George Mackey and His Work on Representation Theory and Foundations of Physics
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
The Theory of Induced Representations in Field Theory
QMW{PH{95{? hep-th/yymmnnn The Theory of Induced Representations in Field Theory Jose´ M. Figueroa-O'Farrill ABSTRACT These are some notes on Mackey's theory of induced representations. They are based on lectures at the ITP in Stony Brook in the Spring of 1987. They were intended as an exercise in the theory of homogeneous spaces (as principal bundles). They were never meant for distribution. x1 Introduction The theory of group representations is by no means a closed chapter in mathematics. Although for some large classes of groups all representations are more or less completely classified, this is not the case for all groups. The theory of induced representations is a method of obtaining representations of a topological group starting from a representation of a subgroup. The classic example and one of fundamental importance in physics is the Wigner construc- tion of representations of the Poincar´egroup. Later Mackey systematized this construction and made it applicable to a large class of groups. The method of induced representations appears geometrically very natural when expressed in the context of (homogeneous) vector bundles over a coset manifold. In fact, the representation of a group G induced from a represen- tation of a subgroup H will be decomposed as a \direct integral" indexed by the elements of the space of cosets G=H. The induced representation of G will be carried by the completion of a suitable subspace of the space of sections through a given vector bundle over G=H. In x2 we review the basic notions about coset manifolds emphasizing their connections with principal fibre bundles. -
Base Size of Finite Primitive Solvable Permutation Groups
Base size of finite primitive solvable permutation groups Ayan Maiti Under the supervision of Prof. Pal Hegedus A thesis presented for the partial fulfilment towards the degree of Masters of Science in Mathematics Mathematics and its Application Central European University Hungary Declaration of Authorship I, Ayan Maiti, declare that this thesis titled, "Base size of finite primitive solvable per- mutation groups" and the work presented in it are my own. I confirm that: This work was done wholly or mainly while in candidature for a masters degree at this University. Where any part of this thesis has previously been submitted for a degree or any other qualification at this University or any other institution, this has been clearly stated. Where I have consulted the published work of others, this is always clearly attributed. Where I have quoted from the work of others, the source is always given. With the exception of such quotations, this thesis is entirely my own work. I have acknowledged all main sources of help. Where the thesis is based on work done by myself jointly with others, I have made clear exactly what was done by others and what I have contributed myself. Signed: Ayan Maiti Date: 20th May, 2016 1 Abstract The content of this thesis report is based on the bounds of the base size of affine type primitive permutation groups, the bound was conjectured by Pyber and later was proved by Akos Seress. The the primary focus of this thesis is to understand the basic idea and the proof given by Akos Seress. -
REPRESENTATION THEORY. WEEK 4 1. Induced Modules Let B ⊂ a Be
REPRESENTATION THEORY. WEEK 4 VERA SERGANOVA 1. Induced modules Let B ⊂ A be rings and M be a B-module. Then one can construct induced A module IndB M = A ⊗B M as the quotient of a free abelian group with generators from A × M by relations (a1 + a2) × m − a1 × m − a2 × m, a × (m1 + m2) − a × m1 − a × m2, ab × m − a × bm, and A acts on A ⊗B M by left multiplication. Note that j : M → A ⊗B M defined by j (m) = 1 ⊗ m is a homomorphism of B-modules. Lemma 1.1. Let N be an A-module, then for ϕ ∈ HomB (M, N) there exists a unique ψ ∈ HomA (A ⊗B M, N) such that ψ ◦ j = ϕ. Proof. Clearly, ψ must satisfy the relation ψ (a ⊗ m)= aψ (1 ⊗ m)= aϕ (m) . It is trivial to check that ψ is well defined. Exercise. Prove that for any B-module M there exists a unique A-module satisfying the conditions of Lemma 1.1. Corollary 1.2. (Frobenius reciprocity.) For any B-module M and A-module N there is an isomorphism of abelian groups ∼ HomB (M, N) = HomA (A ⊗B M, N) . F Example. Let k ⊂ F be a field extension. Then induction Indk is an exact functor from the category of vector spaces over k to the category of vector spaces over F , in the sense that the short exact sequence 0 → V1 → V2 → V3 → 0 becomes an exact sequence 0 → F ⊗k V1⊗→ F ⊗k V2 → F ⊗k V3 → 0. Date: September 27, 2005. -
