group theory

noun

: a branch of mathematics concerned with finding all mathematical groups and determining their properties

Examples of group theory in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Physicists rely on them to unify the fundamental forces of nature: At high energies, group theory can be used to show that electromagnetism and the forces that hold atomic nuclei together and cause radioactivity are all manifestations of a single underlying force. Leila Sloman, WIRED, 6 Oct. 2024 Physicists rely on them (opens a new tab) to unify the fundamental forces of nature: At high energies, group theory can be used to show that electromagnetism and the forces that hold atomic nuclei together and cause radioactivity are all manifestations of a single underlying force. Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 6 Sep. 2024 This depends on how deeply their beliefs are rooted in group theory. Mark Travers, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024 But mostly, he’s drawn to math, to problems in low-dimensional topology and geometric group theory that keep him awake at night. Quanta Magazine, 22 May 2024 The Monster in the Moonlight The monster was a theoretical prediction of group theory, an area of geometry that deals with the symmetrical properties of objects. Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2024 The Mandelbrot set is deeply related not just to dynamics, but also to number theory, topology, algebraic geometry, group theory and even physics. Quanta Magazine, 26 Jan. 2024 Hart went on to earn a doctorate in group theory in 2000 and later became a professor at Birkbeck, University of London. Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 12 Jan. 2024 And the evolution of the cube — from a three-by-three-by-three shape to larger four-by-four-by-four and five-by-five-by-five ones — offers different complicated mathematical principles of group theory. Hope Reese, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Sep. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of group theory was in 1888

Dictionary Entries Near group theory

Cite this Entry

“Group theory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/group%20theory. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on group theory

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!