The atomic nucleus is composed of many nucleons; therefore, models play the crucial role in understanding its structure. (The quantum mechanical many-body problem does not have an exact solution.) Symmetry-considerations can be extremely helpful both in finding the systematics of the experimental data and in enlightening the relation of different models.

Semi-microscopic algebraic models have been introduced recently for the description of both quarteting and clustering. Furthermore, a symmetry was found: the multiconfigurational dynamical symmetry (MUSY) that connects these models. It has a considerable predictive power. 

These models are based on the SU(3) symmetry, thus they can be connected to the symmetry adapted no-core shell model which is a real ab initio method, by taking into account each nucleon and applying real nuclear forces.