Weak Representation Theory in the Calculus of Relations Jeremy F
Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2006 Weak representation theory in the calculus of relations Jeremy F. Alm Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Mathematics Commons Recommended Citation Alm, Jeremy F., "Weak representation theory in the calculus of relations " (2006). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 1795. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/1795 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Weak representation theory in the calculus of relations by Jeremy F. Aim A dissertation submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major: Mathematics Program of Study Committee: Roger Maddux, Major Professor Maria Axenovich Paul Sacks Jonathan Smith William Robinson Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 2006 Copyright © Jeremy F. Aim, 2006. All rights reserved. UMI Number: 3217250 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. -
Geometric Representation Theory, Fall 2005
GEOMETRIC REPRESENTATION THEORY, FALL 2005 Some references 1) J. -P. Serre, Complex semi-simple Lie algebras. 2) T. Springer, Linear algebraic groups. 3) A course on D-modules by J. Bernstein, availiable at www.math.uchicago.edu/∼arinkin/langlands. 4) J. Dixmier, Enveloping algebras. 1. Basics of the category O 1.1. Refresher on semi-simple Lie algebras. In this course we will work with an alge- braically closed ground field of characteristic 0, which may as well be assumed equal to C Let g be a semi-simple Lie algebra. We will fix a Borel subalgebra b ⊂ g (also sometimes denoted b+) and an opposite Borel subalgebra b−. The intersection b+ ∩ b− is a Cartan subalgebra, denoted h. We will denote by n, and n− the unipotent radicals of b and b−, respectively. We have n = [b, b], and h ' b/n. (I.e., h is better to think of as a quotient of b, rather than a subalgebra.) The eigenvalues of h acting on n are by definition the positive roots of g; this set will be denoted by ∆+. We will denote by Q+ the sub-semigroup of h∗ equal to the positive span of ∆+ (i.e., Q+ is the set of eigenvalues of h under the adjoint action on U(n)). For λ, µ ∈ h∗ we shall say that λ ≥ µ if λ − µ ∈ Q+. We denote by P + the sub-semigroup of dominant integral weights, i.e., those λ that satisfy hλ, αˇi ∈ Z+ for all α ∈ ∆+. + For α ∈ ∆ , we will denote by nα the corresponding eigen-space. -
Representations of Finite Groups’ Iordan Ganev 13 August 2012 Eugene, Oregon
Notes for ‘Representations of Finite Groups’ Iordan Ganev 13 August 2012 Eugene, Oregon Contents 1 Introduction 2 2 Functions on finite sets 2 3 The group algebra C[G] 4 4 Induced representations 5 5 The Hecke algebra H(G; K) 7 6 Characters and the Frobenius character formula 9 7 Exercises 12 1 1 Introduction The following notes were written in preparation for the first talk of a week-long workshop on categorical representation theory. We focus on basic constructions in the representation theory of finite groups. The participants are likely familiar with much of the material in this talk; we hope that this review provides perspectives that will precipitate a better understanding of later talks of the workshop. 2 Functions on finite sets Let X be a finite set of size n. Let C[X] denote the vector space of complex-valued functions on X. In what follows, C[X] will be endowed with various algebra structures, depending on the nature of X. The simplest algebra structure is pointwise multiplication, and in this case we can identify C[X] with the algebra C × C × · · · × C (n times). To emphasize pointwise multiplication, we write (C[X], ptwise). A C[X]-module is the same as X-graded vector space, or a vector bundle on X. To see this, let V be a C[X]-module and let δx 2 C[X] denote the delta function at x. Observe that δ if x = y δ · δ = x x y 0 if x 6= y It follows that each δx acts as a projection onto a subspace Vx of V and Vx \ Vy = 0 if x 6= y. -
Representation Theory with a Perspective from Category Theory
