# Symmetry

- By: Claire Vallance
- Publisher: University of Oxford
- Source: [LibreTexts](https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry_Textbook_Maps/Symmetry_(Vallance))
- Licence: [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
- Read at LibreTexts: https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry_Textbook_Maps/Symmetry_(Vallance)
- PDF: https://downloads.libretexts.org/api/v1/download/chem-1883/pdf

Group Theory is a branch of the mathematical field of algebra. One important application, the theory of symmetry groups, is a powerful tool for the prediction of physical properties of molecules and crystals. It is for example possible to determine whether a molecule can have a dipole moment. Many important predictions of spectroscopic experiments (optical, IR or Raman) can be made purely by group theoretical considerations.