Symmetry: The Ordering Principle

Symmetry underlies almost every aspect of nature and our experience of the world, from the subatomic realms of quantum mechanics to the equations of physics, in art, architecture and our concepts of morality and justice. In this little book Welsh writer and artist David Wade paints a picture of one of the most elusive and pervasive concepts known to man.

As much of interest to mathemeticians as it is to artists, as relevant to physics as to architecture, symmetry underlies almost every aspect of nature and our experience of the world. Illustrated with old engravings and original work by the author, this book moves from church windows and mirror reflections to the deepest ideas of hidden symmetries in physics and geometry to music and the arts, left-and right-handedness, and to the most enigmatic human notions of equality and justice.

David Wade is a writer and artist, and the author of the previous Wooden Book, Li: Dynamic Form in Nature. He lives in Wales.