Lie algebra

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In mathematics, a Lie algebra (pronounced /l/ "Lee") is a vector space gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g together with a non-associative, alternating bilinear map g×g→g;(x,y)↦[x,y]displaystyle mathfrak gtimes mathfrak grightarrow mathfrak g;(x,y)mapsto [x,y]displaystyle mathfrak gtimes mathfrak grightarrow mathfrak g;(x,y)mapsto [x,y], called the Lie bracket, satisfying the Jacobi identity.


Lie algebras are closely related to Lie groups, which are groups that are also smooth manifolds, with the property that the group operations of multiplication and inversion are smooth maps. Any Lie group gives rise to a Lie algebra. Conversely, to any finite-dimensional Lie algebra over real or complex numbers, there is a corresponding connected Lie group unique up to covering (Lie's third theorem). This correspondence between Lie groups and Lie algebras allows one to study Lie groups in terms of Lie algebras.


Lie algebras and their representations are used extensively in physics, notably in quantum mechanics and particle physics.


Lie algebras were so termed by Hermann Weyl after Sophus Lie in the 1930s. In older texts, the name infinitesimal group is used.




Contents





  • 1 History


  • 2 Definitions

    • 2.1 Definition of a Lie algebra


    • 2.2 First example


    • 2.3 Generators and dimension


    • 2.4 Subalgebras, ideals and homomorphisms


    • 2.5 Direct sum and semidirect product


    • 2.6 Enveloping algebra


    • 2.7 Derivations



  • 3 Examples

    • 3.1 Vector spaces


    • 3.2 Associative algebra


    • 3.3 Subspaces


    • 3.4 Matrix Lie groups


    • 3.5 Two dimensions


    • 3.6 Three dimensions


    • 3.7 Infinite dimensions



  • 4 Representations

    • 4.1 Definitions


    • 4.2 Adjoint representation


    • 4.3 Goals of representation theory


    • 4.4 Representation theory in physics



  • 5 Structure theory and classification

    • 5.1 Abelian, nilpotent, and solvable


    • 5.2 Simple and semisimple


    • 5.3 Cartan's criterion


    • 5.4 Classification



  • 6 Relation to Lie groups


  • 7 Lie ring

    • 7.1 Examples



  • 8 See also


  • 9 Remarks


  • 10 Notes


  • 11 References


  • 12 External links




History


Lie algebras were introduced to study the concept of infinitesimal transformations by Marius Sophus Lie in the 1870s[1], and independently discovered by Wilhelm Killing[2] in the 1880s.



Definitions



Definition of a Lie algebra


A Lie algebra is a vector space gdisplaystyle ,mathfrak g,mathfrak g over some field F[nb 1] together with a binary operation [⋅,⋅]:g×g→gdisplaystyle [cdot ,cdot ]:mathfrak gtimes mathfrak gto mathfrak g[cdot ,cdot ]:mathfrak gtimes mathfrak gto mathfrak g called the Lie bracket that satisfies the following axioms:



  • Bilinearity,

[ax+by,z]=a[x,z]+b[y,z],displaystyle [ax+by,z]=a[x,z]+b[y,z],quad displaystyle [ax+by,z]=a[x,z]+b[y,z],quad [z,ax+by]=a[z,x]+b[z,y]displaystyle [z,ax+by]=a[z,x]+b[z,y]displaystyle [z,ax+by]=a[z,x]+b[z,y]

for all scalars a, b in F and all elements x, y, z in gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g.


  • Alternativity,
[x,x]=0 displaystyle [x,x]=0 [x,x]=0

for all x in gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g.

  • The Jacobi identity,
[x,[y,z]]+[z,[x,y]]+[y,[z,x]]=0 displaystyle [x,[y,z]]+[z,[x,y]]+[y,[z,x]]=0 [x,[y,z]]+[z,[x,y]]+[y,[z,x]]=0

for all x, y, z in gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g.

Using bilinearity to expand the Lie bracket [x+y,x+y]displaystyle [x+y,x+y][x+y,x+y] and using alternativity shows that [x,y]+[y,x]=0 displaystyle [x,y]+[y,x]=0 [x,y]+[y,x]=0 for all elements x, y in gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g, showing that bilinearity and alternativity together imply



  • Anticommutativity,
[x,y]=−[y,x], displaystyle [x,y]=-[y,x], displaystyle [x,y]=-[y,x],

for all elements x, y in gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g. If the field's characteristic is not 2 then anticommutativity implies alternativity.[3]

It is customary to express a Lie algebra in lower-case fraktur, like gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g. If a Lie algebra is associated with a Lie group, then the spelling of the Lie algebra is the same as that Lie group. For example, the Lie algebra of SU(n) is written as su(n)displaystyle mathfrak su(n)mathfrak su(n).



