Chemical Applications of Group Theory, 3rd Edition (Hardcover)

by F. Albert Cotton (Author) "The experimental chemist in his daily work and thought is concerned with observing and, to as great an extent as possible, understanding and interpreting his..." (more)
Key Phrases: pendent atoms, character table shows, pure rotation group, New York, Energy Level Diagram Delocalization, Expressions Energies (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Retains the easy-to-read format and informal flavor of the previous editions, and includes new material on the symmetric properties of extended arrays (crystals), projection operators, LCAO molecular orbitals, and electron counting rules. Also contains many new exercises and illustrations.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Interscience; 3 edition (March 2, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471510947
• ISBN-13: 978-0471510949
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #127,653 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #13 in	Books > Science > Mathematics > Pure Mathematics > Group Theory
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bad expectations => Bad reviews, March 19, 2003

By	Jeff (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

So if you are a mathematician or a physicist, don't whine if this book isn't for you. It's for chemists, specifically inorganic ones, who use group theory to analyze ligand chemistry and spectroscopic measurements. It is also useful for those who utilize computational chemistry programs like Gaussian and need to know the basics of orbital and molecular symmetry.

This book contains only point group symmetry and none of the SO, SU, U, etc. groups used in physics. There is also no coverage of Lie algebras.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Review nearly 40 years later, November 20, 2005

By	R. Bagula "Roger L. Bagula" (Lakeside, Ca United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I read this book in 1965 as a freshman in Chemistry
at UCLA. I had no background in group theory or representation
of groups by characters. It started me on a life long study of groups,
but the wrong way. For someone without the necessary mathematics background
this book is actually harmful.
I think a course in modern algebra should be necessary
to reading this book. In 1965 an understanding of Calculus
wasn't enough even with a little Boolean algebra mixed in.
It came down to us using the book like a recipe book
for the mathematics, following many of the operating blindly.
But I have to say that over the years I have learned more about groups
and that the approach here has grown in my respect with that study.
So I have to say it is an excellent book
for those prepared
and a very poor book for those who aren't.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Acceptable introduction to applied group theory., October 15, 1998

By A Customer

Cotton's text is infamous for its ease of use and many practical examples. It is ideal for the undergraduate or the chemist who needs only a cursory understanding of group theory. It will get one through the basics, but for serious students, the references contained therein are invaluable.