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15 votes
6 answers
671 views

Why, conceptually, does the torus normalizer in $G_2$ split?

Background: Let $G$ be a complex reductive group, $T$ a maximal torus, $N$ the normalizer of $T$ in $G$, and $W = N/T$ the Weyl group. All in all, we have a group extension $$ 1 \to T \to N \to W \to ...
6 votes
2 answers
501 views

Group of diffeomorphisms and its tangent space i.e. its Lie algebra

So I feel like there are many questions and also many sources on what I am asking, but I still don't understand what I think is a very basic thing in my head: It is known, that for a Lie group $G$ (...
7 votes
1 answer
259 views

A name for the Weyl group of $\frak{so_{2n}}$

For the $A$-series the Weyl group is the symmetric group $S_n$. For the $B$ and $C$ series the Weyl group is the hyperoctahedral group $\mathbb Z_2 \wr S_n$. A) Does the $D$-series Weyl group $S_n \...
4 votes
1 answer
171 views

Which Lie groups admit finite generation by a set of Lie algebra elements? And what are some known choices of generators which realize this?

Consider a (finite-dimensional) real connected Lie group $G$ with Lie algebra $\frak{g}$. Take a generating set $\mathcal{G} = \{ X_1, \cdots X_n \} $ of $\frak{g}$, i.e. such that any element of $\...
7 votes
1 answer
2k views

If two Lie algebras are isomorphic, under which conditions will their Lie groups also be isomorphic?

Let $G$ and $G'$ be compact connected Lie groups (which are not necessarily simply connected) with Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$ and $\mathfrak{h}$. Suppose that the two Lie algebras are isomorphic, ...
0 votes
1 answer
136 views

Conjugacy of Cartan subgroups in $\mathrm{GL}(n)$

$\DeclareMathOperator\SL{SL}$I have probably a very basic question on the structure of semisimple Lie groups. Sorry if it is too elementary. Let either $G=\SL(n,\mathbb{R})$ or $G=\SL(n,\mathbb{C})$. ...
2 votes
3 answers
318 views

Realization of irreducible $\mathfrak{S}_d$-modules and the representation theory of Lie algebra

Let $n$ be a positive integer. It is well-known that a method to realize irreducible $\mathfrak{S}_d$-modules is to construct the so-called Specht modules $S^{\mu}$ which are submodules in the so-...
2 votes
1 answer
248 views

What is the Molien series of the SO(2)-invariant ring on the plane (sometimes written C[X]^{SO(2)} )?

Let SO(2) be the group of rotations in the plane. What is the Molien series (sometimes called the Hilbert-Poincare series) of the SO(2)-invariant ring of polynomials? N.B. The main goal being to ...
2 votes
0 answers
199 views

Element conjugate to a maximal torus

It is well known that any element in a compact connected Lie group is conjugate to an element in a maximal torus. Let G be a Lie group that is not necessarily compact and/or connected. Let $x\in G$ ...
0 votes
1 answer
130 views

Number of reduced decompositions of the dihedral group $D_6$ [closed]

The Weyl group of $\frak{g}_2$ is the dihedral $D_6$. Let us denote its longest element by $w_0$. How many reduced decompositions does $w_0$ have?
2 votes
1 answer
191 views

Normalizer of SU$(2)$ in SU$(6)$

Consider the $\mathfrak{su}(2)$ subalgebra of $\mathfrak{su}(6)$ embedded as $$\mathfrak{su(2)}=\text{Span}\{\mathbb{1}_3 \times \sigma^i\}, \quad i=1,2,3$$ with $\sigma^i$ the Pauli matrices and $\...
6 votes
2 answers
401 views

Relations between $3j$-symbols and intertwiners

I am trying to understand the relation between Wigner's $3j$-symbols (or Clebsch-Gordan coefficients) and matrix coefficients of intertwiners. I am new to this topic and need some help to understand ...
12 votes
2 answers
494 views

A specific coset decomposition of $\mathrm{GL}_n(\mathbb{C})$

Disclaimer: I am a theoretical chemist (not a mathematician). I have tried asking this question at Math SE with no luck (https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/4080696/a-specific-coset-decomposition-...
2 votes
0 answers
81 views

The centralizer and normalizer of products of (SU(n) $\times$ SU(p) $\times$ …) in U(m)

$\DeclareMathOperator\SU{SU}\DeclareMathOperator\U{U}\DeclareMathOperator\Spin{Spin} $Consider the special unitary group $\SU(n)$ and the unitary group $\U(m)$. Below I specify a specfic way to embed $...
12 votes
1 answer
2k views

Relationship between the Witt algebra and vector fields on the circle

I have seen some (apparently contradictory) claims by mathematicians and physicists regarding the existence of an (infinite dimensional) Lie group whose Lie algebra is the Virasoro algebra. The ...
7 votes
1 answer
572 views

Does Aut(G) → Out(G) always split for a compact, connected Lie group G?

