the quantum theory, the author of this book foresaw the importance of considering symmetry in physics, the use of which now pervades most of theoretical high energy physics. Indeed, with the advent of gauge theories, and their experimental validation, it is readily apparent that symmetry principles are here to stay, and are just not accidental curiosities. A reader of the book can still gain a lot from the perusal of this book, in spite of its date of publication and its somewhat antiquated notation. Older books also have the advantage of discussing the material more in-depth, and do not hesitate to use hand-waving geometrical pictures when appropriate. This approach results in greater insight into the subject, and when coupled with eventual mathematical rigor gives it a solid foundation. One example where the discussion is superior to modern texts is in the author's discussion of group characters and their application to irreducible representations and spectra in atomic systems.

The reader will no doubt probably want to couple the reading of this book with a more modern text so as to alleviate the notational oddities in this book. The author's presentation is clear enough though to make an appropriate translation to modern notation. The reader will then be well prepared to tackle more advanced material in mathematical and theoretical physics that make use of the group-theoretic constructions that take place in this book.

A wonderful book
This is my favorite introduction to quantum mechanics. It is a difficult book, because it is succinct, though clear, and reflects Weyl's powerful intellect and original approach at every step. Each page is a challenge, but worth the effort.

One of the two great classics on group theory in physics
The other one is Wigner's "Group Theory and Quantum Mechanics". As it is true of the other great books by Weyl, this is not an easy book, but it is, by all means, accessible. Don't try to read it in front of the TV set. Get pencil and paper, put yourself in a calm and contemplative mood and patiently read the words of the master. Hermann Weyl, one of the great minds of the 20th century, wrote this book with utmost care to make it self-contained. Sometimes you have to be deep in order to be brief, so the book requires some thought. But the main ideas are all there, and the connection of group theory with quantum mechanics has here its best treatment, in my humble opinion. But in less humble too: this was the only book concerning physics which Enrico Fermi read as a grown up. Once, Max Born had to write a synthetic exposition of Quantum Mechanics. After he finished it, he saw, for the first time, this book, and Weyl's synthesis of QM. He felt depressed by the superiority of Weyl's text. The book was originally written in German, but the translation is excellent, due to the great American cosmologist H. P. Robertson, of Robertson-Walker fame.

Classic from the early days of quantum mechanics
Although published by Dover in 1984, this book dates back to about 1930, when Weyl was the big proponent of group theory in quantum mechanics. Because of this date, much of what modern books on group theory wouldinclude, is absent from the book. It mainly discusses the permutationgroup. The book is, however, of historic interest, as Weyl (mathematician)tried to convince the physicists to exploit group theory - which even gaverise to some irritation ("group pest"). ... Read more

Product Description

Suicide is increasingly understood and predicted as an intersection of biological, psychological, cognitive, and sociocultural factors. We have some basic knowledge of these factors and how they interact, but presently we know very little about how culture can play a role as a variable that influences suicide. Suicide Among Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups will go a long way towards filling that gap by pulling together cutting edge empirical research from general cultural diversity literature and applying it to suicide assessment, treatment, and prevention theory and practice. By looking outside of the limited cross-cultural studies done within suicidal populations, the contributors – all established experts in both multicultural counseling and suicidology – expand the available empirical literature base in order to provide a deeper look into how culture can act as an important catalyst in suicidal intentions.

Following theoretical overviews, the text focuses on six broad ethic groups classified in the literature (African American, American Indian, Asian American, European American, Hawaiian & Pacific Islander, and Hispanic), with a main chapter devoted to each, relating each culture to suicide research, highlighting specific variables within the culture that can influence suicide, and presenting appropriate treatment considerations. A final section of the book consists of practical applications within specific settings (therapy, outreach, schools, psychiatric services) and prevention and training issues.

Product Description
This is a comprehensive, problem-oriented introduction to group theory. It aims not only to teach the material, but also to help develop the skills needed by researchers and teachers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Totally ambiguous and weird
I have read some bad books. But this one is the most ambiguous one I have ever seen. Totally unclear, drives you crazy.

Good INTRODUCTION into group theory.
The first thing to say: you need time to read this book. It is written ina "prosa"-style but nevertheless it covers a lot of topics. Ifyou have never heard anything about group theory than that is your choise.It's not written in the pure algebraic-style but illustrates the subjectwith a lot of (common) examples. ... Read more

Product Description
This substantially revised and expanded new edition of the bestselling textbook, addresses the difficulties that can arise with the mathematics that underpins the study of symmetry, and acknowledges that group theory can be a complex concept for students to grasp.

Written in a clear, concise manner, the author introduces a series of programmes that help students learn at their own pace and enable to them understand the subject fully. Readers are taken through a series of carefully constructed exercises, designed to simplify the mathematics and give them a full understanding of how this relates to the chemistry.

This second edition contains a new chapter on the projection operator method. This is used to calculate the form of the normal modes of vibration of a molecule and the normalised wave functions of hybrid orbitals or molecular orbitals.

