Nicolae-A.P. Nicorovici - Böcker

This work provides an alternative perspective on mechanical and electromagnetic waves in structured materials. Experts from both fields present up-to-date developments in theory and applications, and emphasize fundamental concepts, which unify wave science. The book is pitched at a level suitable for research students and those coming from other fields, who wish to learn about topics at the forefront of research into control and properties of waves in structured media. Particular areas discussed in depth include materials exhibiting band gaps for optical and mechanical waves, localization and homogenization, composite materials, and fundamental wave properties such as group and energy velocities in the presence of strong scattering. The papers in this book arise from a Symposium held at the University of Sydney in January 1999.

We present applications of the group theory to the solution and systematization of several problems in the theory of differential equations (for instance, a base for the method of separation of variables), classical mechanics (for instance, the analytic form of the Lagrangian), relativity theory, quantum mechanics, and elementary particle physics. By this comprehensive work we wish to give the reader a number of preliminary notions and examples which are absolutely necessary for a better understanding of certain works, in different domains, which are based on applications of group theory. The present volume is a new edition of a volume published in 1985, ("Aplicatii ale teoriei grupurilor in mecanica si fizica", Editura Tehnica, Bucharest, Romania). This new edition contains many improvements concerning the presentation, as well as new topics using an enlarged and updated bibliography. In addition to the large area of domains in physics covered by this volume, we are presenting both discrete and continuous groups, while most of the books about applications of group theory in physics present only one type of groups (i.e., discrete or continuous), and the number of analyzed groups is also relatively small (i.e., point groups of crystallography, or the groups of rotations and translations as examples of continuous groups; some very specialized books study the Lorentz and Poincare groups of relativity theory). The work requires as preliminaries only the mathematical knowledge acquired by a student in a technical university. It is addressed to a large audience, to all those interested and compelled to use mathematical methods in various fields of research, such as mechanics, physics, engineering, people involved in research or teaching, as well as students.

The present volume is a new edition of a volume published in 1985, ("Aplicatii ale teoriei grupurilor in mecanica si fizica", Editura Tehnica, Bucharest, Romania). This new edition contains many improvements concerning the presentation, as well as new topics using an enlarged and updated bibliography. In addition to the large area of domains in physics covered by this volume, we are presenting both discrete and continuous groups, while most of the books about applications of group theory in physics present only one type of groups (i.e., discrete or continuous), and the number of analyzed groups is also relatively small (i.e., point groups of crystallography, or the groups of rotations and translations as examples of continuous groups; some very specialized books study the Lorentz and Poincare groups of relativity theory).