Ask HN: Good intro to group theory book

Posted by mfbx9da4 on Tuesday May 24, 2022 @04:56AM
from the ask-hn dept.

Hey I’m looking for a good intro to group theory textbook. I have been studying some cryptography and some interesting permutation problems which require group theory. I don’t have a very good basis to understand these though. Could somebody recommend me some resources for group theory?

( 3 comments | 11 points | on HN )

Re:Ask HN: Good intro to group theory book by impendia on Tuesday May 24, 2022 @06:21AM (#31490173)

I have skimmed Carter's Visual Group Theory and it looks fantastic. A good choice if you have a lot of time, and want a thorough introduction to the basics with lots of intuition-building and examples.

If you want something more traditional -- sparse and fairly terse, largely theorem-proof based, and with most of the action in the exercises -- Saracino's Abstract Algebra is my favorite in this genre.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: Good intro to group theory book by gilleain on Tuesday May 24, 2022 @07:56AM (#31490861)

I've more than skimmed 'Visual Group Theory', it's very good. I found it extremely clear and well illustrated. There's also some companion software.

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Re:Ask HN: Good intro to group theory book by dennis_moore on Tuesday May 24, 2022 @06:31AM (#31490231)

If you're looking for an accessible introduction/overview, try Contemporary Abstract Algebra by Joseph A. Gallian. It also includes lots of applications, some of which are relevant to cryptography.

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