First example


Consider g=R3displaystyle mathfrak g=mathbb R ^3displaystyle mathfrak g=mathbb R ^3, with the bracket defined by


[x,y]=x×ydisplaystyle [x,y]=xtimes ydisplaystyle [x,y]=xtimes y

where ×displaystyle times times is the cross product. The bilinearity, skew-symmetry, and Jacobi identity are all known properties of the cross product. Concretely, if e1,e2,e3displaystyle e_1,e_2,e_3displaystyle e_1,e_2,e_3 is the standard basis, then the bracket operation is completely determined by the relations:



[e1,e2]=e3,[e2,e3]=e1,[e3,e1]=e2displaystyle [e_1,e_2]=e_3,quad [e_2,e_3]=e_1,quad [e_3,e_1]=e_2displaystyle [e_1,e_2]=e_3,quad [e_2,e_3]=e_1,quad [e_3,e_1]=e_2.

(E.g., the relation [e2,e1]=−e3displaystyle [e_2,e_1]=-e_3displaystyle [e_2,e_1]=-e_3 follows from the above by the skew-symmetry of the bracket.)



Generators and dimension


Elements of a Lie algebra gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g are said to be generators of the Lie algebra if the smallest subalgebra of gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g containing them is gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g itself. The dimension of a Lie algebra is its dimension as a vector space over F. The cardinality of a minimal generating set of a Lie algebra is always less than or equal to its dimension.



Subalgebras, ideals and homomorphisms


The Lie bracket is not associative in general, meaning that [[x,y],z]displaystyle [[x,y],z][[x,y],z] need not equal [x,[y,z]]displaystyle [x,[y,z]][x,[y,z]]. (However, it is flexible.) Nonetheless, much of the terminology that was developed in the theory of associative rings or associative algebras is commonly applied to Lie algebras. A subspace h⊆gdisplaystyle mathfrak hsubseteq mathfrak gmathfrak hsubseteq mathfrak g that is closed under the Lie bracket is called a Lie subalgebra. If a subspace i⊆gdisplaystyle mathfrak isubseteq mathfrak gdisplaystyle mathfrak isubseteq mathfrak g satisfies a stronger condition that


[g,i]⊆i,displaystyle [mathfrak g,mathfrak i]subseteq mathfrak i,displaystyle [mathfrak g,mathfrak i]subseteq mathfrak i,

then idisplaystyle mathfrak idisplaystyle mathfrak i is called an ideal in the Lie algebra gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g.[4] A homomorphism between two Lie algebras (over the same base field) is a linear map that is compatible with the respective Lie brackets:


f:g→g′,f([x,y])=[f(x),f(y)],displaystyle f:mathfrak gto mathfrak g',quad f([x,y])=[f(x),f(y)],f:mathfrak gto mathfrak g',quad f([x,y])=[f(x),f(y)],

for all elements x and y in gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g. As in the theory of associative rings, ideals are precisely the kernels of homomorphisms; given a Lie algebra gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g and an ideal idisplaystyle mathfrak idisplaystyle mathfrak i in it, one constructs the factor algebra or quotient algebra g/idisplaystyle mathfrak g/mathfrak idisplaystyle mathfrak g/mathfrak i, and the first isomorphism theorem holds for Lie algebras.


Let S be a subset of gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g. The set of elements x such that [x,s]=0displaystyle [x,s]=0[x,s]=0 for all s in S forms a subalgebra called the centralizer of S. The centralizer of gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g itself is called the center of gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g. Similar to centralizers, if S is a subspace,[5] then the set of x such that [x,s]displaystyle [x,s][x,s] is in S for all s in S forms a subalgebra called the normalizer of S.



Direct sum and semidirect product


Given two Lie algebras gdisplaystyle mathfrak g^displaystyle mathfrak g^ and g′displaystyle mathfrak g'mathfrak g', their direct sum is the Lie algebra consisting of the vector space
g⊕g′displaystyle mathfrak goplus mathfrak g'mathfrak goplus mathfrak g', of the pairs (x,x′),x∈g,x′∈g′displaystyle mathfrak (x,x'),,xin mathfrak g,x'in mathfrak g'mathfrak (x,x'),,xin mathfrak g,x'in mathfrak g', with the operation


[(x,x′),(y,y′)]=([x,y],[x′,y′]),x,y∈g,x′,y′∈g′.displaystyle [(x,x'),(y,y')]=([x,y],[x',y']),quad x,yin mathfrak g,,x',y'in mathfrak g'.[(x,x'),(y,y')]=([x,y],[x',y']),quad x,yin mathfrak g,,x',y'in mathfrak g'.

