A Survey Of Lie Groups And Lie Algebras With Applications And Computational Methods

Introduces the concepts and methods of the Lie theory in a form accessible to the non-specialist by keeping mathematical prerequisites to a minimum. Although the authors have concentrated on presenting results while omitting most of the proofs, they have compensated for these omissions by including many references to the original literature. Their treatment is directed toward the reader seeking a broad view of the subject rather than elaborate information about technical details. Illustrations of various points of the Lie theory itself are found throughout the book in material on applications. In this reprint edition, the authors have resisted the temptation of including additional topics. Except for correcting a few minor misprints, the character of the book, especially its focus on classical representation theory and its computational aspects, has not been changed.

This book starts with the elementary theory of Lie groups of matrices and arrives at the definition, elementary properties, and first applications of cohomological induction, which is a recently discovered algebraic construction of group representations. Along the way it develops the computational techniques that are so important in handling Lie groups. The book is based on a one-semester course given at the State University of New York, Stony Brook in fall, 1986 to an audience having little or no background in Lie groups but interested in seeing connections among algebra, geometry, and Lie theory. These notes develop what is needed beyond a first graduate course in algebra in order to appreciate cohomological induction and to see its first consequences. Along the way one is able to study homological algebra with a significant application in mind; consequently one sees just what results in that subject are fundamental and what results are minor.

This book starts with the elementary theory of Lie groups of matrices and arrives at the definition, elementary properties, and first applications of cohomological induction, which is a recently discovered algebraic construction of group representations. Along the way it develops the computational techniques that are so important in handling Lie groups. The book is based on a one-semester course given at the State University of New York, Stony Brook in fall, 1986 to an audience having little or no background in Lie groups but interested in seeing connections among algebra, geometry, and Lie theory. These notes develop what is needed beyond a first graduate course in algebra in order to appreciate cohomological induction and to see its first consequences. Along the way one is able to study homological algebra with a significant application in mind; consequently one sees just what results in that subject are fundamental and what results are minor.

In this reprint edition, the character of the book, especially its focus on classical representation theory and its computational aspects, has not been changed

* First of three independent, self-contained volumes under the general title, "Lie Theory," featuring original results and survey work from renowned mathematicians. * Contains J. C. Jantzen's "Nilpotent Orbits in Representation Theory," and K.-H. Neeb's "Infinite Dimensional Groups and their Representations." * Comprehensive treatments of the relevant geometry of orbits in Lie algebras, or their duals, and the correspondence to representations. * Should benefit graduate students and researchers in mathematics and mathematical physics.