C 60 and the icosahedral group Ih: Simplification methods and group-theoretical applications

Group-theoretical methods are used to induce “global” distortions of C ₆₀ from basis function(s) of a single “local” distortion in two cases: (1) The 60 vibrational modes arising from radial displacements of carbon atoms are found in terms of basis functions of A′, the one-dimensional symmetric representation of C_s; (2) The 24 vibrational modes arising from tangential displacements of hypothetical atoms placed at pentagon centers are found in terms of basis functions of E ₁, the vector irreducible representation of C_5v . The induction process is simplified by an icon notation (v) or (vμ) which uniquely labels the operations in I_h if μ,v = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and under/over lining of a digit is included. These icons describe the transformations IUS^vTS^μ of Felix Kline referred to a five-fold z-axis and two-fold x-axis and serve to label and “distinguish” symmetrically equivalent points of the truncated icosahedron.