Group theory and its applications in physics. Transl. by the authors from the Japanese rev. and enl. edition (Q1801308)

The title of the book suggests more than one finds in the content: so e.g. the applications of group theory in high energy physics are not treated, whereas this is well the case for another book published in the same Springer Series in Solid-State Sciences, having nearly the same title [\textit{W. Ludwig} and \textit{C. Falter}, Symmetries in Physics. Group Theory Applied to Physical Problems (1988; Zbl 0637.20008)] or in the older classical work of \textit{G. Ya. Lyubarskij} [The Application of Group Theory in Physics (Pergamon Press 1960; Zbl 0090.250)]. Typically, the Lorentz group is not even mentioned. This does not mean that this textbook is not a good one. It is intended for graduate students interested in atomic, molecular and solid state physics. The book is clearly written and suited for getting familiar with the matter within the frame indicated above. It even allows to skip a number of paragraphs during a first reading, and despite its plain style it is not superficial. One finds the basic group theoretical notions, a vector space foundation of group representations and a selection of specific groups like the rotation group (and its connection with SU(2)), the point groups, the space groups and the symmetric group. All applications needed in such a group theory course are treated: electronic wave functions in atoms, molecules and crystals, molecular orbitals, ligand field theory, normal vibrational modes in molecules and crystals and related optical properties involving excitons in molecular crystal, Raman and Infrared spectroscopy, and the Landau theory of second order phase transitions. As already stressed, the authors go beyond a first level treatment. In addition to the classical theory of group representations, attention is also paid to ray (or projective) representations and to co- representations, concepts needed in applying group theory to quantum mechanical problems. One also finds the Racah coefficients for the rotation group. Furthermore, dealing with the symmetric group use is made of the deeper relation with the unitary group, relevant in atomic spectroscopy. Several examples are given and useful exercises (about eighty) together with a number of answers and hints. The exercises are scattered in a somewhat irregular way among the chapters. Concluding, this is a book with qualities, suited to supplement a corresponding course in group theory.