The outer automorphism group of a topological group $G$ is constructed by the short exact sequence $$ 1\longrightarrow \operatorname{Inn}(G) \longrightarrow \operatorname{Aut}(G) \longrightarrow \...
2 votes
1 answer
250 views

Embedding of the adjoint group into $\mathrm{GL}(\mathfrak{g})$

Given a connected Lie group $G$ with corresponding Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$, the adjoint representation/action $\mathrm{Ad} : G \to \mathrm{GL}(\mathfrak{g})$ induces a Lie group homomorphism. It's ...
2 votes
1 answer
572 views

Free affine actions of Borel subgroups

Call an upper triangular $m\times m$ matrix $A$ admissible if the lowest non-zero entry of $A-I$ lies in the last column, and is strictly lower than any other non-zero entry of $A-I$. I'll also regard ...
5 votes
0 answers
123 views

Conjugacy classes of plane k-jet group

Define $G(n, k)$ as a subgroup of $\rm{Aut}(\Bbb C[[x_1, \dots, x_n]]/\mathfrak m^{k+1})$ with identity linear part (so, group of $k$-jets of selfmaps of $\Bbb C^n$). I'm interested in the map from $G(...
2 votes
0 answers
290 views

Automorphisms group of complex and real simple Lie algebras

$\DeclareMathOperator{\Inn}{\operatorname{Inn}}\DeclareMathOperator{\Aut}{\operatorname{Aut}}\DeclareMathOperator{\Out}{\operatorname{Out}}\DeclareMathOperator{\g}{\mathfrak{g}}$According to Wikipedia,...
3 votes
2 answers
418 views

Homomorphism from noncompact semisimple Lie group to compact Lie group

Is it true that there is no homomorphism from a semisimple Lie group without compact factor to a compact Lie group?
11 votes
2 answers
934 views

Non-isomorphic complex Lie groups with the same exceptional Lie algebra for $\mathfrak{g_2,f_4,e_6,e_7,e_8}$?

An exceptional complex Lie algebra is a simple Lie algebra whose Dynkin diagram is of exceptional (nonclassical) type. There are exactly five such Lie algebras: $\mathfrak{g}_{2}$, ${\mathfrak {f}}_{4}...
3 votes
0 answers
98 views

Semisimple subgroup of Euclidean group

Let $G$ be a closed and connected semisimple subgroup of the Euclidean group $E(n)$ (the group of isometries of $\mathbb R^n$). Can we prove that $G$ is conjugate to a subgroup of $O(n)$?
7 votes
2 answers
669 views

Élie Cartan's paper "Les groupes réels simples, finis et continus" of 1914

Question 1. Does Élie Cartan's paper Les groupes réels simples, finis et continus, Ann. Sci. École Norm. Sup. (3) 31 (1914), 263–355 contain a classification of $\Bbb C$-linear involutions of simple ...
2 votes
1 answer
270 views

Explicit Normalizer of SU(3) Cartan subalgebra

The normalizer $N(\mathfrak{h})$ of the Cartan subalgebra $\mathfrak{h}$ of $\mathfrak{su}(3)$ is defined as $$N=\left\{ x \in SU(3)\;|\; x^\dagger\mathfrak{h}x \in \mathfrak{h}\right\}$$ I would like ...
1 vote
1 answer
133 views

Irreducible non-Abelian subgroup of $\mathrm{U}_n(\mathbb{C})$, containing diagonal matrices

Consider an irreducible non-Abelian subgroup $\mathrm{H}$ of group of unitary matrices $\mathrm{U}_n(\mathbb{C})$, that contains the subgroup of diagonal matrices. Does there exist any result ...
6 votes
1 answer
446 views

Analog of the Lie Product formula for commutators

Let $X, Y$ be elements of a Lie algebra. Consider the group $G$ generated by (limits of) arbitrary products of the elements $$ G = \langle{e^{tX},e^{sY}\rangle}$$ for all $t,s$. The Lie product ...
11 votes
2 answers
1k views

Realizing a subgroup of a Lie group as a stabilizer subgroup

Let $G$ a compact semisimple Lie group, $H$ a subgroup of $G$. Is it always possible to find an irreducible representation $R$ of $G$ such that the stabilizer of an $x\in R$ is "locally isomorphic" to ...
5 votes
1 answer
316 views

Identification problem: Does this group have a name?

I've encounter a group with properties that are very familiar, but I cannot say what group is it. Consider the variables $(t,x,y,z)$, an affine transformation $M \in A(3)$ on the last three variables ...
8 votes
0 answers
1k views

Computational complexity of multiplication in a nilpotent group?

What is the computational complexity of multiplication in a Carnot group ? Background: A Carnot group is a real nilpotent Lie group $N$ whose Lie algebra $Lie(N)$ admits a direct sum decomposition ...
5 votes
2 answers
1k views

Lattices in semisimple Lie groups

I am interested in the following question: Can semisimple Lie group of real rank $\geq 2$ contain an abelian lattice?
6 votes
2 answers
2k views

Dense subgroups of Lie Groups

SETUP: Let $G$ be a connected Lie group, and $H\subset G$ be a FINITELY GENERATED dense subgroup. I am interested in knowing what kind of information one can infer on the complexity of $H$. I am ...
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

A question about flag variety of $SL(n,\mathbb{C})$

We know that the flag variety $SL(2,\mathbb{C})/B$ which $B$ is Borel subgroup, can be identified with $\mathbb{P^1}$, What can we say about $SL(n,\mathbb{C})/B$ which $B$ is Borel subgroup of $SL(...
9 votes
1 answer
1k views

Easy argument for "connected simple real rank zero Lie groups are compact"?

