Mathematical Physics

Geometric and Topological Approaches to Crystallography

Authors: Ellie Richwine, Lucian Miti Ionescu
Comments: 24 Pages.

This article explores the mathematical structures underpinning crystalline materials, bridging the gap between pure mathematics and materials science. Building upon Toshikazu Sunada’s breakthrough framework of topological crystallography and subsequent formalizations by John C. Baez, we provide a rigorous yet accessible introduction to the geometric and topological modeling of crystals. The study examines polyhedral geometry, duality, and lattice arrangements such as the Eisenstein and triangular lattices, framing them within the context of covering maps and Abel-Jacobi maps. Furthermore, we advance this foundation by introducing a simplified formulation of Graph Cohomology based on short exact sequences of graphs. This homological approach provides a unifying architectural template capable of tracking lattice defects via integer cohomology and modeling macroscopic continuous phenomena from discrete microscopic networks. The paper concludes by discussing the broader applications of these tools in molecular biology, theoretical physics, and fault-tolerant quantum engineering.
Category: Mathematical Physics