Symmetry, Broken Symmetry, and Topology in Modern Physics

A pedagogical introduction to the modern applications of groups, algebras, and topology for undergraduate and graduate students in physics.

Aimed at instructors and graduate students, this book provides a detailed introduction to the modern applications of groups, algebras, and topology in physics. Adopting an example-based approach, it contains worked examples throughout and over 300 problems of varying complexity. Separate instructor and student solutions manuals are available.Written for use in teaching and for self-study, this book provides a comprehensive and pedagogical introduction to groups, algebras, geometry, and topology. It assimilates modern applications of these concepts, assuming only an advanced undergraduate preparation in physics. It provides a balanced view of group theory, Lie algebras, and topological concepts, while emphasizing a broad range of modern applications such as Lorentz and Poincaré invariance, coherent states, quantum phase transitions, the quantum Hall effect, topological matter, and Chern numbers, among many others. An example based approach is adopted from the outset, and the book includes worked examples and informational boxes to illustrate and expand on key concepts. 344 homework problems are included, with full solutions available to instructors, and a subset of 172 of these problems have full solutions available to students.