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Symmetry and the Monster in 100 words
The mathematical study of symmetry is called group theory because it studies 'groups' of symmetry operations. Most groups can be deconstructed into simpler groups, but those that can be deconstructed no further I have called 'atoms of symmetry'. Almost all atoms of symmetry fit into a table, but there are 26 exceptions. The Monster is the largest exception. Its existence was first predicted in 1973, and it was constructed seven years later, by which time it had shown extraordinary connections with number theory. These 'moonshine' connections were subsequently linked with the mathematics of string theory, a proposed way of combining gravity with quantum theory.
For more details see The Whole Story.
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