Ask HN: Good intro to group theory book

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Hey I’m looking for a good intro to group theory textbook. I have been studying some cryptography and some interesting permutation problems which require group theory. I don’t have a very good basis to understand these though. Could somebody recommend me some resources for group theory?

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I have skimmed Carter's Visual Group Theory and it looks fantastic. A good choice if you have a lot of time, and want a thorough introduction to the basics with lots of intuition-building and examples.

If you want something more traditional -- sparse and fairly terse, largely theorem-proof based, and with most of the action in the exercises -- Saracino's Abstract Algebra is my favorite in this genre.

I've more than skimmed 'Visual Group Theory', it's very good. I found it extremely clear and well illustrated. There's also some companion software.

If you're looking for an accessible introduction/overview, try Contemporary Abstract Algebra by Joseph A. Gallian. It also includes lots of applications, some of which are relevant to cryptography.

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