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Representations of SU (N)

(i) The document defines representations of the special unitary group SU(n) and its Lie algebra su(n). (ii) It provides exercises to show properties of representations including that su(n) has a maximal torus of diagonal matrices, defining roots, positive and negative roots, and determining highest weights of representations. (iii) The exercises cover representations including the adjoint representation, a representation on Cn given by matrix multiplication, and a representation on polynomials given by the action of G on polynomial variables.

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Sergio Aguilar
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63 views2 pages

Representations of SU (N)

(i) The document defines representations of the special unitary group SU(n) and its Lie algebra su(n). (ii) It provides exercises to show properties of representations including that su(n) has a maximal torus of diagonal matrices, defining roots, positive and negative roots, and determining highest weights of representations. (iii) The exercises cover representations including the adjoint representation, a representation on Cn given by matrix multiplication, and a representation on polynomials given by the action of G on polynomial variables.

Uploaded by

Sergio Aguilar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Representations of SU(n)

Assignment due April 13, 2015 (counts for 50 % of the grade)

In these exercises, “representation” stands for “continuous representation” everywhere.

Let n ∈ N with n ≥ 2 and consider the connected compact Lie group G = SU(n) and
its real Lie algebra g = su(n) ⊂ sl(n, C).
For 1 ≤ i, j ≤ n we denote by Eij the matrix in gl(n, C) with matrix elements

(Eij )kl = δik δjl , (k, l = 1, . . . , n),

that is, it has 1 in the entry of row i and column j, and 0 everywhere else.

(i) Show that g + ig = sl(n, C) and g ∩ ig = {0}, and conclude that the complexification
gC of g is isomorphic to sl(n, C).
(ii) Show that the (n − 1)-dimensional linear space t consisting of all diagonal matrices
n
X
diag(z1 , . . . , zn ) := zk Ekk
k=1

in g is a maximal torus.
(iii) Define for k = 1, . . . , n a linear map by

k : t → R, k (diag(z1 , . . . , zn )) = zk .

Show that for each pair (i, j) with i 6= j the linear subspace CEij is a root space of gC
and determine the corresponding root αij in terms of the k . Show that

R = {αij | i 6= j}

is the complete set of roots.


(iv) Let C = {X ∈ it | X = diag(x1 , . . . , xn ) with x1 > · · · > xn }. Show that C is
a Weyl chamber, and determine the corresponding sets R+ and R− of positive and
−
negative roots. Determine also the subalgebras g+
C and gC of gC .

(v) Let n := g+ C . For (π, V ) a finite dimensional representation of G on a complex vector


space V , let
V n = {v ∈ V | π∗,C (X)v = 0, ∀X ∈ n}
be the space of vectors annihilated by n.
Show that if dim V n = 1 then π is irreducible.
(vi) Consider the representation σ of G on E = Cn given by standard matrix multiplication
σ(g)v = gv for v ∈ E. Show that the representation is irreducible and determine its
highest weight.
(vii) Consider the adjoint representation Ad of G on g and its complexification gC . Show
that the representation is irreducible and determine its highest weight.

(viii) Let M = gl(n, C) and define π(g)A = gAg t for g ∈ G and A ∈ M . Show that π is a
representation of G, and determine the derived representation π∗ of g.
For the rest of these exercises, π will denote the representation just defined.

(ix) Find all non-zero weight spaces Mλ for π and the corresponding weights λ ∈ t∗C in
terms of the k .

(x) Show that M n = Span{E11 , E12 − E21 }. Hint. Show first that a lot of entries in A must
be zero if π∗ (E1j )(A) = 0 for j = 2, . . . , n.

(xi) Decompose M as the direct sum of the subspace Sym(n, C) of symmetric matrices and
the subspace Skew(n, C) of anti-symmetric matrices. Show that these subspaces are
G-invariant and irreducible, and determine the highest weights of the restrictions πSym
and πSkew of π to them.

(xii) Let m ∈ N and let Pm denote the space of complex-valued homogeneous polyno-
mials of degree m of n complex variables x1 , . . . , xn . The space is spanned by the
polynomials of the form

Pl (x) = xl11 · · · xlnn , x ∈ Rd ,

where l = (l1 , . . . , ln ) ∈ N0 with l1 + · · · + ln = m.


For P ∈ Pm and g ∈ G we define

ρm (g)P (x) = P (g t x)

for x ∈ Rn (where g t denotes the transpose of g).


Show that ρm is a representation of G for each m.

(xiii) Define a linear map T from M to P2 by T A(x) = xt A x for A ∈ M . Show that T is


equivariant. Determine its kernel and range. We can conclude that two representations
are equivalent. Which?

(xiv) Show that ρm is irreducible for all m.

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