All Questions
236 questions
79
votes
12
answers
13k
views
Is there a high-concept explanation for why characteristic 2 is special?
The structure of the multiplicative groups of $\mathbb{Z}/p\mathbb{Z}$ or of $\mathbb{Z}_p$ is the same for odd primes, but not for $2.$ Quadratic reciprocity has a uniform statement for odd primes, ...
- 118k
51
votes
3
answers
7k
views
What to do now that Lusztig's and James' conjectures have been shown to be false?
Lusztig and James provided conjectures for dimensions of simple modules (or decomposition numbers) for algebraic groups and symmetric groups in characteristic $p$. These conjectures have been ...
- 1,413
42
votes
4
answers
8k
views
Tannakian Formalism
The Tannakian formalism says you can recover a complex algebraic group from its category of finite dimensional representations, the tensor structure, and the forgetful functor to Vect. Intuitively, ...
- 5,548
46
votes
2
answers
8k
views
Definition of "finite group of Lie type"?
The list of finite simple groups of Lie type has been understood for half a century, modulo some differences in notation (and identifications between some of the very small groups coming from ...
- 52.9k
30
votes
2
answers
10k
views
When is fiber dimension upper semi-continuous?
Suppose $f\colon X \to Y $ is a morphism of schemes. We can define a function on the topological space $Y$ by sending $y\in Y$ to the dimension of the fiber of $f$ over $y$.
When is this function ...
- 24.1k
8
votes
4
answers
3k
views
method of finding roots of polynominal equations with arithmetic operations and roots and other functions
Lets recall Platonic construction in plane geometry. It is impossible to square a circle using only ruler and callipers. But is also known that it is possible to do it with ruler which has a mark on ...
- 1,626
5
votes
2
answers
505
views
A finiteness property for semi-simple algebraic groups
Let $G$ be a semi-simple algebraic group over a field $K$, I am considering a question about whether there exists a finite set of semi-simple $K$-subgroups, say $H_1,...,H_r$, such that for any semi-...
- 199
53
votes
5
answers
8k
views
Beautiful descriptions of exceptional groups
I'm curious about the beautiful descriptions of exceptional simple complex Lie groups and algebras (and maybe their compact forms). By beautiful I mean: simple (not complicated - it means that we need ...
- 1,422
51
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Which philosophy for reductive groups?
I am just beginning to look further into trace formulas and automorphic forms in a quite general setting. For long I have noticed that the natural assumption on the group $G$ we work on is to be ...
- 5,424
34
votes
2
answers
3k
views
The work of E. Artin and F. K. Schmidt on (what are now called) the Weil conjectures.
I was reading Dieudonne's "On the history of the Weil conjectures" and found two things that surprised me. Dieudonne makes some assertions about the work of Artin and Schmidt which are no doubt ...
- 41.4k
23
votes
1
answer
3k
views
What is the status of the Friedlander-Milnor conjecture today?
For the purposes of this question, the Friedlander-Milnor (FM) conjecture asserts an equality of the group homology for algebraic groups, and their discretizations in the following sense:
Conjecture ...
- 231
21
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Simple Tamagawa number calculations
As is well known, Euler proved the Basel identity $\displaystyle\sum\limits_{i=0}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^2} = \frac{{\pi}^2}{6}$. By far the most illuminating explanation of this fact that I've seen is ...
- 7,072
13
votes
4
answers
5k
views
Fundamental group of Lie groups
Let $T$ be a torus $V/\Gamma$, $\gamma$ a loop on $T$ based at the origin. Then it is easy to see that $$2 \gamma = \gamma \ast \gamma \in \pi_1(T).$$
Here $2 \gamma$ is obtained by rescaling $\gamma$...
- 14.8k
9
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Nonabelian $H^2$ and Galois descent
I would like to know whether the following metatheorem on nonabelian $H^2$ has been ever stated and/or proved.
Let $k$ be a perfect field and $k^s$ its fixed separable closure.
Let $X^s$ be a variety ...
- 14.2k
4
votes
1
answer
616
views
About the conjugation of semi-simple subgroups
Let $G$ be a semi-simple algebraic group over $\mathbb{Q}$, I would like to find an integer $d>0$ only depending on $G$ with the following property. For any two semi-simple $\mathbb{Q}$-subgroups $...
- 199
42
votes
9
answers
6k
views
Is every finite-dimensional Lie algebra the Lie algebra of an algebraic group?
Harold Williams, Pablo Solis, and I were chatting and the following question came up.
In Lie group land (where you're doing differential geometry), given a finite-dimensional Lie algebra g, you can ...
- 24.1k
36
votes
3
answers
7k
views
What is the difference between PSL_2 and PGL_2?