Let gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g be a Lie algebra and idisplaystyle mathfrak imathfrak i an ideal of gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g. If the canonical map g→g/idisplaystyle mathfrak gto mathfrak g/mathfrak imathfrak gto mathfrak g/mathfrak i splits (i.e., admits a section), then gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g is said to be a semidirect product of idisplaystyle mathfrak imathfrak i and g/idisplaystyle mathfrak g/mathfrak imathfrak g/mathfrak i, g=g/i⋉idisplaystyle mathfrak g=mathfrak g/mathfrak iltimes mathfrak idisplaystyle mathfrak g=mathfrak g/mathfrak iltimes mathfrak i. See also semidirect sum of Lie algebras.


Levi's theorem says that a finite-dimensional Lie algebra is a semidirect product of its radical and the complementary subalgebra (Levi subalgebra).



Enveloping algebra



For any associative algebra A with multiplication ∗displaystyle **, one can construct a Lie algebra L(A). As a vector space, L(A) is the same as A. The Lie bracket of two elements of L(A) is defined to be their commutator in A:


[a,b]=a∗b−b∗a. displaystyle [a,b]=a*b-b*a. [a,b]=a*b-b*a.

The associativity of the multiplication ∗displaystyle ** in A implies the Jacobi identity of the commutator in L(A). For example, the associative algebra of n × n matrices over a field F gives rise to the general linear Lie algebra gln(F).displaystyle mathfrak gl_n(F).mathfrak gl_n(F). The associative algebra A is called an enveloping algebra of the Lie algebra L(A). Every Lie algebra can be embedded into one that arises from an associative algebra in this fashion; see universal enveloping algebra.



Derivations


A derivation on the Lie algebra gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g (in fact on any non-associative algebra) is a linear map δ:g→gdisplaystyle delta :mathfrak grightarrow mathfrak gdelta :mathfrak grightarrow mathfrak g that obeys the Leibniz law, that is,


δ([x,y])=[δ(x),y]+[x,δ(y)]displaystyle delta ([x,y])=[delta (x),y]+[x,delta (y)]delta ([x,y])=[delta (x),y]+[x,delta (y)]

for all x and y in the algebra. For any x, ad⁡(x)displaystyle operatorname ad (x)operatorname ad (x) is a derivation; a consequence of the Jacobi identity. Thus, the image of addisplaystyle operatorname ad operatorname ad lies in the subalgebra of gl(g)displaystyle mathfrak gl(mathfrak g)mathfrak gl(mathfrak g) consisting of derivations on gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g. A derivation that happens to be in the image of addisplaystyle operatorname ad operatorname ad is called an inner derivation. If gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g is semisimple, every derivation on gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g is inner.



Examples



Vector spaces


Any vector space Vdisplaystyle VV endowed with the identically zero Lie bracket becomes a Lie algebra. Such Lie algebras are called abelian, cf. below. Any one-dimensional Lie algebra over a field is abelian, by the antisymmetry of the Lie bracket.


  • The real vector space of all n × n skew-hermitian matrices is closed under the commutator and forms a real Lie algebra denoted u(n)displaystyle mathfrak u(n)mathfrak u(n). This is the Lie algebra of the unitary group U(n).


Associative algebra


  • On an associative algebra Adisplaystyle AA over a field Fdisplaystyle FF with multiplication (x,y)↦xydisplaystyle (x,y)mapsto xy(x,y)mapsto xy, a Lie bracket may be defined by the commutator [x,y]=xy−yxdisplaystyle [x,y]=xy-yx[x,y]=xy-yx. With this bracket, Adisplaystyle AA is a Lie algebra.[6]

  • The associative algebra of endomorphisms of a Fdisplaystyle FF-vector space Edisplaystyle EE with the above Lie bracket is denoted gl(E)displaystyle mathfrak gl(E)displaystyle mathfrak gl(E). If E=Fndisplaystyle E=F^ndisplaystyle E=F^n, the notation is gl(n,F)displaystyle mathfrak gl(n,F)displaystyle mathfrak gl(n,F) or gln(F)displaystyle mathfrak gl_n(F)mathfrak gl_n(F).[7]


Subspaces


Every subalgebra (subspace closed under the Lie bracket) of a Lie algebra is a Lie algebra in its own right.


  • The subspace of the general linear Lie algebra gln(F)displaystyle mathfrak gl_n(F)mathfrak gl_n(F) consisting of matrices of trace zero is a subalgebra,[8] the special linear Lie algebra, denoted sln(F).displaystyle mathfrak sl_n(F).mathfrak sl_n(F).


