Books about Symmetric from Amazon.com

What do Bach's compositions, Rubik's Cube, the way we choose our mates, and the physics of subatomic particles have in common? All are governed by the laws of symmetry, which elegantly unify scientific and artistic principles. Yet the mathematical language of symmetry-known as group theory-did not emerge from the study of symmetry at all, but from an equation that couldn't be solved.

For thousands of years mathematicians solved progressively more difficult algebraic equations, until they encountered the quintic equation, which resisted solution for three centuries. Working independently, two great prodigies ultimately proved that the quintic cannot be solved by a simple formula. These geniuses, a Norwegian named Niels Henrik Abel and a romantic Frenchman named Évariste Galois, both died tragically young. Their incredible labor, however, produced the origins of group theory.

The first extensive, popular account of the mathematics of symmetry and order, The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved is told not through abstract formulas but in a beautifully written and dramatic account of the lives and work of some of the greatest and most intriguing mathematicians in history..
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In 1921, a young Albert Einstein traveled to America to give four lectures at Princeton University, paving the way for a more complete acceptance of his theory of general relativity. These lectures are published together as The Meaning of Relativity, and were revised with each new edition until Einstein's death. Despite Einstein's profession that he thought without using words, his examples and descriptions of the relativistic world he perceived are clear and easy to follow. Unfortunately for nontechnical readers, his presentation requires deep diversions into mathematics often enough to break up the flow of his narrative, and they may find this rough terrain. But for the mathematically sophisticated or the devoted scientific historian, these lectures are profoundly illuminating--Einstein's bright, quiet genius shines through in the simplicity and economy of his writing. Two appendices follow the lectures: the first covers advances and experimental verifications after 1921; the second, "Relativistic Theory of the Non-Symmetric Field," was Einstein's last scientific paper. The Meaning of Relativity documents a revolution in progress and yields to the careful student deeper truths than those found in physics textbooks. --Rob Lightner.
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The study of homogeneous spaces provides excellent insights into both differential geometry and Lie groups. In geometry, for instance, general theorems and properties will also hold for homogeneous spaces, and will usually be easier to understand and to prove in this setting. For Lie groups, a significant amount of analysis either begins with or reduces to analysis on homogeneous spaces, frequently on symmetric spaces. For many years and for many mathematicians, Sigurdur Helgason's classic Differential Geometry, Lie Groups, and Symmetric Spaces has been--and continues to be--the standard source for this material.

Helgason begins with a concise, self-contained introduction to differential geometry. He then introduces Lie groups and Lie algebras, including important results on their structure. This sets the stage for the introduction and study of symmetric spaces, which form the central part of the book. The text concludes with the classification of symmetric spaces by means of the Killing-Cartan classification of simple Lie algebras over $\mathbf{C}$ and Cartan's classification of simple Lie algebras over $\mathbf{R}$.

The excellent exposition is supplemented by extensive collections of useful exercises at the end of each chapter. All the problems have either solutions or substantial hints, found at the back of the book.

For this latest edition, Helgason has made corrections and added helpful notes and useful references. The sequels to the present book are published in the AMS's Mathematical Surveys and Monographs Series: Groups and Geometric Analysis, Volume 83, and Geometric Analysis on Symmetric Spaces, Volume 39.

Sigurdur Helgason was awarded the Steele Prize for Differential Geometry, Lie Groups, and Symmetric Spaces and Groups and Geometric Analysis..
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Combinatorial enumeration is a readily accessible subject full of easily stated, but sometimes tantalizingly difficult problems. This book leads the reader in a leisurely way from the basic notions to a variety of topics, ranging from algebra to statistical physics. Its aim is to introduce the student to a fascinating field, and to be a source of information for the professional mathematician who wants to learn more about the subject. The book is organized in three parts: Basics, Methods, and Topics. There are 666 exercises, and as a special feature every chapter ends with a highlight, discussing a particularly beautiful or famous result.