Let $K$ be a field and $G:=SL_2(K)$, then $G$ is a $K-$split reductive group (to use some big words). These groups are classified by a based root datum $(X,D,X',D')$. Let $G'$ be group associated to $(...
- 4,280
33
votes
3
answers
3k
views
What is the defining property of reductive groups and why are they important?
Having read (skimmed more like) many surveys of the Langlands Program and similar, it seems the related ideas apply exclusively to groups that are "reductive".
But nowhere, either in these surveys or ...
- 1,545
31
votes
7
answers
10k
views
Quotients of Schemes by Free Group Actions
I've often seen people in seminars justify the existence of a quotient of a scheme by an algebraic group by remarking that the group action is free. However, I'm pretty sure they are also invoking ...
- 5,548
27
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Why is this not an algebraic space?
This question is related to the question Is an algebraic space group always a scheme? which I've just seen which was posted by Anton. His question is whether an algebraic space which is a group object ...
- 27.5k
26
votes
2
answers
5k
views
General Bruhat decomposition (with parabolic not necessarily Borel)
Here is the general Bruhat decomposition (which I have seen in various paper but never with a proof or a complete reference).
Let $G$ be a split reductive group, $T$ a split maximal torus and $B$ a ...
- 991
24
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Real Lie groups versus real linear algebraic groups: differences in connexity and fundamental group
There are many introductory texts on real Lie groups, and many on linear algebraic groups in general, but fewer on the specific case of linear algebraic groups over the reals, and even fewer that try ...
- 32.5k
23
votes
3
answers
2k
views
How bad can $\pi_1$ of a linear group orbit be?
Let $G$ be a simply connected Lie group and $\mathcal O= G(v)=G/G_v$ a $G$-orbit in some finite-dimensional $G$-module $V$. By the homotopy exact sequence, its fundamental group $\Gamma$ is the ...
- 31.5k
23
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Relation between Hecke Operator and Hecke Algebra
In the study of number theory (and in other branches of mathematics) presence of Hecke Algebra and Hecke Operator is very prominent.
One of the many ways to define the Hecke Operator $T(p)$ is in ...
22
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Is there a "universal group object"? (answered: yes!)
I want to say that a group object in a category (e.g. a discrete group, topological group, algebraic group...) is the image under a product-preserving functor of the "group object diagram", $D$. One ...
- 11.3k
22
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Hasse principle for rational times square
Does a Hasse principle hold for the property of being a rational times a square ?
Let $a \in \mathbb{K}$ be an element of a number field. Assume that at every place $\mathbb{K}_v$ of $\mathbb{K}$, $a$...
- 474
20
votes
7
answers
9k
views
Elementary reference for algebraic groups
I'm looking for a reference on algebraic groups which requires only knowledge of basic material on the theory of varieties which you could find in, for example, Basic Algebraic Geometry 1 by ...
- 15.4k
19
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Elkies' supersingularity theorem in higher dimension
The following is a theorem of Elkies:
Let $X$ be an elliptic curve over $\mathbb{Q}$. Then there are infinitely many primes $p$ such that the action of Frobenius on $H^1(\mathcal{O}, X)$ is zero.
...
- 156k
18
votes
3
answers
574
views
Does there exist something like an $H_3$ and $H_4$ (icosahedral) Lie algebra or algebraic group?
The (finite-dimensional) complex simple Lie algebras have been classified by Killing and Cartan a long time ago in the $\mathsf{A}_n,\mathsf{B}_n,\mathsf{C}_n,\mathsf{D}_n$ families and $\mathsf{G}_2,\...
- 32.5k
14
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Uniform proof of dimension formula for minimal special nilpotent orbit?
Given a simple Lie algebra over an algebraically closed field of good characteristic such
as $\mathbb{C}$, its subvariety $\mathcal{N}$ of nilpotent elements has dimension $2N$ (where $N$ is the ...
- 52.9k
14
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Explicit cocycle for the central extension of the algebraic loop group G(C((t)))
Let $G$ be a simple Lie group and let $G(\mathbb{C}((t)))$ be its loop group.
The Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}[[t]][t^{-1}]$ has a well known central extension
(see e.g.
Wikipedia) given by the cocycle
...
- 43.2k
13
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Is the fixed locus of a group action always a scheme?
Suppose $G$ is an algebraic group with an action $G\times X\to X$ on a scheme. Does the fixed locus (the set of points x∈X fixed by all of $G$) have a scheme structure? You can obviously define the ...
- 24.1k
13
votes
4
answers
2k
views
exponential/logarithm for unipotent algebraic groups
Let $k$ be a field (of possibly positive characteristic), let $U_n$ denote the space of all $n \times n$ unipotent upper triangular matrices over $k$, and let $G$ be an algebraic subgroup of $U_n$ (...
