All Questions
Tagged with lie-groups linear-algebra
116 questions
30
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Gaussian elimination is just Gram-Schmidt with a change to the inner product symbol?
I noticed at some point that if you take the Gram-Schmidt algorithm for taking the QR decomposition of a matrix, and you change the meaning of the inner product symbol $\langle \mathbf u, \mathbf v \...
- 4,943
20
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Find $Y\in\operatorname{GL}_n(\mathbb{Z})$ such that all eigenvalues of $YX$ are nonnegative
I saw this problem some years ago and I would greatly appreciate any reference or solution.
Let $X \in \operatorname{M}_n ( \mathbb{R} )$. Prove that there is $Y \in \operatorname{M}_n ( \mathbb{Z} )$...
- 3,153
15
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Group of matrices in which every matrix is similar to unitary
$\DeclareMathOperator\GL{GL}$Let $G$ be a subgroup of $\GL_n(\mathbb{C})$ such that for every $g \in G$ there exists $c \in \GL_n(\mathbb{C})$ for which $cgc^{-1}$ is unitary (or, which is the same, $...
13
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Groups of matrices in which all elements have all eigenvalues equal in modulus
I am writing a research article in which I need to use the following fact: if $G$ is a subgroup of $GL_3(\mathbb{R})$ which is irreducible in the sense that no proper nontrivial subspace of $\mathbb{R}...
- 6,206
13
votes
1
answer
732
views
What is the "positive part" of the unit ball in $M_n(R)$ ?
In ${\bf M}_n(\mathbb R)$, let us consider the usual operator norm
$$\|A\|=\sup\frac{\|Ax\|}{\|x\|},$$
where $\|x\|$ is the Euclidian norm.
The closed unit ball $B$ is the set of contractions (in the ...
- 52.3k
13
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Left and right eigenvalues
A quaternionic matrix $A$ gives rise to a
function $\mathbb{H}^n \to \mathbb{H}^n$
given by $x \mapsto A \cdot x$. This is real linear,
but not complex- or quaternionic-linear
(in general) if we ...
- 12.5k
12
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Real and quaternionic representations according to weights
According to this question, it is easy to know whether a (complex, finite-dimensional) representation is self-dual or not: just check if the weight distribution in space is symmetric about the origin.
...
- 2,091
11
votes
3
answers
587
views
Is every $A \in \mathrm{SL}_n(\mathbb C)$ a product of four unipotent matrices?
Is every matrix $A \in \mathrm{SL}_n(\mathbb C)$ a product of four unipotent matrices?
I have verified that this is true if $n = 2$, and I believe I have came across this result before. However, I ...
- 485
11
votes
3
answers
861
views
Nonnegativity of an integral over the unitary group
For an $n$-by-$n$ unitary matrix $U$ and a permutation $\sigma\in S_n$, let
$$w_\sigma=(-1)^\sigma\det(U^*)\prod_{i=1}^n U_{i,\sigma(i)}.$$
Is $\int_{U(n)}\mathrm{Re}(w_{\sigma_1})\mathrm{Re}(w_{\...
- 1,593
11
votes
2
answers
2k
views
History of Jordan Canonical Form?
Can anyone suggest a reference that discusses the history of the Jordan canonical form? In particular, I am interested in:
When and how was it first stated? (I understand it was independently stated ...
- 3,761
10
votes
1
answer
262
views
What is the hidden symmetry behind four generic planes in $\mathbb{R}^4$?
Consider the action of $\operatorname{GL}(\mathbb{R}^4)$ on the Grassmannian of 2-dimensional subspaces of $\mathbb{R}^4$. In experiments, I observe that four randomly drawn points in this space are ...
- 7,633
10
votes
0
answers
393
views
Interpretation of determinants on commutative rings
In real Euclidian space, the result of the determinant can be interpreted as the oriented volume of the image of the unit cube under an invertible linear map.
This interpretation conceptually depends ...
- 323
9
votes
1
answer
893
views
Unusual decomposition of 3x3 real symmetric matrices - is this possible?