Matrix Lie groups


Any Lie group G defines an associated real Lie algebra g=Lie(G)displaystyle mathfrak g=mathrm Lie (G)displaystyle mathfrak g=mathrm Lie (G). The definition in general is somewhat technical, but in the case of a real matrix group G, it can be formulated via the exponential map, or the matrix exponential. The Lie algebra gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g of G may be computed as



g=X∈Mat(n,C)∣(∀t∈R)(exp⁡(tX)∈G).displaystyle mathfrak g=Xin textMat(n,mathbb C )mid (forall tin mathbb R )(operatorname exp (tX)in G).displaystyle mathfrak g=Xin textMat(n,mathbb C )mid (forall tin mathbb R )(operatorname exp (tX)in G).[9][10]

The Lie bracket of gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g is given by the commutator of matrices, [X,Y]=XY−YXdisplaystyle [X,Y]=XY-YXdisplaystyle [X,Y]=XY-YX. The following are examples of Lie algebras of matrix Lie groups:[11]


  • The special linear group SL(n,R), consisting of all n × n matrices with real entries and determinant 1. Its Lie algebra consists of all n × n matrices with real entries and trace 0.

  • The unitary group U(n) consists of n × n unitary matrices (those satisfying U∗=U−1displaystyle U^*=U^-1displaystyle U^*=U^-1). Its Lie algebra consists of skew-self-adjoint matrices (those satisfying X∗=−Xdisplaystyle X^*=-Xdisplaystyle X^*=-X).

  • The orthogonal and special orthogonal groups O(n) and SO(n) have the same Lie algebra, consisting of real, skew-symmetric matrices (those satisfying Xtr=−Xdisplaystyle X^tr=-Xdisplaystyle X^tr=-X).


Two dimensions


  • On any field Fdisplaystyle mathbf F mathbf F there is, up to isomorphism, a single two-dimensional nonabelian Lie algebra with generators (x,y)displaystyle (x,y)(x,y) and bracket defined as [x,y]=ydisplaystyle left[x,yright]=ydisplaystyle left[x,yright]=y. It generates the affine group in one dimension. So, for
x=(1000),y=(0100),displaystyle x=left(beginarraycc1&0\0&0endarrayright),qquad y=left(beginarraycc0&1\0&0endarrayright),displaystyle x=left(beginarraycc1&0\0&0endarrayright),qquad y=left(beginarraycc0&1\0&0endarrayright),

the resulting group elements are upper triangular 2×2 matrices with unit lower diagonal,
eax+by=(eaba(ea−1)01).displaystyle e^ax+by=left(beginarraycce^a&tfrac ba(e^a-1)\0&1endarrayright).displaystyle e^ax+by=left(beginarraycce^a&tfrac ba(e^a-1)\0&1endarrayright).


Three dimensions


  • The three-dimensional Euclidean space R3 with the Lie bracket given by the cross product of vectors becomes a three-dimensional Lie algebra.

  • The Heisenberg algebra H3(R) is a three-dimensional Lie algebra generated by elements x, y and z with Lie brackets


[x,y]=z,[x,z]=0,[y,z]=0displaystyle [x,y]=z,quad [x,z]=0,quad [y,z]=0[x,y]=z,quad [x,z]=0,quad [y,z]=0 .

It is explicitly realized as the space of 3×3 strictly upper-triangular matrices, with the Lie bracket given by the matrix commutator,
x=(010000000),y=(000001000),z=(001000000) .displaystyle x=left(beginarrayccc0&1&0\0&0&0\0&0&0endarrayright),quad y=left(beginarrayccc0&0&0\0&0&1\0&0&0endarrayright),quad z=left(beginarrayccc0&0&1\0&0&0\0&0&0endarrayright)~.quad x=left(beginarrayccc0&1&0\0&0&0\0&0&0endarrayright),quad y=left(beginarrayccc0&0&0\0&0&1\0&0&0endarrayright),quad z=left(beginarrayccc0&0&1\0&0&0\0&0&0endarrayright)~.quad

Any element of the Heisenberg group is thus representable as a product of group generators, i.e., matrix exponentials of these Lie algebra generators,
(1ac01b001)=ebyeczeax .displaystyle left(beginarrayccc1&a&c\0&1&b\0&0&1endarrayright)=e^bye^cze^ax~.left(beginarrayccc1&a&c\0&1&b\0&0&1endarrayright)=e^bye^cze^ax~.
  • The Lie algebra so(3) of the group SO(3) is spanned by the three matrices[12]
F1=(00000−1010),F2=(001000−100),F3=(0−10100000) .displaystyle F_1=left(beginarrayccc0&0&0\0&0&-1\0&1&0endarrayright),quad F_2=left(beginarrayccc0&0&1\0&0&0\-1&0&0endarrayright),quad F_3=left(beginarrayccc0&-1&0\1&0&0\0&0&0endarrayright)~.quad displaystyle F_1=left(beginarrayccc0&0&0\0&0&-1\0&1&0endarrayright),quad F_2=left(beginarrayccc0&0&1\0&0&0\-1&0&0endarrayright),quad F_3=left(beginarrayccc0&-1&0\1&0&0\0&0&0endarrayright)~.quad

The commutation relations among these generators are
[F1,F2]=F3,displaystyle [F_1,F_2]=F_3,displaystyle [F_1,F_2]=F_3,

[F2,F3]=F1,displaystyle [F_2,F_3]=F_1,displaystyle [F_2,F_3]=F_1,

[F3,F1]=F2.displaystyle [F_3,F_1]=F_2.displaystyle [F_3,F_1]=F_2.