The features of this book include:

• A concise, gentle introduction to symmetry and group theory
• Takes a programmed learning approach
• New material on projection operators, and the calcultaion of normal modes of vibration and normalised wave functions of orbitals

Customer Reviews (5)

A nice book
Molecular Symmetry and Group Theory is a nice guide for students to evaluate symmetry of molecules and their implications on molecular vibrations. It's structure in programmes and it's approach are so helpful.

Best in its field
I bought this book because it is advised from one of my classmates of Transition metal chemistry.
If you need to learn molecular symmetry, this book is very good. It teachs in a logical order. The only not good part may be its size. I prefer bigger books so you can easily bend. So you should be polite to this book when reading.
It is also expensive for its size but if you need to learn the molecular symmetry and/or group theory, this book is strongly recommended :)
I hope this review helps.
Happy wishes

Pretty good reference and quick read
The text does a good job of covering the subject material.It is not so advanced as to be difficult to master symmetry, matrices, and applications to vibrational spectra.The book is designed as a programme. The reader follows along and is interrupted to test his/her ability.After successful mastering of topics, the reader goes on, but if the reader does not answer the practice questions well enough, there is a guide to do more review.This is a great intro text for undergraduates, or as a reference for graduate students studying in the Inorganic field.
The text also uses great examples and has good step by step instructions.The reader can get up to speed on most of the subject material within one weekend.It is also not necessary to read the book cover to cover to get useful learning out of the text. It has a good ability to modulate the different aspects of the different subjects.Overall, worth the money.

Great for beginners
If you don't have the math background it often takes to penetrate Cotton, this book could be the answer.For learning the quick and dirty basics of the use of group theory for molecules, this is the book.The only problemsare its sparseness and the high price for a 156 page book.Excellent forself-teaching, though.

Exam tomorrow, and still in confusion with group theory...?
Cotton's(or Bishop's or like that...) book on group theory is too wonderful for me to grade. But, you may agree with me, in that it really takes times! You must read those books to understand the internal structureof group theory, but if you have exam tomorrow, Vincent's will be anemergency measure. Just follow him about 5 hours. Then you can solve somecrucial spectroscopy problems, make MO's, and so third. But don't forget tocheck the books of details. This book is just for an emergency measure. Buttruly great enough for that. ... Read more

Product Description
This new, updated edition of the widely cited classic offers a unique blend of theory and practice in a single, easy to read source. The Second Edition of Focus Groups: Theory and Practice provides a systematic treatment of the design, conduct, and interpretation of focus group discussions within the context of social science research and theory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

I had noidea I was dealing with thirld world conceptions of time
I am a new Amazon customer.
Here is my history purchasing textbooks with Amazon---

book 1 - normal shipping
book 2 - express shipping (at extra cost)

book 2 arrived just a day before book 1, almost a week after shipping.
I logically concludd that, for Amazon, shipping dates are unreliable and fluid.

Therefore, for book 3, I opted for the "free" shipping, understanding it may take
a day or two longer.Apparently, I was quite foolsih.Though I purchased it four
days ago, it hasn't even shipped yet. Only God knows when it wil arrive.

Am I supposed to believe that's acceptable?
Does it really take a week just to get the thing in the mail?

Amazon is looking pretty sad to me right now. Considering the price
of the textbook I bought is only inimally better than the one at my school
bookstore, why should I deal with Amazon?

I think the answer is, I will not deal with Amazon

Focus Groups-Text
The order arrived in a very timely fashion. The book is a good overview of focus group methodology. Thank you. ... Read more

Product Description
This book, an abridgment of Volumes I and II of the highly respected Group Theory in Physics, presents a carefully constructed introduction to group theory and its applications in physics. The book provides anintroduction to and description of the most important basic ideas and the role that they play in physical problems. The clearly written text contains many pertinent examples that illustrate the topics, even for those with no background in group theory.
This work presents important mathematical developments to theoretical physicists in a form that is easy to comprehend and appreciate. Finite groups, Lie groups, Lie algebras, semi-simple Lie algebras, crystallographic point groups and crystallographic space groups, electronic energy bands in solids, atomic physics, symmetry schemes for fundamental particles, and quantum mechanics are all covered in this compact new edition.

Key Features
* Covers both group theory and the theory of Lie algebras
* Includes studies of solid state physics, atomic physics, and fundamental particle physics
* Contains a comprehensive index
* Provides extensive examples ... Read more

Product Description

The study of formal languages and automata has proved to be a source of much interest and discussion amongst mathematicians in recent times. This book, written by Professor Ian Chiswell, attempts to provide a comprehensive textbook for undergraduate and postgraduate mathematicians with an interest in this developing field. The first three Chapters give a rigorous proof that various notions of recursively enumerable language are equivalent. Chapter Four covers the context-free languages, whereas Chapter Five clarifies the relationship between LR(k) languages and deterministic (context-free languages). Chiswell's book is unique in that it gives the reader a thorough introduction into the connections between group theory and formal languages. This information, contained within the final chapter, includes work on the Anisimov and Muller-Schupp theorems.

