Publisher's Synopsis
A great many of the objects investigated in mathematics turn out to be groups. These include familiar number systems, such as the integers, the rational numbers, the real numbers, and the complex numbers under addition, as well as the non-zero rationals, reals, and complex numbers, under multiplication. Another important example is given by non-singular matrices under multiplication, and more generally, invertible functions under composition. Group theory allows for the properties of these systems and many others to be investigated in a more general setting, and its results are widely applicable. Group theory is also a rich source of theorems in its own right. Groups underlie many other algebraic structures such as fields and vector spaces. They are also important tools for studying symmetry in all its forms; the principle that the symmetries of any object form a group is foundational for much mathematics. For these reasons, group theory is an important area in modern mathematics, and also one with many applications to mathematical physics. This book presents the latest research in the field.
