Winner of a 2005 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Book Award Molecular symmetry is an easily applied tool for understanding and predicting many of the properties of molecules. Traditionally, students are taught this subject using point groups derived from the equilibrium geometry of the molecule. Fundamentals of Molecular Symmetry shows how to set up symmetry groups for molecules using the more general idea of energy invariance. It is no more difficult than using molecular geometry and one obtains molecular symmetry groups. The book provides an introductory description of molecular spectroscopy and quantum mechanics as the foundation for understanding how molecular symmetry is defined and used. The approach taken gives a balanced account of using both point groups and molecular symmetry groups. Usually the point group is only useful for isolated, nonrotating molecules, executing small amplitude vibrations, with no tunneling, in isolated electronic states. However, for the chemical physicist or physical chemist who wishes to go beyond these limitations, the molecular symmetry group is almost always required.

Molecular symmetry operations provide an easily applied tool for understanding and predicting molecular properties, including certain reaction dynamics and quantum mechanical descriptions of molecules. Traditionally the molecular approach has been taught through point group and rotational symmetries (Schonflies notation and group theory) to undergraduates and graduates in chemistry, physics and material science and then these are applied to understanding various molecular properties. molecular symmetry, which leads to a greater insight into the application of symmetry in predicting and explaining the observational spectroscopic results and quantum mechanical applications, but also yields the simpler idealised symmetry operations for 'simple' molecules. This more in depth approach is needed by chemical physicists and physical chemists for detailed spectroscopic analysis of molecular materials (and has applications from characterising new compounds, understanding electronic structure and reaction dynamics to exploring the composition of interstellar gas) and quantum mechanical applications. This text provides a through grounding in molecular symmetry and group theory suitable for undergraduates and more detailed applications needed by graduate students and researchers in molecular physics, chemical physics, physical chemistry and solid state physics.