  We examine the possibility of the flavor symmetry being $SU_f(3)$ in which
the phenomenologically successful discreet symmetry $A_4$ is embedded. The
allowed quadratic and quartic potentials are constructed exploiting the full
symmetry chain $SU(3)\supset SO(4)\supset A_4$. The spontaneous symmetry
breaking involving the $SU(3)$ octet scalar fields is analyzed.

General Physics;High Energy Physics - Theory