Symmetry Theory in Molecular Physics with Mathematica : A new kind of tutorial book
Prof. McClain has indeed produced "a new kind of tutorial book." It is written using the logic engine Mathematica, which permits concrete exploration and development of every concept involved in Symmetry Theory. The book may be read in your hand, or on a computer screen with Mathematica running behind it. It is intended for students of chemistry and molecular physics who need to know mathematical group theory and its applications, either for their own research or for understanding the language and concepts of their field.
Structure and Chemistry of Crystalline Solids
Crystallographers have an elegant system using definitive notation for describing crystal structures, but it does not serve as well the needs of many others working with crystalline solids. Most chemists, metallurgists, mineralogists, geologists and materials scientists need a simple system and notation for describing crystal structures. Structure and Chemistry of Crystalline Solids presents a widely applicable system with simple notation giving important information about the structure and the chemical environment of ions or molecules. It is easily understood and used by those concerned with applications dependent on structure-properties relationships. Early chapters provide an introduction to crystal structures and symmetry for readers with a variety of backgrounds.
Group theory : Application to the physics of condensed matter
Every process in physics is governed by selection rules that are the consequence of symmetry requirements. The beauty and strength of group theory resides in the transformation of many complex symmetry operations into a very simple linear algebra. This concise and class-tested book has been pedagogically tailored over 30 years MIT and 2 years at the University Federal of Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Brazil. The approach centers on the conviction that teaching group theory in close connection with applications helps students to learn, understand and use it for their own needs. For this reason, the theoretical background is confined to the first 4 introductory chapters (6-8 classroom hours). From there, each chapter develops new theory while introducing applications so that the students can best retain new concepts, build on concepts learned the previous week, and see interrelations between topics as presented.