Representation Theory with a Perspective from Category Theory Joshua Wong Mentor: Saad Slaoui 1 Contents 1 Introduction3 2 Representations of Finite Groups4 2.1 Basic Definitions.................................4 2.2 Character Theory.................................7 3 Frobenius Reciprocity8 4 A View from Category Theory 10 4.1 A Note on Tensor Products........................... 10 4.2 Adjunction.................................... 10 4.3 Restriction and extension of scalars....................... 12 5 Acknowledgements 14 2 1 Introduction Oftentimes, it is better to understand an algebraic structure by representing its elements as maps on another space. For example, Cayley's Theorem tells us that every finite group is isomorphic to a subgroup of some symmetric group. In particular, representing groups as linear maps on some vector space allows us to translate group theory problems to linear algebra problems. In this paper, we will go over some introductory representation theory, which will allow us to reach an interesting result known as Frobenius Reciprocity. Afterwards, we will examine Frobenius Reciprocity from the perspective of category theory. 3 2 Representations of Finite Groups 2.1 Basic Definitions Definition 2.1.1 (Representation). A representation of a group G on a finite-dimensional vector space is a homomorphism φ : G ! GL(V ) where GL(V ) is the group of invertible linear endomorphisms on V . The degree of the representation is defined to be the dimension of the underlying vector space. Note that some people refer to V as the representation of G if it is clear what the underlying homomorphism is. Furthermore, if it is clear what the representation is from context, we will use g instead of φ(g). -
R–Groups for Metaplectic Groups∗
R{groups for metaplectic groups∗ Marcela Hanzery1 1Department of Mathematics, University of Zagreb, Croatia Abstract In this short note, we completely describe a parabolically induced representation Sp^(2n;F ) IndP (σ); in particular, its length and multiplicities. Here, Sp^(2n; F ) is a p{adic metaplectic group, and σ is a discrete series representation of a Levi subgroup of P: A multiplicity one result follows. 1 Introduction A knowledge of R{groups (in all their variants{classical, Arthur, etc.) is very important in understanding the representation theory of reductive p{adic groups, especially their unitary duals. Let G be a reductive p{adic group with a parabolic subgroup P = MN where M is a Levi subgroup. Assume σ is a discrete series (complex) representation of M: Then, it is G important to understand how the representation IndP (σ) reduces: whether it is reducible, and if it is reducible, whether all the irreducible subquotients appear with multiplicity one. These questions are answered by knowing the structure of the commuting algebra C(σ); G i.e., the intertwining algebra of IndP (σ): It is already known from the work of Casselman that the dimension of C(σ) is bounded by the cardinality of W (σ); the subgroup of the Weyl group of G fixing the representation σ: The precise structure of C(σ) is given by a certain subgroup of W (σ); called the R{group of σ: This approach to understanding the G structure of IndP (σ) goes back to the work of Knapp and Stein on real groups and principal series representations. -
Introuduction to Representation Theory of Lie Algebras
Introduction to Representation Theory of Lie Algebras Tom Gannon May 2020 These are the notes for the summer 2020 mini course on the representation theory of Lie algebras. We'll first define Lie groups, and then discuss why the study of representations of simply connected Lie groups reduces to studying representations of their Lie algebras (obtained as the tangent spaces of the groups at the identity). We'll then discuss a very important class of Lie algebras, called semisimple Lie algebras, and we'll examine the repre- sentation theory of two of the most basic Lie algebras: sl2 and sl3. Using these examples, we will develop the vocabulary needed to classify representations of all semisimple Lie algebras! Please email me any typos you find in these notes! Thanks to Arun Debray, Joakim Færgeman, and Aaron Mazel-Gee for doing this. Also{thanks to Saad Slaoui and Max Riestenberg for agreeing to be teaching assistants for this course and for many, many helpful edits. Contents 1 From Lie Groups to Lie Algebras 2 1.1 Lie Groups and Their Representations . .2 1.2 Exercises . .4 1.3 Bonus Exercises . .4 2 Examples and Semisimple Lie Algebras 5 2.1 The Bracket Structure on Lie Algebras . .5 2.2 Ideals and Simplicity of Lie Algebras . .6 2.3 Exercises . .7 2.4 Bonus Exercises . .7 3 Representation Theory of sl2 8 3.1 Diagonalizability . .8 3.2 Classification of the Irreducible Representations of sl2 .............8 3.3 Bonus Exercises . 10 4 Representation Theory of sl3 11 4.1 The Generalization of Eigenvalues . -
Life and Work of Friedrich Hirzebruch
