What Are Wyckoff Symbols and How Are They Used in Identifying Atomic Positions?

[hiyok]

Hello, can anybody tell me what is Wyckoff symbols?

And what is the use of them?

Please use a concrete example.

Thanks

 

[HallsofIvy]

It is very difficult to tell what a single word or symbol means without some information as to where it occurred. I had never seen "Wyckoff symbol" before but I googled on it and found that it is related to crystalography, not mathematics. Perhaps this page will help:
http://www.mse.ufl.edu/~vcrac/pages/Lecture_11_Sept_18_2006.pdf

 

[hiyok]

thanks.
Is it right that a Wyckoff position relates to a type of atoms? For example, for perovskites there are three types of atoms, so there are three Wyckoff positions?