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Chemical applications of group theory
First published 1963 · 461 pages
A rigorous but deeply rewarding intellectual journey into the mathematical symmetry that governs the molecular world.
What it feels like
Reading this classic text feels like being handed a master key to the hidden architecture of the universe. The pace is necessarily steady, demanding focus as it builds a bridge between abstract mathematical group theory and tangible chemical reality. The mood is deeply intellectual and structured, bathed in the illuminating light of sudden understanding when complex equations suddenly map onto the physical shapes of molecules. Cotton's prose is authoritative yet deeply pedagogical, refusing to water down the rigor while always keeping the experimental chemist in mind. It is a book that transforms a daunting subject into a satisfying puzzle, delighting students and researchers who crave a profound, foundational grasp of molecular symmetry and quantum mechanics.
- Mood
- intellectual
- structured
- illuminating
- focused
- Tone
- authoritative
- pedagogical
- clear
- rigorous
- encouraging
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- mathematical elegance · hidden symmetry of nature · bridging theory and experiment · structural understanding
- The writing
- Precise, step-by-step, and unapologetically rigorous, yet carefully tailored to guide the experimentalist rather than the pure mathematician.
- The arc
- Moves from the initial steep climb of abstract mathematical foundations to the deeply satisfying revelation of applying these rules to physical molecules.
- Who it's for
- Chemistry students and researchers seeking a foundational, no-nonsense guide to understanding molecular symmetry and quantum mechanics.
About the book
Chemical Applications of Group Theory, Third Edition is the only up-to-date book on this topic written expressly for chemists. Comprehensive in scope, it covers the entire subject, from its mathematical foundations to every current application, including crystallography. Beginning with a thorough presentation of the rigorous mathematical basis for group theory in chemistry, the book develops this foundation in a clear, step-by-step manner oriented to the chemist. It covers principles, including definitions, molecular symmetry, representation of groups, and quantum mechanics. Then, Chemical Applications of Group Theory illustrates how these principles are applied in a variety of chemical theories such as the molecular orbital (M.O.) theory of organic molecules -- including Woodward-Hoffmann rules; the M.O. theory of inorganic molecules and complexes, including hybridization, M-M multiple bonds, and electron counting in cluster compounds; ligand field theory; vibrational spectra; and the symmetry of crystals. Totally up-to-date, the Third Edition of this highly successful reference features end-of-chapter exercises. Chemical Applications of Group Theory is an unprecedented and invaluable resource for chemists in industry and academia. - Jacket flap.
This book aims to teach the use of symmetry arguments to the typical experimental chemist in a way that he will find meaningful and useful. At the same time I have tried to avoid that excessive and unnecessary superficiality which only leads, in the end, to incompetence and its attendant frustrations. The student who masters this book will know what he is doing, why he is doing it, and how to do it. The range of subject matter is that which, in my judgment, the great majority of organic, inorganic, and physical chemists are likely to encounter in their daily research activity. - Preface.
Description from Open Library.
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