UNDERSTANDING SYMMETRY OF OBJECTS BY MATCHING THEIR RELATIONAL STRUCTURES.

Symbolic computation of the symmetry of an object requires that the object is modelled in a way to reflect symmetry. A solution is to demand that the automorphisms of the model correspond to the symmetry transformations of the object. Not all models of an object are satisfying this condition - this depends crucially on the way the model is constructed. An example of a class of models is given which is proved to be symmetry preserving.