These commutation relations are essentially the same as those among the x, y, and z components of the angular momentum operator in quantum mechanics.


Infinite dimensions


  • An important class of infinite-dimensional real Lie algebras arises in differential topology. The space of smooth vector fields on a differentiable manifold M forms a Lie algebra, where the Lie bracket is defined to be the commutator of vector fields. One way of expressing the Lie bracket is through the formalism of Lie derivatives, which identifies a vector field X with a first order partial differential operator LX acting on smooth functions by letting LX(f) be the directional derivative of the function f in the direction of X. The Lie bracket [X,Y] of two vector fields is the vector field defined through its action on functions by the formula:
L[X,Y]f=LX(LYf)−LY(LXf).displaystyle L_[X,Y]f=L_X(L_Yf)-L_Y(L_Xf).,L_[X,Y]f=L_X(L_Yf)-L_Y(L_Xf).,
  • A Kac–Moody algebra is an example of an infinite-dimensional Lie algebra.

  • The Moyal algebra is an infinite-dimensional Lie algebra that contains all classical Lie algebras as subalgebras.

  • The Virasoro algebra is of paramount importance in string theory.


Representations




Definitions


Given a vector space V, let gl(V)displaystyle mathfrak gl(V)mathfrak gl(V) denote the Lie algebra consisting of all linear endomorphisms of V, with bracket given by [X,Y]=XY−YXdisplaystyle [X,Y]=XY-YXdisplaystyle [X,Y]=XY-YX. A representation of a Lie algebra gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g on V is a Lie algebra homomorphism


π:g→gl(V).displaystyle pi :mathfrak gto mathfrak gl(V).pi :mathfrak gto mathfrak gl(V).

A representation is said to be faithful if its kernel is zero. Ado's theorem[13] states that every finite-dimensional Lie algebra has a faithful representation on a finite-dimensional vector space.



Adjoint representation


For any Lie algebra gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g, we can define a representation


ad:g→gl(g)displaystyle operatorname ad :mathfrak gto mathfrak gl(mathfrak g)operatorname ad :mathfrak gto mathfrak gl(mathfrak g)

given by ad⁡(x)(y)=[x,y]displaystyle operatorname ad (x)(y)=[x,y]operatorname ad (x)(y)=[x,y] is a representation of gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g on the vector space gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g called the adjoint representation.



Goals of representation theory


One important aspect of the study of Lie algebras (especially semisimple Lie algebras) is the study of their representations. (Indeed, most of the books listed in the references section devote a substantial fraction of their pages to representation theory.) Although Ado's theorem is an important result, the primary goal of representation theory is not to find a faithful representation of a given Lie algebra gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g. Indeed, in the semisimple case, the adjoint representation is already faithful. Rather the goal is to understand all possible representation of gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g, up to the natural notion of equivalence. In the semisimple case, Weyl's theorem[14] says that every finite-dimensional representation is a direct sum of irreducible representations (those with no nontrivial invariant subspaces). The irreducible representations, in turn, are classified by a theorem of the highest weight.



Representation theory in physics


The representation theory of Lie algebras plays an important role in various parts of theoretical physics. There, one considers operators on the space of states that satisfy certain natural commutation relations. These commutation relations typically come from a symmetry of the problem—specifically, they are the relations of the Lie algebra of the relevant symmetry group. An example would be the angular momentum operators, whose commutation relations are those of the Lie algebra so(3) of the rotation group SO(3). Typically, the space of states is very far from being irreducible under the pertinent operators, but one can attempt to decompose it into irreducible pieces. In doing so, one needs to know what the irreducible representations of the given Lie algebra are. In the study of the quantum hydrogen atom, for example, quantum mechanics textbooks give (without calling it that) a classification of the irreducible representations of the Lie algebra so(3).



Structure theory and classification


Lie algebras can be classified to some extent. In particular, this has an application to the classification of Lie groups.



Abelian, nilpotent, and solvable


Analogously to abelian, nilpotent, and solvable groups, defined in terms of the derived subgroups, one can define abelian, nilpotent, and solvable Lie algebras.


