Groups and Characters

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.