The Oliver and Boyd series of mathematical texts were widely used by students throughout the 1940s to 1960s. They were sold at a price that students could afford and tended to cover the right amount of material for a lecture coure. One of the books in the series was Introduction to the Theory of Finite Groups by Walter Ledermann. Below we give the title page, and Ledermann's Preface to the little book taken from the 1949 edition:

It is hoped that this introduction to the Theory of Groups is sufficiently elementary to be understood by an Honours student in his second or third year.

Many will regret that the theory of matrix representation has not been included. In my opinion, however, this extensive subject should not be divorced from its context in the theory of linear associative algebras, and I felt that an adequate presentation of both of these disciplines was out of the question in the space at my disposal.

My warm thanks are due to the Editors for encouraging me to write this book, and especially to Dr D E Rutherford for the great care and the helpful interest with which he has followed its progress from the day when the plan was first discussed during a holiday in the Highlands, until the last proof sheet was returned to the printers.

I am indebted to my colleague Mr D Rees for valuable suggestions and for checking the examples, and to my wife for helping with the proof reading and with the index.

Finally, I should like to express my appreciation of the efficiency with which the publishers have carried out their task under difficult conditions and of their never-failing courtesy.

W LEDERMANN

MANCHESTER, May 1948

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