Shattered Symmetry: Group Theory From the Eightfold Way to the Periodic Table

The standard model of subatomic particles and the periodic table of the atoms have the common goal to bring order in the bewildering chaos of the constituents of matter. Their success relies on the presence of fundamental symmetries in their core. The purpose of the book is to share the admiration for the power and the beauty of these symmetries. The reader is taken on a journey from the basic geometric symmetry group of a circle to the sublime dynamic symmetries that govern the motions of the particles. The trail follows the lines of parentage linking groups upstream to the unitary symmetry of the eightfold way of quarks, and to the four-dimensional symmetry of the hydrogen atom. Along the way the theory of symmetry groups is gradually introduced with special emphasis on graphical representations. The final challenge is to open up the structure of Mendeleev's table which goes beyond the symmetry of the hydrogen atom. Breaking this symmetry to accommodate the multi-electron atoms requires to leave the common ground of linear algebras and explore the potential of non-linearity.