Improper rotation

In geometry, an improper rotation,[1] also called rotoreection,[1] rotary reection,[2] or rotoinversion[3] is,
depending on context, a linear transformation or ane
transformation which is the combination of a rotation
about an axis and a reection in a plane perpendicular
to that axis.[4]

sion; i.e., rotation by an angle of rotation of 360/n with

inversion. The Coxeter notation for S is [2n+ ,2+ ], and
orbifold notation is n, order 2n.
The direct subgroup, index 2, is C , [n]+ , (nn), order n, as
the rotoreection generator applied twice.
Sn for odd n contain inversion, with S2 = Ci is the group
generated by inversion. Sn contain indirect isometries
but not inversion for even n. In general, if odd p is a
divisor of n, then Sn/p is a subgroup of Sn. For example
S4 is a subgroup of S12 .

Three dimensions

Further information: Point groups in three dimensions

In 3D, equivalently it is the combination of a rotation

2 As an indirect isometry
In a wider sense, an improper rotation may be dened
as any indirect isometry; i.e., an element of E(3)\E + (3):
thus it can also be a pure reection in a plane, or have a
glide plane. An indirect isometry is an ane transformation with an orthogonal matrix that has a determinant of
1.
A proper rotation is an ordinary rotation. In the wider
sense, a proper rotation is dened as a direct isometry;
i.e., an element of E + (3): it can also be the identity, a
rotation with a translation along the axis, or a pure translation. A direct isometry is an ane transformation with
an orthogonal matrix that has a determinant of 1.
In either the narrower or the wider senses, the composition of two improper rotations is a proper rotation, and
the composition of an improper and a proper rotation is
an improper rotation.

Subgroups for S2 to S20

and an inversion in a point on the axis.[1] Therefore it

is also called a rotoinversion or rotary inversion. A 3 Physical systems
three-dimensional symmetry that has only one xed point
is necessarily an improper rotation.[2]
When studying the symmetry of a physical system unIn both cases the operations commute. Rotoreection der an improper rotation (e.g., if a system has a mirand rotoinversion are the same if they dier in angle of ror symmetry plane), it is important to distinguish berotation by 180, and the point of inversion is in the plane tween vectors and pseudovectors (as well as scalars
and pseudoscalars, and in general between tensors and
of reection.
pseudotensors), since the latter transform dierently unAn improper rotation of an object thus produces a rota- der proper and improper rotations (in 3 dimensions, pseution of its mirror image. The axis is called the rotation- dovectors are invariant under inversion).
reection axis.[5] This is called an n-fold improper rotation if the angle of rotation is 360/n.[5] The notation Sn (German, Spiegel, for mirror) denotes the symmetry group generated by an n-fold improper rotation 4 See also
(not to be confused with the same notation for symmetric
groups).[5] The notation n
is used for n-fold rotoinver Isometry
1

5
Orthogonal group

References

[1] Morawiec, Adam (2004), Orientations and Rotations:

Computations in Crystallographic Textures, Springer, p. 7,
ISBN 9783540407348.
[2] Kinsey, L. Christine; Moore, Teresa E. (2002), Symmetry,
Shape, and Surfaces: An Introduction to Mathematics Through Geometry, Springer, p.
267, ISBN
9781930190092.
[3] Klein, Philpotts (2013). Earth Materials. Cambridge University Press. pp. 8990. ISBN 9780521145213.
[4] Salomon, David (1999), Computer Graphics and Geometric Modeling, Springer, p. 84, ISBN 9780387986821.
[5] Bishop, David M. (1993), Group Theory and Chem13, ISBN
istry, Courier Dover Publications, p.
9780486673554.

REFERENCES

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