Let $G$ be a connected simple Lie group. It is known that if $G$ has real rank zero, then $G$ is compact. Background: every connected (semi)simple Lie group $G$ (with Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$) has ...
1 vote
0 answers
201 views

Laplacian on two Lie groups have the same Lie algebra

I know that if $G$ is a Lie group and $\mathfrak g = span\{X_i, 1\leq i \leq n\}$ be its Lie algebra, where $\{X_i\}$ are the vector fields of $G$. Then, the Casimir-Laplacian of $G$ is given by $$\...
5 votes
2 answers
504 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-...
6 votes
1 answer
475 views

What is this Lie algebra?

Consider two matrices $A,B \in \mathfrak{su}(N)$ which are both diagonal in the standard basis and non-zero. If we consider the new matrix $\tilde{B} := FBF^{\dagger}$ where $F$ is the `quantum' ...
2 votes
2 answers
367 views

Nilpotency of Lie Algebra from Structure Constants

Suppose we have a Lie algebra with structure constants $$\mathrm{d}e^i=\sum_{j<k}a_{ijk}e^j\wedge e^k$$ for some coefficients $a_{ijk}$. In this setting, how may be checked (perhaps ...
1 vote
0 answers
189 views

Poincaré inequality for connected Lie groups

Let $G$ be a compactly generated second countable locally compact group, and let $\mu$ be a probability measure which is: symmetric, adapted (in the sense that there is no proper subgroup $H$ such ...
5 votes
1 answer
481 views

Centralizer of hermitian matrices with zero trace

In Quantum Physics one often has to deal with commutators. Here I want to denote by $H_0$ the set of all hermitian matrices with trace equal to zero! One can easily relate it to $\mathfrak{su}(N)=...
0 votes
2 answers
1k views

Representation Theory of $U(N)$

(1) Is it true that the category of representations of $U(n)$ is equivalent to the category of representations of $SU(N) \times U(1)$? If so, how is it proved, or what is a good reference. (I guess ...
5 votes
1 answer
2k views

Weyl groups of $E_6$ and $E_7$

The Weyl group $W_6$ of the Lie algebra $E_6$ is of order 51840, the automorphism group of the unique simple group of order 25920, while the Weyl group $W_7$ of the Lie algebra $E_7$ is of order ...
4 votes
1 answer
1k views

Reductive Lie Groups and Complexification

Let $G$ be a complex Lie group (not necessarily connected) with reductive Lie algebra $\frak{g}$. (We may assume that $G$ has finitely many connected components and is linear-algebraic.) Of course, $G$...
7 votes
3 answers
2k views

Characterising the adjoint representation of SU(N)

One can show that the adjoint representation of $\mathrm{SU}(n)$, the image of the map $\mathrm{Ad}:\mathrm{SU}(n) \rightarrow \mathrm{Aut}(\mathrm{su(n)})\subset \mathrm{GL}(\mathrm{su}(n))$, is an $...
1 vote
1 answer
608 views

Para-Complexification of Lie Groups

Let $G$ be a real Lie group. Then the complexification $G_\mathbb{C}$ of $G$ is the unique complex Lie group equipped with a map $φ:G\to G_\mathbb{C}$ such that any map $G\to H$ where $H$ is a ...
5 votes
1 answer
982 views

Determining the Lie algebra elements exponentiating to the center of a Lie group

For a semi-simple compact Lie group $G$ with center $Z(G)$, one can characterize the preimage of $Z(G)$ in the Cartan subalgebra under the exponential map as the nodes of the Stiefel diagram (see for ...
0 votes
1 answer
274 views

when $g^*$ is invariant under $Ad(G)$?

Let $G$ be a Lie Group and $\mathfrak{g}$ be its lie algebra. Let $\mathfrak{g}$ is semisimple or reductive lie algebra, then prove that $\mathfrak{g}^*$ (dual of $\mathfrak{g}$)is invariant under $...
5 votes
1 answer
820 views

Maximal subgroups of semisimple Lie groups

The problem of finding and classifying the maximal subgroups of simple Lie groups like $SU(3)$ is well known and solved in the literature. What about maximal subgroups of semisimple groups like $SU(3) ...
4 votes
2 answers
1k views

Dimension of Unipotent Radicals

A parabolic subgroup of a linear algebraic group $G$ defined over a field $k$ is a subgroup $P\subseteq G$, closed in the Zariski topology, for which the quotient space $G/P$ is a projective algebraic ...
1 vote
2 answers
341 views

Copies of ax+b inside the AN part of an Iwasawa decomposition?

As a relative novice to the structure theory of Lie algebras and Lie groups, the following is what I can gather from reading parts of Helgason's book DG, Lie groups and symmetric spaces and Knapp's ...