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Fuchs Notes

The document discusses Lie algebras, focusing on basic examples and the Lie algebra su(3) related to hadron symmetries. It explains the concept of step operators and their relation to angular momentum, highlighting the commutation relations and the diagonalization of operators. Additionally, it notes that while certain operators like L2 are well-defined, they do not belong to the Lie algebra itself.

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13 views2 pages

Fuchs Notes

The document discusses Lie algebras, focusing on basic examples and the Lie algebra su(3) related to hadron symmetries. It explains the concept of step operators and their relation to angular momentum, highlighting the commutation relations and the diagonalization of operators. Additionally, it notes that while certain operators like L2 are well-defined, they do not belong to the Lie algebra itself.

Uploaded by

pny79v9g6k
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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FUCHS, LIE ALGEBRAS NOTES

Contents
1. Basic examples 1
1.1. Step Operators 1
1.2. Common features of systems 2
2. The Lie algebra su(3) and hadron symmetries 2

1. Basic examples
1.1. Step Operators. In the standard treatment of angular momentum the next
step is to consider instead of operators Li , the complex linear combinations

(1) L± := L1 ± iL2
L0 := 2L3
L†± = L∓
This means that the operators Li and the step operators span the same complex
vector space, but different real vector spaces.
(2) [L0 , L± ] ≡ [2L3 , L1 ± iL2 ] = 2[L3 , L1 ] ± 2i[L3 , L2 ]
= ±2(L1 ± iL2 ) ≡ ±L±
Each Lk commutes with the operator
 2  2  2
2 L0 L+ + L− L+ − L−
(3) L ≡ L21 + L22 + L23 = + +
2 2 2i
L20 1
+ (L+ L− + L− L+ )
=
4 2
for total angular momentum. Therefore one can diagonalise simultaneously the
operators L0 and L2 ; accordingly, one uses for the Hilbert space a basis of eigen-
vectors of L0 and L2 .
Note that the operator L2 is quadratic rather than linear in the generators Li (or
L± or L0 ). This means that it is NOT an element of the Lie algebra. Nevertheless,
it is a well-defined operator; for more complicated Lie algebras, it is often helpful
to consider arbitrary powers of the generators, too, but it is important to keep in
mind that such objects do not belong to the Lie algebra itself.
1
2 FUCHS, LIE ALGEBRAS NOTES

We denote by vλ an eigenvector of L0 to the eigenvalue, or weight, λ


(4) L0 vλ = λ · vλ
then
(5) L0 (L± vλ ) = L± L0 vλ ± 2L± vλ = (λ ± 2) · L± vλ
i.e. the vectors L± vλ are again eigenvectors of L0 , with eigenvalues λ ± 2.
1.2. Common features of systems.
2. The Lie algebra su(3) and hadron symmetries
The Lie algebra su(2)

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