A Lie algebra gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g is abelian if the Lie bracket vanishes, i.e. [x,y] = 0, for all x and y in gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g. Abelian Lie algebras correspond to commutative (or abelian) connected Lie groups such as vector spaces Kndisplaystyle K^nK^n or tori Tn,displaystyle T^n,T^n, and are all of the form kn,displaystyle mathfrak k^n,mathfrak k^n, meaning an n-dimensional vector space with the trivial Lie bracket.


A more general class of Lie algebras is defined by the vanishing of all commutators of given length. A Lie algebra gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g is nilpotent if the lower central series


g>[g,g]>[[g,g],g]>[[[g,g],g],g]>⋯displaystyle mathfrak g>[mathfrak g,mathfrak g]>[[mathfrak g,mathfrak g],mathfrak g]>[[[mathfrak g,mathfrak g],mathfrak g],mathfrak g]>cdots mathfrak g>[mathfrak g,mathfrak g]>[[mathfrak g,mathfrak g],mathfrak g]>[[[mathfrak g,mathfrak g],mathfrak g],mathfrak g]>cdots

becomes zero eventually. By Engel's theorem, a Lie algebra is nilpotent if and only if for every u in gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g the adjoint endomorphism


ad⁡(u):g→g,ad⁡(u)v=[u,v]displaystyle operatorname ad (u):mathfrak gto mathfrak g,quad operatorname ad (u)v=[u,v]operatorname ad (u):mathfrak gto mathfrak g,quad operatorname ad (u)v=[u,v]

is nilpotent.


More generally still, a Lie algebra gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g is said to be solvable if the derived series:


g>[g,g]>[[g,g],[g,g]]>[[[g,g],[g,g]],[[g,g],[g,g]]]>⋯displaystyle mathfrak g>[mathfrak g,mathfrak g]>[[mathfrak g,mathfrak g],[mathfrak g,mathfrak g]]>[[[mathfrak g,mathfrak g],[mathfrak g,mathfrak g]],[[mathfrak g,mathfrak g],[mathfrak g,mathfrak g]]]>cdots mathfrak g>[mathfrak g,mathfrak g]>[[mathfrak g,mathfrak g],[mathfrak g,mathfrak g]]>[[[mathfrak g,mathfrak g],[mathfrak g,mathfrak g]],[[mathfrak g,mathfrak g],[mathfrak g,mathfrak g]]]>cdots

becomes zero eventually.


Every finite-dimensional Lie algebra has a unique maximal solvable ideal, called its radical. Under the Lie correspondence, nilpotent (respectively, solvable) connected Lie groups correspond to nilpotent (respectively, solvable) Lie algebras.



Simple and semisimple



A Lie algebra is "simple" if it has no non-trivial ideals and is not abelian. (That is to say, a one-dimensional—necessarily abelian—Lie algebra is by definition not simple, even though it has no nontrivial ideals.) A Lie algebra gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g is called semisimple if it is isomorphic to a direct sum of simple algebras. There are several equivalent characterizations of semisimple algebras, such as having no nonzero solvable ideals.


The concept of semisimplicity for Lie algebras is closely related with the complete reducibility (semisimplicity) of their representations. When the ground field F has characteristic zero, any finite-dimensional representation of a semisimple Lie algebra is semisimple (i.e., direct sum of irreducible representations.) In general, a Lie algebra is called reductive if the adjoint representation is semisimple. Thus, a semisimple Lie algebra is reductive.



Cartan's criterion


Cartan's criterion gives conditions for a Lie algebra to be nilpotent, solvable, or semisimple. It is based on the notion of the Killing form, a symmetric bilinear form on gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g defined by the formula


K(u,v)=tr⁡(ad⁡(u)ad⁡(v)),displaystyle K(u,v)=operatorname tr (operatorname ad (u)operatorname ad (v)),K(u,v)=operatorname tr (operatorname ad (u)operatorname ad (v)),

where tr denotes the trace of a linear operator. A Lie algebra gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g is semisimple if and only if the Killing form is nondegenerate. A Lie algebra gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g is solvable if and only if K(g,[g,g])=0.displaystyle K(mathfrak g,[mathfrak g,mathfrak g])=0.K(mathfrak g,[mathfrak g,mathfrak g])=0.



Classification


The Levi decomposition expresses an arbitrary Lie algebra as a semidirect sum of its solvable radical and a semisimple Lie algebra, almost in a canonical way. Furthermore, semisimple Lie algebras over an algebraically closed field have been completely classified through their root systems. However, the classification of solvable Lie algebras is a 'wild' problem, and cannot[clarification needed] be accomplished in general.



Relation to Lie groups



Although Lie algebras are often studied in their own right, historically they arose as a means to study Lie groups.


