This Second Edition provides solid state scientists, who are not necessarily experts in crystallography, with an understandable and comprehensive guide to the new International Tables for Crystallography. The basic ideas of symmetry, lattices, point groups, and space groups are explained in a clear and detailed manner. Notation is introduced in a step-by-step way so that the reader is supplied with the tools necessary to derive and apply space group information. Of particular interest in this second edition are the discussions of space groups application to such timely topics as high-temperature superconductors, phase transitions, semiconductor superlattices, incommensurate modulation, and icosahedral symmetry.

This comprehensively revised – essentially rewritten – new edition of the 1990 edition (described as "extremely useful" by MATHEMATICAL REVIEWS and as "understandable and comprehensive" by Scitech) guides readers through the dense array of mathematical information in the International Tables Volume A. Thus, most scientists seeking to understand a crystal structure publication can do this from this book without necessarily having to consult the International Tables themselves. This remains the only book aimed at non-crystallographers devoted to teaching them about crystallographic space groups. - Reflecting the bewildering array of recent changes to the International Tables, this new edition brings the standard of science well up-to-date, reorganizes the logical order of chapters, improves diagrams and presents clearer explanations to aid understanding - Clarifies, condenses and simplifies the meaning of the deeply written, complete Tables of Crystallography into manageable chunks - Provides a detailed, multi-factor, interdisciplinary explanation of how to use the International Tables for a number of possible, hitherto unexplored uses - Presents essential knowledge to those needing the necessary but missing pedagogical support and detailed advice – useful for instance in symmetry of domain walls in solids

This book gives a rather exhaustive list of isotropy subgroups of the 230 crystallographic space groups. The symmetry changes for the vast majority of observed phase transitions in crystalline solids can be found in the list. With each entry, information is given concerning both physical and abstract characteristics of the phase transitions.

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.

Written in the spirit of Liboff's acclaimed text on Quantum Mechanics, this introduction to group theory offers an exceptionally clear presentation with a good sense of what to explain, which examples are most appropriate, and when to give a counter-example.

This book provides a clear introduction to topics which are essential to students in a wide range of scientific disciplines but which are otherwise only covered in specialised and mathematically detailed texts. It shows how crystal structures may be built up from simple ideas of atomic packing and co-ordination, it develops the concepts of crystal symmetry, point and space groups by way of two dimensional examples of patterns and tilings, it explains the concept of the reciprocal lattice in simple terms and shows its importance in an understanding of light, X-ray and electron diffraction. Practical examples of the applications of these techniques are described and also the importance of diffraction in the performance of optical instruments. The book is also of value to the general reader since it shows, by biographical and historical references, how the subject has developed and thereby indicates some of the excitement of scientific discovery.