Quasigroups and Approximate Symmetry

Jonathan D. H. Smith1
1Department of Mathematics, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011-2064, U.S.A.

Abstract

Groups provide the mathematical language for exact symmetry. Applications in biology and other fields are now raising the problem of developing a rigorous theory of approximate symmetry. In this paper, it is shown how approximate symmetry is determined by a quasigroup.