We now briefly outline the relationship between Lie groups and Lie algebras. Any Lie group gives rise to a canonically determined Lie algebra (concretely, the tangent space at the identity). Conversely, for any finite-dimensional Lie algebra gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g, there exists a corresponding connected Lie group Gdisplaystyle GG with Lie algebra gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g. This is Lie's third theorem; see the Baker–Campbell–Hausdorff formula. This Lie group is not determined uniquely; however, any two Lie groups with the same Lie algebra are locally isomorphic, and in particular, have the same universal cover. For instance, the special orthogonal group SO(3) and the special unitary group SU(2) give rise to the same Lie algebra, which is isomorphic to R3 with the cross-product, but SU(2) is a simply-connected twofold cover of SO(3).


If we consider simply connected Lie groups, however, we have a one-to-one correspondence: For each (finite-dimensional real) Lie algebra gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g, there is a unique simply connected Lie group Gdisplaystyle GG with Lie algebra gdisplaystyle mathfrak gmathfrak g.


The correspondence between Lie algebras and Lie groups is used in several ways, including in the classification of Lie groups and the related matter of the representation theory of Lie groups. Every representation of a Lie algebra lifts uniquely to a representation of the corresponding connected, simply connected Lie group, and conversely every representation of any Lie group induces a representation of the group's Lie algebra; the representations are in one-to-one correspondence. Therefore, knowing the representations of a Lie algebra settles the question of representations of the group.


As for classification, it can be shown that any connected Lie group with a given Lie algebra is isomorphic to the universal cover mod a discrete central subgroup. So classifying Lie groups becomes simply a matter of counting the discrete subgroups of the center, once the classification of Lie algebras is known (solved by Cartan et al. in the semisimple case).


If the Lie algebra is infinite-dimensional, the issue is more subtle. In many instances, the exponential map is not even locally a homeomorphism (for example, in Diff(S1), one may find diffeomorphisms arbitrarily close to the identity that are not in the image of exp). Furthermore, some infinite-dimensional Lie algebras are not the Lie algebra of any group.



Lie ring


A Lie ring arises as a generalisation of Lie algebras, or through the study of the lower central series of groups. A Lie ring is defined as a nonassociative ring with multiplication that is anticommutative and satisfies the Jacobi identity. More specifically we can define a Lie ring Ldisplaystyle LL to be an abelian group with an operation [⋅,⋅]displaystyle [cdot ,cdot ][cdot ,cdot ] that has the following properties:


  • Bilinearity:
[x+y,z]=[x,z]+[y,z],[z,x+y]=[z,x]+[z,y]displaystyle [x+y,z]=[x,z]+[y,z],quad [z,x+y]=[z,x]+[z,y][x+y,z]=[x,z]+[y,z],quad [z,x+y]=[z,x]+[z,y]
for all x, y, zL.
  • The Jacobi identity:
[x,[y,z]]+[y,[z,x]]+[z,[x,y]]=0displaystyle [x,[y,z]]+[y,[z,x]]+[z,[x,y]]=0quad [x,[y,z]]+[y,[z,x]]+[z,[x,y]]=0quad
for all x, y, z in L.
  • For all x in L:
[x,x]=0displaystyle [x,x]=0quad [x,x]=0quad

Lie rings need not be Lie groups under addition. Any Lie algebra is an example of a Lie ring. Any associative ring can be made into a Lie ring by defining a bracket operator [x,y]=xy−yxdisplaystyle [x,y]=xy-yx[x,y]=xy-yx. Conversely to any Lie algebra there is a corresponding ring, called the universal enveloping algebra.


Lie rings are used in the study of finite p-groups through the Lazard correspondence'. The lower central factors of a p-group are finite abelian p-groups, so modules over Z/pZ. The direct sum of the lower central factors is given the structure of a Lie ring by defining the bracket to be the commutator of two coset representatives. The Lie ring structure is enriched with another module homomorphism, the pth power map, making the associated Lie ring a so-called restricted Lie ring.


Lie rings are also useful in the definition of a p-adic analytic groups and their endomorphisms by studying Lie algebras over rings of integers such as the p-adic integers. The definition of finite groups of Lie type due to Chevalley involves restricting from a Lie algebra over the complex numbers to a Lie algebra over the integers, and the reducing modulo p to get a Lie algebra over a finite field.



Examples


  • Any Lie algebra over a general ring instead of a field is an example of a Lie ring. Lie rings are not Lie groups under addition, despite the name.