If $M$ is a 3x3, real symmetric matrix, then I know there are a few ways to decompose $M$ as
$M = A^T D A$,
where $D$ is a real diagonal matrix: e.g., this can always be done for some $A \in SO(3)$, ...
- 818
9
votes
0
answers
360
views
Finding $U,V$ in Thompson's Formula
Thompson's formula says, given $A,B \in \mathfrak{su}(n)$, there exists $U,V \in SU(n)$ such that:
$e^{A}e^{B}=e^{UAU^{\dagger} + VBV^{\dagger}}$
Given $a,b \in \mathfrak{su}(4)$ defined by:
$a=J_x ...
- 2,099
8
votes
2
answers
636
views
Bilinear forms in compact/semisimple Lie group theory
If you look up the list of compact or semisimple Lie groups, you will see that three out of four infinite families (B, C and D) are defined in terms of a bilinear form on a vector space, either ...
- 481
8
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Action of symmetric matrices under $\mathrm{O}(n)$
$\DeclareMathOperator\Sym{Sym}\DeclareMathOperator\O{O}\DeclareMathOperator\GL{GL}$Let $k$ be an algebraically closed field of characteristic 0 (it can even be $\mathbb{C}$ if you like), and let $n\in\...
- 1,077
8
votes
1
answer
541
views
A question on eigenvalues
Let $A_{1}$, $A_{2}$, $A_{3}$, $A_{4}$, $A_{5}$ be linearly independent Hermitian matrices in the the space of $6$ by $6$ Hermitian matrices as a vector space over $\mathbb{R}$. Does there always ...
- 119
8
votes
1
answer
253
views
Simple Lie algebras: making subspaces 'very transversal'
Let $G$ be a Lie group or group of Lie type whose Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$ is simple. Because the Lie algebra is simple, for any proper subspace $V\subset \mathfrak{g}$,
there is a $g\in G$ such ...
- 20.2k
8
votes
1
answer
305
views
Groups that act transitively on $\mathrm{Gr}(k,\Bbb R^n)$ but not transitively on $\mathrm{Gr}(k+1,\Bbb R^n)$
Is it known for which $n, k\in\Bbb N$ there exists a matrix group $\Gamma\subseteq\mathrm{GL}(\Bbb R^n)$ that
acts transitively on $\mathrm{Gr}(k,n)$, i.e., on the $k$-dimensional subspaces of $\Bbb ...
- 13.6k
7
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Abelianization of Lie groups
If G is a group, its abelianization is the abelian group A and the map G → A such that any map G → B with B abelian factors through A. Abelianization is a functor, and in general a very ...
- 54.6k
7
votes
2
answers
315
views
Local maxima and minima of the trace of a product of $SL_2^\pm(\mathbb{R})$-matrices
I am working on a problem relating to Lyapunov exponents of products of random matrices, and this has led me to the following question which I suspect is best approached using techniques outside my ...
- 6,206
6
votes
3
answers
327
views
$SO(m+1)$-equivariant maps from $S^m$ to $S^m$
Let $G=SO(m+1)$ , $m \geq 2$, act in the standard way on $S^m$.
Let $F:S^m \to S^m$ be a $G$-equivariant map, i.e., $g F(g^{-1}x) =F(x)$ for all $x \in S^m$ and $g \in G$.
Question 1: Is F the ...
- 63
6
votes
3
answers
482
views
Linear subspaces in cones over orthogonal groups
Consider the orthogonal group $G=O(n)$ as a subset of the vector space of $n\times n$ real matrices. Let $C=C(G)$ denote the Euclidean cone over $G$, i.e., the space of matrices of the form $tA, A\in ...
- 31.2k
6
votes
4
answers
658
views
Reference for an algebraic group preserving a cubic form
Let $R=k[u,v,w]$ and $p\in R$ be a cubic form. Let $G$ be the group of graded automorphisms of $R$ which preserve $p$, i.e., $G$ is the subgroup
of $GL_3(k)$ consisting of elements $g$ such that $g(p) ...