Product Description

"An excellent up-to-date introduction to the theory of groups. It is general yet comprehensive, covering various branches of group theory. The 15 chapters contain the following main topics: free groups and presentations, free products, decompositions, Abelian groups, finite permutation groups, representations of groups, finite and infinite soluble groups, group extensions, generalizations of nilpotent and soluble groups, finiteness properties." —-ACTA SCIENTIARUM MATHEMATICARUM

Customer Reviews (2)

A very good serious book
This book is an excellent second book after the one from J Rotman (An introduction to the theory of groups).
Self studying with the 2 books demands a lot of work but can be achieved by someone motivated. When a concept is not understood with one of the books, the explanation read in the second really help.

This book is not for a beginner, but is perfect for someone with a real mathematical background. The concepts are organised as can be the mathematical courses in universities, concise, succint and demanding.

The only group theory book for the advanced reader.
This book is, I suppose, the most authoritative and comprehensive text on group theory. Text is quite succinct and self-contained, proofs are elegant and rigorous. Only few sections of the first chapter cover undergraduategroup theory. Therefore I do not recommend it for the one that would preferan introductory text rather than a serious reference text. It is also astrong self study text, the example questions are well-chosen and generallydemanding. Though its name begins with `A Course...', I think it containsenough material for more than 3 courses, a semester each.It is definitelyworth its value, a must for a mathematician's library. ... Read more

Product Description
Introduces systematically the eigenfunction method used in quantum mechanics. Textbook serves as a handbook for researchers doing group theory calculations and for undergraduate and graduate students who intend to use group theory in their future research careers. ... Read more

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Theories of Small Groups: Interdisciplinary Perspectives brings together the threads that unify the field of group research. The book is designed to define and describe theoretical perspectives on groups and to highlight select research findings within those perspectives. In this text, editors Marshall Scott Poole and Andrea B. Hollingshead capitalize on the theoretical advances made over the last fifty years by integrating models and theories of small groups into a set of nine general theoretical perspectives. Theories of Small Groups is the first book to assess, synthesize, integrate, and evaluate the body of theory and research on small groups across disciplinary boundaries.

Product Description
This book quickly introduces beginners to general group theory and then focuses on three main themes : finite group theory, including sporadic groups combinatorial and geometric group theory, including the Bass-Serre theory of groups acting on trees the theory of train tracks by Bestvina and Handel for automorphisms of free groups With its many examples, exercises, and full solutions to selected exercises, this text provides a gentle introduction that is ideal for self-study and an excellent preparation for applications. A distinguished feature of the presentation is that algebraic and geometric techniques are balanced. The beautiful theory of train tracks is illustrated by two nontrivial examples. Presupposing only a basic knowledge of algebra, the book is addressed to anyone interested in group theory: from advanced undergraduate and graduate students to specialists. ... Read more

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Ever since the concepts of Galois groups in algebra and fundamental groups in topology emerged during the nineteenth century, mathematicians have known of the strong analogies between the two concepts. This book presents the connection starting at an elementary level, showing how the judicious use of algebraic geometry gives access to the powerful interplay between algebra and topology that underpins much modern research in geometry and number theory. Assuming as little technical background as possible, the book starts with basic algebraic and topological concepts, but already presented from the modern viewpoint advocated by Grothendieck. This enables a systematic yet accessible development of the theories of fundamental groups of algebraic curves, fundamental groups of schemes, and Tannakian fundamental groups. The connection between fundamental groups and linear differential equations is also developed at increasing levels of generality. Key applications and recent results, for example on the inverse Galois problem, are given throughout. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Understand Quantum Mechanics and Solid State Theory
Group theory... Ever heard about it? Want to understand what reallyhappens, from the mathematical standpoint of view, in quantum mechanics,crystallography, symmetries and solid state physics? Ever found some bandstructure graphic and had no idea of its meaning? Tired of computersimulation without knowing the 'guts' of that first-principles? I foundwhat I needed in terms of group theory in this book. The undergraduatecourse of chemistry, and perhaps physics as well, just give us hints aboutsolid state. But this book have much to offer for any reader. Starting withabstract group theory from the very basic ending in solid state physics,going through extensive but not exhaustive analysis of quantum mechanics,it is a must read not just for all who deal with theory but also to anyonewho really want to understand energy bands, level splitting, and aninfinite number of must-know topics in today's thin border betweenchemistry and physics. ... Read more

Product Description

This updated and revised edition of David Joyner's entertaining "hands-on" tour of group theory and abstract algebra brings life, levity, and practicality to the topics through mathematical toys.

Joyner uses permutation puzzles such as the Rubik's Cube and its variants, the 15 puzzle, the Rainbow Masterball, Merlin's Machine, the Pyraminx, and the Skewb to explain the basics of introductory algebra and group theory. Subjects covered include the Cayley graphs, symmetries, isomorphisms, wreath products, free groups, and finite fields of group theory, as well as algebraic matrices, combinatorics, and permutations.

Featuring strategies for solving the puzzles and computations illustrated using the SAGE open-source computer algebra system, the second edition of Adventures in Group Theory is perfect for mathematics enthusiasts and for use as a supplementary textbook.