We present a review of the pseudo-SU(3) shell model and its application to heavy deformed nuclei. The model have been applied to describe the low energy spectra, B(E2) and B(M1) values. A systematic study of each part of the interaction within the Ha
miltonian was carried out. The study leads us to a consistent method of choosing the parameters in the model. A systematic application of the model for a sequence of rare earth nuclei demonstrates that an overarching symmetry can be used to predict the onset of deformation as manifested through low-lying collective bands.The scheme utilizes an overarching sp(4,R) algebraic framework.
