  We consider quantum dots with a parabolic confining potential. The
qualitative features of such mesoscopic systems as functions of the total
number of electrons N and their total angular momentum J, e.g. magic numbers,
overall symmetries etc., are derived solely from combinatoric principles. The
key is one simple hypothesis about such quantum dots yielding a basis of states
(different from the usual single electron states one starts with) which is
extremely easy to handle. Within this basis all qualitative features are
already present without the need of any perturbation theory.