- 63
6
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Polar decomposition for quaternionic matrices?
A non-zero complex number can be uniquely written in polar form as $re^{i\theta}$. There is an analogous result for complex matrices: any invertible complex matrix can be uniquely written as $UP$, ...
- 3,979
6
votes
1
answer
456
views
How often does a pair of linear maps generate a Zariski-dense subgroup of $GL(d,\mathbb{R})$?
I am an analyst working on a number of problems which in some way relate to random matrix products. In this context I frequently find that the analytic properties I am interested in depend in some way ...
- 6,206
6
votes
1
answer
273
views
Simultaneous triangularisation of an exterior power of a set of matrices
I'm working on some research problems relating to random matrix products, and this is taking me into areas of mathematics I've not previously studied: Lie groups, representation theory, and real ...
- 6,206
6
votes
1
answer
368
views
Number of points on a linear algebraic group over a finite field
Let $G$ be a linear algebraic group defined over a finite field $\mathbb{F}_q$ as a variety of dimension $d$. What would be a good, simple lower bound for $G(F_q)$?
One can get something fairly nice ...
- 20.2k
6
votes
1
answer
357
views
How to distinguish conjugacy classes in SO(2n) efficiently?
In a compact connected Lie group $G$, each element is conjugate to an element of a maximal torus $T$. For a classical group, one can pick a basis of the tautological representation such that $T$ is ...
- 3,186
6
votes
1
answer
298
views
Invariants of a $GL(3,\mathbb{R})$ action
I'm trying to understand the standard $GL(3,\mathbb{R})$ action on the 15-dimensional space of possible values for the derivative of the Riemann curvature tensor of a 3-dimensional manifold $M$ at a ...
- 818
6
votes
1
answer
321
views
Branching from $E(6)$ to $SO(10) \times U(1)$
In $E(6)$ inspired models of supersymmetry, the inclusion of Lie subgroups
$$
SO(10) \times U(1) \hookrightarrow E_6
$$
is important object of interest. See here for my motivating example.
In ...
- 835
6
votes
2
answers
426
views
Approximating the action of the U(N) exponential map
Let's say that I have a curve in $\mathbb{C}^N$ given by the action of the unitary group:
$$x(t) = e^{Ht}x_0,~ H \in \mathfrak{u}(N),~ ||x_0||=1$$
Here, $H$ is an NxN skew-Hermitian matrix (for very ...
- 161
6
votes
0
answers
465
views
Spaces of matrices with same eigenvalue/Great circles in O(n)-orbits
Let $Sym^2(V)$ be the set of symmetric matrices of a real $n$-dimensional vector space $V$. Given an element $\underline{\lambda}=[\lambda_1,\ldots \lambda_n]\in \mathbb{RP}^n$, where $\lambda_1\leq\...
- 1,452
5
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Parametrization of O(3)
Is there a simple way to parametrize the orthogonal group O(3) of 3 by 3 orthogonal matrices?
- 95
5
votes
3
answers
1k
views
classifying space and cohomology of integer general linear group
I have obtained that the classifying space
$$
BGL(\mathbb{R}^n)=BO(\mathbb{R}^n)=G_n(\mathbb{R}^\infty)
$$
is the Grassmannian.
I have also obtained that the mod 2 cohomology is the polynomial ...
- 1,990
5
votes
1
answer
404
views
determining symplecticity (if that's a word)
Suppose you have a matrix $M$ in $SL(n, \mathbb{Z}).$ Question: is there a necessary and sufficient condition for $M$ to be conjugate to $N \in Sp(n, \mathbb{Z}).$ It is clearly necessary that the ...
- 96.4k
5
votes
1
answer
158
views
$SL_2$-action on the free lie algebra on a 2-dimensional vector space
Let $V$ be a 2-dimensional vector space (over, say, $\mathbb{Q}$). Let $FL$ be the free lie algebra on $V$, then there is a natural action of the group $SL(V)$ on $FL$, such that the action of $-I$ is ...
- 10.7k
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)=...