- 511
13
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Density question in algebraic group
Suppose G is an algebraic group defined over F, the algebraic closure of F is K. Consider the Zariski topology on G(K), is G(F) Zariski dense in G(K)?
- 131
12
votes
1
answer
879
views
Pointless groups III
This question is a sequel to Pointless groups, to which @DanielLitt produced an elegant and easy-to-understand counter-example, and Pointless groups II, where @R.vanDobbendeBruyn pointed out that my ...
- 12.9k
12
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Examples of non-split algebraic groups
I am interested in knowing various examples of non-split (added hypothesis reductive) reductive linear algebraic groups. In particular, I would like to collect the following examples in my counter-...
12
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Books on reductive groups using scheme theory
Prof. Conrad mentioned in a recent answer that most of the (introductory?) books on reductive groups do not make use of scheme theory. Do any books using scheme theory actually exist? Further, are ...
- 19.6k
11
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Pointless groups
This question now has two sequels, Pointless groups II (to which @R.vanDobbendeBruyn gave a counterexample for an infinite, imperfect field) and Pointless groups III, both using revised wording ...
- 12.9k
10
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Clebsch–Gordan decomposition formula for algebraic groups
$\DeclareMathOperator\SL{SL}$There is a well-known Clebsch–Gordan decomposition formula for irreducible representations of $\SL_2$. If $V_n$ denotes the unique $n+1$-dimensional irreducible ...
- 370
9
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Optimal definition of "paving by affine spaces"?
Cell decompositions have been used in topology for a long time as a tool in computing cohomology, but the notion in algebraic geometry and arithmetic geometry of paving by affine spaces (or "affine ...
- 52.9k
8
votes
3
answers
701
views
Centralizers of subtori in reductive groups, derived subgroups
Let $G$ be a split, almost-simple connected reductive group over a field $F$ with split maximal torus $T$. I am trying to understand precisely the groups $[G_{\alpha}, G_{\alpha}]$, where $\alpha$ is ...
- 123
8
votes
1
answer
308
views
Algebraic points of uniformly bounded degree on an algebraic variety
Let $k$ be a perfect field, and let $\bar k$ be a fixed algebraic closure of $k$.
Let $\overline{X}$ be a nonempty smooth algebraic variety over $\bar k$.
Does there exist a natural number $d=d(\...
- 14.2k
8
votes
1
answer
747
views
Deligne's exterior power
In "Catégories Tannakiennes", Deligne defines the $n$th exterior power of an object $A$ of an abelian tensor category $\mathcal{C}$ as the image of the morphism
$$p : A^{\otimes n} \to A^{\otimes n}, ...
- 63.1k
7
votes
3
answers
1k
views
homomorphism into reductive groups
Let $k$ be an algebraically closed field with char($k$)$= p > 0$.
Let $P$ be a finite $p$-group. For any homomorphism
$\rho : P \rightarrow GL(n,k)$ we know that the image $im(\rho)$ can be
put ...
- 135
7
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Countability of conjugacy classes of closed subgroups
The answer to the question at Does almost every pair of elements in a compact Lie group generates the connected component? says there must be countably many conjugacy classes of closed subgroups of ...
- 4,991
7
votes
1
answer
614
views
Pointless groups II
This question is a sequel to Pointless groups, where I asked for a certain kind of counterexample. @DanielLitt produced an elegant and easy-to-understand counterexample, but also suggested a sense in ...
- 12.9k
7
votes
1
answer
276
views
Is a 8-dimensional quadratic form recognized by its Lie algebra, modulo equivalence and scalar multiplication?
Question. Let $K$ be a field of characteristic zero (large characteristic should be fine too). Let $q,q'$ be two non-degenerate quadratic forms on $K^n$ with $n=8$. Suppose that the Lie algebras $\...
- 63.9k
7
votes
1
answer
962
views
Wrong Tits-Index of E7 from Springer 's book
In the his book
Linear algebraic groups, by T.A. Springer,
there is a list of possible Tits-Indexes. For the $E_7$ case, there is an index shown, such that vertex $1$ and $7$ are circled (Bourbaki ...
- 1,479
7
votes
1
answer
5k
views
Chevalley's Theorem on Constructible Sets
I'm having a hard time understanding the theorem in the title, more specifically the proof of the related fact that the image of a dominant morphism contains a dense open set of it's closure. (My ...
- 75
6
votes
1
answer
659
views
Anti-holomorphic involutions of a complex linear algebraic group
Let $G$ be a connected linear algebraic group over the field of complex number ${\Bbb C}$.
Let $G({\Bbb C})$ denote the complex Lie group of ${\Bbb C}$-points of $G$.
Let $\sigma$ be an anti-...
- 14.2k