Recipient of the Mathematical Association of America's Beckenbach Book Prize in 2012! 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.

Text for advanced courses in group theory focuses on finite groups, with emphasis on group actions. Explores normal and arithmetical structures of groups as well as applications. 679 exercises. 1978 edition.

This concise, class-tested book was refined over the authors’ 30 years as instructors at MIT and the University Federal of Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Brazil. The approach centers on the conviction that teaching group theory along with applications helps students to learn, understand and use it for their own needs. Thus, the theoretical background is confined to introductory chapters. Subsequent chapters develop new theory alongside applications so that students can retain new concepts, build on concepts already learned, and see interrelations between topics. Essential problem sets between chapters aid retention of new material and consolidate material learned in previous chapters.

265 challenging problems in all phases of group theory, gathered for the most part from papers published since 1950, although some classics are included.

The text begins with a review of group actions and Sylow theory. It includes semidirect products, the Schur–Zassenhaus theorem, the theory of commutators, coprime actions on groups, transfer theory, Frobenius groups, primitive and multiply transitive permutation groups, the simplicity of the PSL groups, the generalized Fitting subgroup and also Thompson's J-subgroup and his normal $p$-complement theorem. Topics that seldom (or never) appear in books are also covered. These include subnormality theory, a group-theoretic proof of Burnside's theorem about groups with order divisible by just two primes, the Wielandt automorphism tower theorem, Yoshida's transfer theorem, the “principal ideal theorem” of transfer theory and many smaller results that are not very well known. Proofs often contain original ideas, and they are given in complete detail. In many cases they are simpler than can be found elsewhere. The book is largely based on the author's lectures, and consequently, the style is friendly and somewhat informal. Finally, the book includes a large collection of problems at disparate levels of difficulty. These should enable students to practice group theory and not just read about it. Martin Isaacs is professor of mathematics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Over the years, he has received many teaching awards and is well known for his inspiring teaching and lecturing. He received the University of Wisconsin Distinguished Teaching Award in 1985, the Benjamin Smith Reynolds Teaching Award in 1989, and the Wisconsin Section MAA Teaching Award in 1993, to name only a few. He was also honored by being the selected MAA Pólya Lecturer in 2003–2005.

Here is a clear, well-organized coverage of the most standard theorems, including isomorphism theorems, transformations and subgroups, direct sums, abelian groups, and more. This undergraduate-level text features more than 500 exercises.

“A refreshing collection of superb mathematical essays . . . from choosing up sides to choosing names, the topics are intriguingly nonstandard . . . First-rate.” —John Allen Paulos, author of Innumeracy A science and technology journalist and essayist whose work has appeared in multiple anthologies, Brian Hayes now presents a selection of his most memorable pieces—including the National Magazine Award–winning “Clock of Ages”—in this enjoyable volume. In addition, Hayes embellishes the collection with an overall scene-setting preface, reconfigured illustrations, and a refreshingly self-critical “Afterthoughts” section appended to each essay. “You don’t have to be a geek to appreciate Hayes’s lively, self-effacing style . . . The first essay explains how clockmakers developed the gears and linkages that enabled fabled medieval clocks to reach remarkable accuracy, as well as predict the day Easter would fall on. Other essays celebrate the notion of random numbers and why they are so hard to achieve. Numerical analysis also plays a role in economic models based on the kinetic theory of gases or simplified markets involving iterations of buying and selling. Hayes goes on to explain how statistics have been applied to compute which quarrels—from interpersonal to world wars—are the deadliest (surprising results here) . . . Challenging but rewarding for anyone intrigued by numbers.” —Kirkus Reviews “As much as any book I can name, Group Theory in the Bedroom conveys to a general audience the playfulness involved in doing mathematics: how questions arise as a form of play, how our first attempts at answering questions usually seem naive in hindsight but are crucial for finding eventual solutions, and how a good solution just feels right.” —David Austin, Notices of the AMS

Fundamentals of Group Theory provides a comprehensive account of the basic theory of groups. Both classic and unique topics in the field are covered, such as an historical look at how Galois viewed groups, a discussion of commutator and Sylow subgroups, and a presentation of Birkhoff’s theorem. Written in a clear and accessible style, the work presents a solid introduction for students wishing to learn more about this widely applicable subject area. This book will be suitable for graduate courses in group theory and abstract algebra, and will also have appeal to advanced undergraduates. In addition it will serve as a valuable resource for those pursuing independent study. Group Theory is a timely and fundamental addition to literature in the study of groups.

A concise, modern textbook on group theory written especially for physicists Although group theory is a mathematical subject, it is indispensable to many areas of modern theoretical physics, from atomic physics to condensed matter physics, particle physics to string theory. In particular, it is essential for an understanding of the fundamental forces. Yet until now, what has been missing is a modern, accessible, and self-contained textbook on the subject written especially for physicists. Group Theory in a Nutshell for Physicists fills this gap, providing a user-friendly and classroom-tested text that focuses on those aspects of group theory physicists most need to know. From the basic intuitive notion of a group, A. Zee takes readers all the way up to how theories based on gauge groups could unify three of the four fundamental forces. He also includes a concise review of the linear algebra needed for group theory, making the book ideal for self-study. Provides physicists with a modern and accessible introduction to group theory Covers applications to various areas of physics, including field theory, particle physics, relativity, and much more Topics include finite group and character tables; real, pseudoreal, and complex representations; Weyl, Dirac, and Majorana equations; the expanding universe and group theory; grand unification; and much more The essential textbook for students and an invaluable resource for researchers Features a brief, self-contained treatment of linear algebra An online illustration package is available to professors Solutions manual (available only to professors)

From the reviews: "This book [...] defines the boundaries of the subject now called combinatorial group theory. [...] it is a considerable achievement to have concentrated a survey of the subject into 339 pages. [...] a valuable and welcome addition to the literature, containing many results not previously available in a book. It will undoubtedly become a standard reference." Mathematical Reviews