5
votes
0
answers
372
views
Gelfand pairs in $SO(p,q)$
I am considering the groups $SO(p,q)$ over the reals. And inside it some parabolic subgroup, $P$. It can be the minimal parabolic but that is not the issue.
It is well known that $P$ has a Levi ...
- 51
5
votes
0
answers
428
views
Weyl's construction for symplectic groups--an exercise in Fulton and Harris's book
This is an exercise in section 17.3 in Fulton and Harris's book:Representation theory-a first course.
Let $V=\mathbb{C}^{2n}$ and $Sp(2n)$ be the symplectic group w.r.t the nondegenerate bilinear ...
- 181
5
votes
0
answers
148
views
Groups of operators between local unitaries and full unitaries
Consider the group $U(d_1) \otimes U(d_2)$ of "local unitary" operators acting on the complex space $\mathbb{C}^{d_1} \otimes \mathbb{C}^{d_2}$ (i.e., $U(d_1) \otimes U(d_2)$ is the group of unitary ...
- 6,351
4
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Why is $O(n;k)$ not connected, and has four connected components? [closed]
Why is $O(n;k)$ not connected and has four connected components when $nk\ge 1$?
Here $O(n;k) =\{A\in GL(n+k,\mathbb{R}) \mid A^{T}GA=G\}$
where
$G=\begin{pmatrix}
1&&&&&\\
&\...
- 57
4
votes
2
answers
496
views
Is the condition ``adjoint action does not have eigenvalue $-1$" dense in a Lie group?
I need to answer (affirmatively, I hope) the following question:
In a Lie group $G$ whose Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$ is equipped with an $\mathrm{Ad}$-invariant scalar product, is the open subset
...
- 1,804
4
votes
1
answer
511
views
Invariants of symmetric forms with respect to the symplectic group
Take a 6-dimensional vector space $V$ (for simplicity, over $\mathbb{C}$) and play the following game (for example, by employing the online Lie program): consider the 21-dimensional space $S^2V^*$ of ...
- 2,527
4
votes
1
answer
317
views
Orbits of tensor product $\operatorname{St}_2\otimes\operatorname{Sym}^2(\mathbb C ^3)$
Let $G_1=\operatorname{GL}_2(\mathbb C)$ act on $V_1=\mathbb C^2$ via the standard multiplication. Denote this representation by $\operatorname{St}_2$. Let $G_2=\operatorname{SL}_3(\mathbb C^3)$ act ...
- 960
4
votes
1
answer
441
views
Smallest subgroup of unitary group, containing diagonal matrices and a fixed unitary matrix is the whole group
Suppose that $U_n(\mathbb{C})$ is the group of unitary matrices of dimension $n$ over complex numbers. Fix a unitary matrix $A \in U_n(\mathbb{C})$ and consider the smallest closed subgroup $K \...
- 85
4
votes
1
answer
410
views
power log distance between matrices
In this thesis, Pedro Freitas discusses the properties of distance functions on matrices defined by $d_p(A, B) = (\sum (\log (\sigma_i(A^{-1} B)))^p)^{1/p}.$ Here $\sigma_i$ are the singular values of ...
- 96.4k
4
votes
1
answer
183
views
What are some properties of the leading eigenvalue of a product of inversions in mutually tangent spheres?
Let $S_1, \ldots, S_n$ be a collection of $n \geq 4$ pairwise tangent hyperspheres in $\mathbb{R}^{n-2}$ with disjoint interiors, and $\iota_i$ be the inversion in $S_i$. Viewing the conformal group ...
- 143
4
votes
2
answers
758
views
Riemannian metric of hyperbolic plane
I'm fishing for the origin of the idea to consider "trace scalar product" on the space of ($G$-)orthogonal projectors as means of defining a Riemannian metric on some subset of lines in a vector space....
- 8,597
4
votes
2
answers
262
views
An algorithm to compare two representations of a simple Lie algebra?
I have two representations of a simple (complex or real) finite-dimensional Lie algebra $S$, both given in terms of their structure constants on a given basis.
the first one is the adjoint ...
- 73