Theory Of Groups And Its Application To Physical Problems

Group Theory and Its Application to Physical Problems

"A remarkably intelligible survey . . . well organized, well written and very clear throughout." — Mathematical Reviews This excellent text, long considered one of the best-written, most skillful expositions of group theory and its physical applications, is directed primarily to advanced undergraduate and graduate students in physics, especially quantum physics. No knowledge of group theory is assumed, but the reader is expected to be familiar with quantum mechanics. And while much of the book concerns theory, readers will nevertheless find a large number of physical applications in the fields of crystallography, molecular theory, and atomic and nuclear physics. The first seven chapters of the book are concerned with finite groups, focusing on the central role of the symmetric group. This section concludes with a chapter dealing with the problem of determining group characters, as it discusses Young tableaux, Yamanouchi symbols, and the method of Hund. The remaining five chapters discuss continuous groups, particularly Lie groups, with the final chapter devoted to the ray representation of Lie groups. The author, Professor Emeritus of Physics at the University of Minnesota, has included a generous selection of problems. They are inserted throughout the text at the place where they naturally arise, making the book ideal for self-study as well as for classroom assignment. 77 illustrations. "A very welcome addition to [the] literature. . . . I would warmly recommend the book to all serious students of Group Theory as applied to Physics." — Contemporary Physics. Index. Bibliography. Problems. Tables.

Theory of Groups and Its Application to Physical Problems

Theory of Groups and Its Application to Physical Problems is an introductory study of the theory of groups for persons with no easy access to an orthodox mathematical treatise on the subject. The aim is to provide an understanding of the method of applying group theory to various problems and appreciate the advantages thereof. It is hoped that this account of the theory of groups will serve a real need for physicists interested in the subject. The book opens with a discussion of the concept of groups. This is followed by separate chapters on the one-dimensional and two-dimensional lattices, some properties of groups, matrix groups, and the wave equation and its properties. Subsequent chapters deal with vibrations of a dynamical system, vibrational Raman effect and infrared absorption, molecular structure and normal modes, three-dimensional lattices, Raman and infrared spectra of crystals, crystal symmetry and physical properties, rotation groups, and applications to problems of atomic spectra.

Group Theory