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This text is an introduction to the representation theory of the symmetric group from three different points of view: via general representation theory, via combinatorial algorithms, and via symmetric functions. It is the only book to deal with all three aspects of this subject at once. The style of presentation is relaxed yet rigorous and the prerequisites have been kept to a minimum¿undergraduate courses in linear algebra and group theory will suffice..
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This established reference work continues to lead its readers to some of the hottest topics of contemporary mathematical research Besides several smaller additions, reorganizations, corrections, and a systematic bibliography, the main new features of the 4th edition are a systematic introduction to Kähler geometry and the presentation of additional techniques from geometric analysis.

From the reviews: "This book provides a very readable introduction to Riemannian geometry and geometric analysis. The author focuses on using analytic methods in the study of some fundamental theorems in Riemannian geometry, e.g., the Hodge theorem, the Rauch comparison theorem, the Lyusternik and Fet theorem and the existence of harmonic mappings. With the vast development of the mathematical subject of geometric analysis, the present textbook is most welcome. [..] The book is made more interesting by the perspectives in various sections." Math. Reviews

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Modern Exterior Ballistics is a comprehensive text covering the basic free flight dynamics of symmetric projectiles. The book provides a historical perspective of early developments in the 19th century, the technology leading to World War I and that through World War II into the modern post-war era. Historical topics include the first ballistic firing tables, early wind tunnel experiments, the development of free flight spark ranges and the first supercomputer, ENIAC, which was designed to compute artillery trajectories for the U.S. Army Ballistic Research Laboratory. The level of the text requires an undergraduate education in mathematics, physics, and mechanical or aerospace engineering. The basic principles of ballistic science are developed from a comprehensive definition of the aerodynamic forces that control the flight dynamics of symmetric projectiles. The author carefully starts with the basic vacuum point mass trajectory, adds the effects of drag, discusses the action of winds, simple flat fire approximations, Coriolis effects and concludes with the classic modified point mass trajectories. Included in the discussion are analytical methods, change of variables from time to distance, numerical solutions and a chapter on the Siacci Method. The Siacci Method provides a historical perspective for computing flat fire trajectories by simple quadrature and is used in the sporting arms industy. The final six chapters of the book present an extensive physical and mathematical analysis of the motion of symmetric projectiles. The linearized equations of angular and swerving motion are derived in detail. The effects of mass asymmetry, in-bore yaw, cross wind and launch in a slipstream are discussed. Special consideration is given to the derivation and explanation of aerodynamic jump. These subjects are then expanded to include a complete chapter on nonlinear aerodynamic forces and moments. The final chapter in the book presents an overview of experimental methods for measuring the flight dynamics of projectiles. The great forte of Modern Exterior Ballistics is the author's effort to provide many fine specific examples of projectile motion illustrating key flight behaviors. The extensive collection of data on projectiles from small arms to artillery used to substantiate calculations and examples is alone a valuable reference. The ultimate joy of the book is the incomparable comprehensive set of flow field shadow graphs illustrating the entire spectrum of projectile flight from subsonic, through transonic and supersonic. The volume is a necessary addition to any undergraduate or graduate course in flight dynamics..
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Numerical methods that preserve properties of Hamiltonian systems, reversible systems, differential equations on manifolds and problems with highly oscillatory solutions are the subject of this book. A complete self-contained theory of symplectic and symmetric methods, which include Runge-Kutta, composition, splitting, multistep and various specially designed integrators, is presented and their construction and practical merits are discussed. The long-time behaviour of the numerical solutions is studied using a backward error analysis (modified equations) combined with KAM theory. The book is illustrated by many figures, it treats applications from physics and astronomy and contains many numerical experiments and comparisons of different approaches. The second edition is substantially revised and enlarged, with many improvements in the presentation and additions concerning in particular non-canonical Hamiltonian systems, highly oscillatory mechanical systems, and the dynamics of multistep methods.

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This new and much expanded edition of a well-received book remains the only text available on the subject of symmetric functions and Hall polynomials. There are new sections in almost every chapter, and many new examples have been included throughout..
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