Symmetry: Cultural-historical and Ontological Aspects of Science-Arts Relations; the Natural and Man-made World in an Interdisciplinary Approach [Paperback]

Introductory chapters.- Symmetry, invariance, harmony.- Historical Survey.- Symmetry in geometrical decorative art.- The golden section.- Interdisciplinary applications.- Fibonacci numbers in nature.- Perfection and beauty.- The mystery of fivefold symmetry.- From viruses to fullerene molecules.- Symmetry in Inanimate Nature.- Cosmological symmetries.- Sight and Hearing.- Symmetries and symmetry breakings in inanimate nature.- The road from nature to man.- Chirality.- Cerebral asymmetries.- Human Creativity.- Beauty and truth.- Rationality and impression.

From the book reviews:

This new monograph on Symmetry is warmly recommended to readers either with background in mathematics, science, engineering or humanities, or simply to those who are just interested in a concept overarching and unifying all these disciplines. (G?bor G?vay, Acta Scientiarum Mathematicarum (Szeged), Vol. 76 (3-4), 2010)

An accessible semi-popular book aimed at general audience. Indeed, one can find very few mathematical equations throughout the book and instead it abounds with explicit examples and beautiful illustrations. & Many aspects of symmetry are nicely illustrated by hundreds of figures, often using Escher works. This book can serve as an excellent survey of the topic not only for mathematicians, physicists and engineers but also to experts and students in humanities. (Vojtch Pravda, Applications of Mathematics, Vol. 54 (4), 2009)

The author manages it to give a far-reaching insight into this interdisciplinary field & . a very readable and fascinating book which is accessible to nearly everyone, the necessary mathematical background being reduced to a minimum. (G. Kowol, Monatshefte f?r Mathematik, Vol. 154 (4), August, 2008)

This complete and beautifully presented book...relies little on mathematics but offers a bevy of vivid examples and eye catching illustratil#$