Understanding the Herman-Mauguin Space Group Symbol

Space groups are typically identified by their short Herman-Mauguin symbol (i.e. Pnma, I4/mmm, etc.). The symmetry elements contained in the short symbol are the minimum number needed to generate all of the remaining symmetry elements. This symbolism is a very efficient, condensed form of noting all of the symmetry present in a given space group. We won’t go into all of the details of the space group symbol, but I will expect you to be able to determine the crystal system, Bravais Lattice and point group from the short H-M symbol. You should also be able to determine the presence and orientation of certain symmetry elements from the short H-M symbol and vice versa.

To continue reading click on the link below:

https://chemistry.osu.edu/~woodward/ch754/sym_itc.htm