Symmetry and Pattern in Projective Geometry is a self-contained study of projective geometry which compares and contrasts the analytic and axiomatic methods. The analytic approach is based on homogeneous coordinates, and brief introductions to Plücker coordinates and Grassmann coordinates are presented. This book looks carefully at linear, quadratic, cubic and quartic figures in two, three and higher dimensions. It deals at length with the extensions and consequences of basic theorems such as those of Pappus and Desargues. The emphasis throughout is on special configurations that have particularly interesting symmetry properties. The intricate and novel ideas of ‘Donald’ Coxeter, who is considered one of the great geometers of the twentieth century, are also discussed throughout the text. The book concludes with a useful analysis of finite geometries and a description of some of the remarkable configurations discovered by Coxeter. This book will be appreciated by mathematics students and those wishing to learn more about the subject of geometry. It makes accessible subjects and theorems which are often considered quite complicated and presents them in an easy-to-read and enjoyable manner.

We are all familiar with Euclidean geometry and with the fact that it describes our three dimensional world so well. In Euclidean geometry, the sides of objects have lengths, intersecting lines determine angles between them, and two lines are said to be parallel if they lie in the same plane and never meet. Moreover, these properties do not change when the Euclidean transformations (translation and rotation) are applied. Since Euclidean geometry describes our world so well, it is at first tempting to think that it is the only type of geometry. However, when we consider the imaging process of a camera, it becomes clear that Euclidean geometry is insufficient: Lengths and angles are no longer preserved, and parallel lines may intersect. Euclidean geometry is actually a subset of what is known as projective geometry. Projective geometry exists in any number of dimensions, just like Euclidean geometry. Projective geometry has its origins in the early Italian Renaissance, particularly in the architectural drawings of Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446) and Leon Battista Alberti (1404-72), who invented the method of perspective drawing. Projective geometry deals with the relationships between geometric figures and the images, or mappings that result from projecting them onto another surface. Common examples of projections are the shadows cast by opaque objects and motion pictures displayed on a screen.First of all, projective geometry is a jewel of mathematics, one of the outstanding achievements of the nineteenth century, a century of remarkable mathematical achievements such as non-Euclidean geometry, abstract algebra, and the foundations of calculus. Projective geometry is as much a part of a general education in mathematics as differential equations and Galois theory. Moreover, projective geometry is a prerequisite for algebraic geometry, one of today's most vigorous and exciting branches of mathematics. Secondly, for more than fifty years projective geometry has been propelled in a new direction by its combinatorial connections. The challenge of describing a classical geometric structure by its parameters - properties that at first glance might seem superficial - provided much of the impetus for finite geometry, another of today's flourishing branches of mathematics.

From the tiny twisted biological molecules to the gargantuan curling arms of many galaxies, the physical world contains a startling repetition of spiral patterns. Today, researchers have a keen interest in identifying, measuring, and defining these patterns in scientific terms. Spirals play an important role in the growth processes of many biological forms and organisms. Also, through time, humans have imitated spiral motifs in their art forms, and invented new and unusual spirals which have no counterparts in the natural world. Therefore, one goal of this multiauthored book is to stress the conspicuous role that spirals play in science, and to show the reader how to create such spirals using a computer. Another goal is to show how simple mathematical formulas can reveal magnificent shapes and images. This interdisciplinary book revolves around a common theme, spiral symmetry, and is intended for scientists, humanists, and interested laypeople.

DIVIntroduction to the geometry of euclidean, affine and projective spaces with special emphasis on the important groups of symmetries of these spaces. Many exercises, extensive bibliography. Advanced undergraduate level. /div

Mathematicians wanting to get into the field ... will find a very well written and encyclopaedic account of the mathematics which was needed in, and was developed from, what now might be termed classical mirror symmetry. --Bulletin of the LMS The book is highly recommended for everyone who wants to learn about the fascinating recent interplay between physics and mathematics. --Mathematical Reviews Mirror symmetry began when theoretical physicists made some astonishing predictions about rational curves on quintic hypersurfaces in four-dimensional projective space. Understanding the mathematics behind these predictions has been a substantial challenge. This book is a completely comprehensive monograph on mirror symmetry, covering the original observations by the physicists through the most recent progress made to date. Subjects discussed include toric varieties, Hodge theory, Kahler geometry, moduli of stable maps, Calabi-Yau manifolds, quantum cohomology, Gromov-Witten invariants, and the mirror theorem.

This book covers a wide range of mathematical concepts as they are applied to regularly repeating surface decoration for textiles and other decorated materials such as wallpapers and wrappings. Starting with basic principles of symmetry it moves on to cover more complex issues of graph theory, group theory and topology. All these concepts are extensively illustrated with over 1000 original illustrations. A complex area, previously best understood by mathematicians and crystallographers, is made accessible here to artists and designers.

This book consists of a selection of peer-reviewed contributions to the Workshop on Algebraic Graph Theory that took place in Pilsen, Czech Republic in October 2016. Primarily intended for early career researchers, it presents eight self-contained articles on a selection of topics within algebraic combinatorics, ranging from association schemes to symmetries of graphs and isomorphism testing. Algebraic combinatorics is a compelling mathematical discipline based on the powerful interplay of algebraic and combinatorial methods. Algebraic interpretation of combinatorial structures (such as symmetry or regularity) has often led to enlightening discoveries and powerful results, while discrete and combinatorial structures have given rise to new algebraic structures that have found valuable applications. In addition to these original research contributions, the reader will find a survey linking numerous threads in algebraic combinatorics, and an extensive tutorial showcasing the universality of algebraic methods in the study of combinatorial structures.