Introduction to group theory

Abstract

This chapter is a concise mathematical introduction into the algebra of groups. It is build up in the way that definitions are followed by propositions and proofs. The concepts and the terminology introduced here will serve as a basis for the following chapters that deal with group theory in the stricter sense and its application to problems in physics. The mathematical prerequisites are at the bachelor level.1 © Owned by the authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2012.