Mathematical chemistry is the area of research engaged in novel applications of mathematics to chemistry; it concerns itself principally with the mathematical modeling of chemical phenomena.^[1] Mathematical chemistry has also sometimes been called computer chemistry, but should not be confused with computational chemistry.

Major areas of research in mathematical chemistry include chemical graph theory, which deals with topology such as the mathematical study of isomerism and the development of topological descriptors or indices which find application in quantitative structure-property relationships; and chemical aspects of group theory, which finds applications in stereochemistry and quantum chemistry.

The history of the approach may be traced back into 18th century. Georg Helm published a treatise titled "The Principles of Mathematical Chemistry: The Energetics of Chemical Phenomena" in 1894^[2]. Some of the more contemporary periodical publications specializing in the field are MATCH Communications in Mathematical and in Computer Chemistry, first published in 1975, and the Journal of Mathematical Chemistry, first published in 1987.

The basic models for mathematical chemistry are molecular graph and topological index.

In 2005 the International Academy of Mathematical Chemistry (IAMC) was founded in Dubrovnik (Croatia) by Milan Randić. The Academy Members are 82 (2009) from all over the world, comprising six scientists awarded with Nobel Prize.

  See also

• Cheminformatics
• Computational chemistry
• Combinatorial chemistry
• Molecular modeling
• Molecular descriptor
• International Academy of Mathematical Chemistry
• List of quantum chemistry and solid state physics software
• List of software for molecular mechanics modeling

  Bibliography

• Molecular Descriptors for Chemoinformatics, by R. Todeschini and V. Consonni, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2009.
• Mathematical Chemistry Series, by D. Bonchev, D. H. Rouvray (Eds.), Gordon and Breach Science Publisher, Amsterdam, 2000.
• Chemical Graph Theory, by N. Trinajstic, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1992.
• Mathematical Concepts in Organic Chemistry, by I. Gutman, O. E. Polansky, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1986.
• Chemical Applications of Topology and Graph Theory, ed. by R. B. King, Elsevier, 1983.
• Topological approach to the chemistry of conjugated molecules, by A. Graovac, I. Gutman, and N. Trinajstic, Lecture Notes in Chemistry, no.4, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1977.

  Notes

1. ^ A review of the book by Ivan Gutman, Oskar E. Polansky, "Mathematical Concepts in Organic Chemistry" in SIAM Review Vol. 30, No. 2 (1988), pp. 348-350
2. ^ Helm, Georg. The Principles of Mathematical Chemistry: The Energetics of Chemical Phenomena. translated by J. Livingston R. Morgan. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1897. [1]

  References

• N. Trinajstić, I. Gutman, Mathematical Chemistry, Croatica Chemica Acta, 75(2002), pp. 329-356.
• A. T. Balaban, Reflections about Mathematical Chemistry, Foundations of Chemistry, 7(2005), pp. 289-306.

  External links

• Journal of Mathematical Chemistry
• MATCH Communications in Mathematical and in Computer Chemistry
• International Academy of Mathematical Chemistry