  • Any associative ring can be made into a Lie ring by defining a bracket operator

[x,y]=xy−yx.displaystyle [x,y]=xy-yx.displaystyle [x,y]=xy-yx.
  • For an example of a Lie ring arising from the study of groups, let Gdisplaystyle GG be a group with (x,y)=x−1y−1xydisplaystyle (x,y)=x^-1y^-1xy(x,y)=x^-1y^-1xy the commutator operation, and let G=G0⊇G1⊇G2⊇⋯⊇Gn⊇⋯displaystyle G=G_0supseteq G_1supseteq G_2supseteq cdots supseteq G_nsupseteq cdots G=G_0supseteq G_1supseteq G_2supseteq cdots supseteq G_nsupseteq cdots be a central series in Gdisplaystyle GG — that is the commutator subgroup (Gi,Gj)displaystyle (G_i,G_j)(G_i,G_j) is contained in Gi+jdisplaystyle G_i+jG_i+j for any i,jdisplaystyle i,ji,j. Then
L=⨁Gi/Gi+1displaystyle L=bigoplus G_i/G_i+1L=bigoplus G_i/G_i+1
is a Lie ring with addition supplied by the group operation (which will be commutative in each homogeneous part), and the bracket operation given by
[xGi,yGj]=(x,y)Gi+j displaystyle [xG_i,yG_j]=(x,y)G_i+j [xG_i,yG_j]=(x,y)G_i+j
extended linearly. Note that the centrality of the series ensures the commutator (x,y)displaystyle (x,y)(x,y) gives the bracket operation the appropriate Lie theoretic properties.


See also








Remarks




  1. ^ Bourbaki (1989, Section 2.) allows more generally for a module over a commutative ring with unit element.




Notes



  1. ^ O'Connor & Robertson 2000


  2. ^ O'Connor & Robertson 2005


  3. ^ Humphreys 1978, p. 1


  4. ^ Due to the anticommutativity of the commutator, the notions of a left and right ideal in a Lie algebra coincide.


  5. ^ Jacobson 1962, pg. 28


  6. ^ Bourbaki 1989, §1.2. Example 1.


  7. ^ Bourbaki 1989, §1.2. Example 2.


  8. ^ Humphreys p.2


  9. ^ Helgason 1978, Ch. II, § 2, Proposition 2.7.


  10. ^ Hall 2015 Section 3.3


  11. ^ Hall 2015 Section 3.4


  12. ^ Hall 2015 Example 3.27


  13. ^ Jacobson 1962, Ch. VI


  14. ^ Hall 2015, Theorem 10.9



References


  • Beltita, Daniel. Smooth Homogeneous Structures in Operator Theory, CRC Press, 2005. ISBN 978-1-4200-3480-6

  • Boza, Luis; Fedriani, Eugenio M. & Núñez, Juan. A new method for classifying complex filiform Lie algebras, Applied Mathematics and Computation, 121 (2-3): 169–175, 2001


  • Bourbaki, Nicolas (1989). Lie Groups and Lie Algebras: Chapters 1-3. Berlin·Heidelberg·New York: Springer. ISBN 978-3-540-64242-8. 


  • Erdmann, Karin & Wildon, Mark. Introduction to Lie Algebras, 1st edition, Springer, 2006. ISBN 1-84628-040-0


  • Hall, Brian C. (2015). Lie groups, Lie algebras, and Representations: An Elementary Introduction. Graduate Texts in Mathematics. 222 (2nd ed.). Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-13467-3. ISBN 978-3319134666. ISSN 0072-5285. 


  • Hofmann, Karl H.; Morris, Sidney A (2007). The Lie Theory of Connected Pro-Lie Groups. European Mathematical Society. ISBN 978-3-03719-032-6. 


  • Humphreys, James E. (1978). Introduction to Lie Algebras and Representation Theory. Graduate Texts in Mathematics. 9 (2nd ed.). New York: Springer-Verlag. ISBN 0-387-90053-5. 


  • Jacobson, Nathan (1979) [1962]. Lie algebras. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. ISBN 0-486-63832-4. 


  • Kac, Victor G.; et al. Course notes for MIT 18.745: Introduction to Lie Algebras. Archived from the original on 2010-04-20. CS1 maint: Explicit use of et al. (link) CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)


  • O'Connor, J.J; Robertson, E.F. (2000). "Biography of Sophus Lie". MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive. 


  • O'Connor, J.J; Robertson, E.F. (2005). "Biography of Wilhelm Killing". MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive. 


  • Serre, Jean-Pierre (2006). Lie Algebras and Lie Groups (2nd ed.). Springer. ISBN 3-540-55008-9. 

  • Steeb, W.-H. Continuous Symmetries, Lie Algebras, Differential Equations and Computer Algebra, second edition, World Scientific, 2007, ISBN 978-981-270-809-0


  • Varadarajan, Veeravalli S. (2004). Lie Groups, Lie Algebras, and Their Representations (1st ed.). Springer. ISBN 0-387-90969-9. 


External links



  • Hazewinkel, Michiel, ed. (2001) [1994], "Lie algebra", Encyclopedia of Mathematics, Springer Science+Business Media B.V. / Kluwer Academic Publishers, ISBN 978-1-55608-010-4 

  • McKenzie, Douglas, (2015), "An Elementary Introduction to Lie Algebras for Physicists"





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