On the cycle index of point groups (Q1976650)

The enumeration of isomers of a molecular compound can be obtained from Pólya's enumeration theorem based on the cycle index \(Z\) of a transformation group \(G\) acting as permutation group \(P\) on a finite set \(D\) of \(m\) substitutional molecular sites. Supposed is \(P(G,D)\simeq G\) and of order \(g\). The cycle index of \(G\) is defined \[ Z(G,x_1,\dots,x_m)=\frac 1g\sum_{p\in P(G,D)}x_1^{e_{1p}}\cdots x_m^{e_{mp}} \] where \(e_{jp}\) is the number of cycles of degree \(j\) (\(j=1,\dots,m\)) in the permutation \(p\). Pólya's theorem says that the configuration counting series \[ F(w_1,\dots,w_m)=\sum F_{k_1\dots k_m}w_1^{k_1}\dots w_m^{k_m}=Z(G,x_k\to w^k_1+\cdots+w_s^k,\;k=1,\dots,m) \] where \(s\) is the number of choices for atoms or molecular groups that can be attached to each one of the \(m\) sites of substitution, and \(w_i\) a weight for the \(i\)th substituent. In the paper the cyclic index of finite point groups is computed for a number of different domains \(D\) with corresponding point group symmetry \(G\), in terms of the number of sites of \(D\) invariant with respect to generators of \(G\).