Jahresber Dtsch Math-Ver (2015) 117:93–132 DOI 10.1365/s13291-015-0114-1 HISTORICAL ARTICLE Life and Work of Friedrich Hirzebruch Don Zagier1 Published online: 27 May 2015 © Deutsche Mathematiker-Vereinigung and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015 Abstract Friedrich Hirzebruch, who died in 2012 at the age of 84, was one of the most important German mathematicians of the twentieth century. In this article we try to give a fairly detailed picture of his life and of his many mathematical achievements, as well as of his role in reshaping German mathematics after the Second World War. Mathematics Subject Classification (2010) 01A70 · 01A60 · 11-03 · 14-03 · 19-03 · 33-03 · 55-03 · 57-03 Friedrich Hirzebruch, who passed away on May 27, 2012, at the age of 84, was the outstanding German mathematician of the second half of the twentieth century, not only because of his beautiful and influential discoveries within mathematics itself, but also, and perhaps even more importantly, for his role in reshaping German math- ematics and restoring the country’s image after the devastations of the Nazi years. The field of his scientific work can best be summed up as “Topological methods in algebraic geometry,” this being both the title of his now classic book and the aptest de- scription of an activity that ranged from the signature and Hirzebruch-Riemann-Roch theorems to the creation of the modern theory of Hilbert modular varieties. Highlights of his activity as a leader and shaper of mathematics inside and outside Germany in- clude his creation of the Arbeitstagung, -
MATH0073 Representation Theory
MATH0073 Representation Theory Year: 2021{2022 Code: MATH0073 Level: 7 (UG) Normal student group(s): UG: Year 3 and 4 Mathematics degrees Value: 15 credits (= 7.5 ECTS credits) Term: 2 Assessment: 60% Final Exam, 30% Mid-term Test, 10% Coursework Normal Pre-requisites: MATH0053, (MATH0021 recommended) Lecturer: Dr D Beraldo Course Description and Objectives The representation theory of finite groups, which solidifies one's knowledge of group theory, is perhaps the easiest part of the general theory of symmetry. It goes back to F. Klein who consid- ered the possibility of representing a given abstract group by a group of linear transformations (matrices) preserving the group's structure, leading mathematicians such as G. Frobenius, I. Schur, W. Burnside and H. Maschke to follow and develop the idea further. Essentially, it is a formal calculus designed to give an explicit answer to the question \What are the different ways (homomorphisms) a finite group G can occur as a group of invertible matrices over a particular field F?". The link between group representations over a field F and modules is obtained using the concept of a group ring F[G], thus an essential step is the systematic study and classification of group rings (the so-called semisimple algebras) which behave like products of matrix rings. Therefore, the story of the representation theory of a group is the theory of all F[G]-modules, viz modules over the group ring of G over F. The ultimate goal of this course is to teach students how to construct complex representations for popular groups as well as their character tables which serve as invariants for group rings. -
17 Oct 2019 Sir Michael Atiyah, a Knight Mathematician
Sir Michael Atiyah, a Knight Mathematician A tribute to Michael Atiyah, an inspiration and a friend∗ Alain Connes and Joseph Kouneiher Sir Michael Atiyah was considered one of the world’s foremost mathematicians. He is best known for his work in algebraic topology and the codevelopment of a branch of mathematics called topological K-theory together with the Atiyah-Singer index theorem for which he received Fields Medal (1966). He also received the Abel Prize (2004) along with Isadore M. Singer for their discovery and proof of the index the- orem, bringing together topology, geometry and analysis, and for their outstanding role in building new bridges between mathematics and theoretical physics. Indeed, his work has helped theoretical physicists to advance their understanding of quantum field theory and general relativity. Michael’s approach to mathematics was based primarily on the idea of finding new horizons and opening up new perspectives. Even if the idea was not validated by the mathematical criterion of proof at the beginning, “the idea would become rigorous in due course, as happened in the past when Riemann used analytic continuation to justify Euler’s brilliant theorems.” For him an idea was justified by the new links between different problems which it illuminated. Our experience with him is that, in the manner of an explorer, he adapted to the landscape he encountered on the way until he conceived a global vision of the setting of the problem. Atiyah describes here 1 his way of doing mathematics2 : arXiv:1910.07851v1 [math.HO] 17 Oct 2019 Some people may sit back and say, I want to solve this problem and they sit down and say, “How do I solve this problem?” I don’t.