Introduction To The Mathematics Of Quasicrystals

Introduction to the Mathematics of Quasicrystals provides a pedagogical introduction to mathematical concepts and results necessary for a quantitative description or analysis of quasicrystals. This book is organized into five chapters that cover the three mathematical areas most relevant to quasicrystals, namely, the theory of almost periodic functions, the theory of aperiodic tilings, and group theory. Chapter 1 describes the aspects of the theory of tiling in two- and three-dimensional space that are important for understanding some of the ways in which “classical mathematical crystallography is being generalized; this process is to include possible models for aperiodic crystals. Chapter 2 examines the non-local nature of assembly “mistakes that might have significance to the quasicrystals growth. This chapter also describes how closely a physical quasicrystal might be able to approximate a three-dimensional version of tilings. Chapter 3 discusses the theoretical background and concepts of group theory of icosahedral quasicrystals. Chapter 4 presents the local properties of the three-dimensional Penrose tilings and their global construction is described through the projection method. This chapter emphasizes the relationship between quasiperiodic sets of points and quasiperiodic tiling. Chapter 5 explores the analysis of defects in quasicrystals and their kinetics, as well as some properties of the perfect system. This book is of great value to physicists, crystallographers, metallurgists, and beginners in the field of quasicrystals.

1. A brief introduction to tilings / Marjorie Senechal--2. Tilings and quasicrystals : a non-local growth problem? / R. Penrose--3. Group theory of icosohedral quasicrystals / P. Kramer and R.W. Haase--4. Some local properties of the three-dimensional Penrose tilings / Andre Katz--5. Defects in quasicrystals / J. Bohsung and H.-R. Trebin.

This volume includes twelve solicited articles which survey the current state of knowledge and some of the open questions on the mathematics of aperiodic order. A number of the articles deal with the sophisticated mathematical ideas that are being developed from physical motivations. Many prominent mathematical aspects of the subject are presented, including the geometry of aperiodic point sets and their diffractive properties, self-affine tilings, the role of $C*$-algebras in tiling theory, and the interconnections between symmetry and aperiodic point sets. Also discussed are the question of pure point diffraction of general model sets, the arithmetic of shelling icosahedral quasicrystals, and the study of self-similar measures on model sets. From the physical perspective, articles reflect approaches to the mathematics of quasicrystal growth and the Wulff shape, recent results on the spectral nature of aperiodic Schrödinger operators with implications to transport theory, the characterization of spectra through gap-labelling, and the mathematics of planar dimer models. A selective bibliography with comments is also provided to assist the reader in getting an overview of the field. The book will serve as a comprehensive guide and an inspiration to those interested in learning more about this intriguing subject.

This first-ever detailed account of quasicrystal geometry will be of great value to mathematicians at all levels with an interest in quasicrystals and geometry, and will also be of interest to graduate students and researchers in solid state physics, crystallography and materials science.

Introduction to the Mathematics of Quasicrystals ...

This book comprises an introductory lecture outlining the basic concepts and challenges in the field. This is followed by a collection of reprinted articles which are important in understanding the subject. The book will focus mainly on mathematical and physical foundations of the subject rather than experimental progress. By concentrating on theoretical topics, this volume has long-lasting as well as immediate value to physicists, crystallographers, metallurgists and mathematicians.

Aperiodicity and Order, Volume 1: Introduction to Quasicrystals deals with various aperiodic types of order in quasicrystals as well as the basic physics of quasicrystalline order and materials. Questions about the nature of order and the order of nature are addressed. This volume is comprised of six chapters; the first of which introduces the reader to icosahedral coordination in metallic crystals, with emphasis on the structural principles of metallic materials that are crystalline and may be expected to carry over to aperiodic materials. The discussion then turns to short- and long-range icosahedral orders in glass, crystals, and quasicrystals. The origins of icosahedral order are explained, and the physical properties of icosahedral materials are described. The chapters that follow focus on the metallurgy of quasicrystals, the crystallography of ideal icosahedral crystals, and stability and deformations in quasicrystalline solids. The book concludes with a discussion on symmetry, elasticity, and hydrodynamics in quasiperiodic structures. A pedagogical review of continuum elastic-hydrodynamic theory for quasicrystals and related structures is presented. This book is intended primarily as an introduction for new students in the field and as a reference for active researchers.

Quasicrystals form a new state of solid matter beside the crystalline and the amorphous. The positions of the atoms are ordered, but with noncrystallographic rotational symmetries and in a nonperiodic way. The new structure induces unusual physical properties, promising interesting applications. This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date review and presents most recent research results, achieved by a collaboration of physicists, chemists, material scientists and mathematicians within the Priority Programme "Quasicrystals: Structure and Physical Properties" of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). Starting from metallurgy, synthesis and characterization, the authors carry on with structure and mathematical modelling. On this basis electronic, magnetic, thermal, dynamic and mechanical properties are dealt with and finally surfaces and thin films.