A Tour Of Representation Theory

Representation theory investigates the different ways in which a given algebraic object--such as a group or a Lie algebra--can act on a vector space. Besides being a subject of great intrinsic beauty, the theory enjoys the additional benefit of having applications in myriad contexts outside pure mathematics, including quantum field theory and the study of molecules in chemistry. Adopting a panoramic viewpoint, this book offers an introduction to four different flavors of representation theory: representations of algebras, groups, Lie algebras, and Hopf algebras. A separate part of the book is devoted to each of these areas and they are all treated in sufficient depth to enable and hopefully entice the reader to pursue research in representation theory. The book is intended as a textbook for a course on representation theory, which could immediately follow the standard graduate abstract algebra course, and for subsequent more advanced reading courses. Therefore, more than 350 exercises at various levels of difficulty are included. The broad range of topics covered will also make the text a valuable reference for researchers in algebra and related areas and a source for graduate and postgraduate students wishing to learn more about representation theory by self-study.

Introducing finite-dimensional representations of Lie groups and Lie algebras, this example-oriented book works from representation theory of finite groups, through Lie groups and Lie algrbras to the finite dimensional representations of the classical groups.

Very roughly speaking, representation theory studies symmetry in linear spaces. It is a beautiful mathematical subject which has many applications, ranging from number theory and combinatorics to geometry, probability theory, quantum mechanics, and quantum field theory. The goal of this book is to give a ``holistic'' introduction to representation theory, presenting it as a unified subject which studies representations of associative algebras and treating the representation theories of groups, Lie algebras, and quivers as special cases. Using this approach, the book covers a number of standard topics in the representation theories of these structures. Theoretical material in the book is supplemented by many problems and exercises which touch upon a lot of additional topics; the more difficult exercises are provided with hints. The book is designed as a textbook for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students. It should be accessible to students with a strong background in linear algebra and a basic knowledge of abstract algebra.

This text covers a variety of topics in representation theory and is intended for graduate students and more advanced researchers who are interested in the field. The book begins with classical representation theory of finite groups over complex numbers and ends with results on representation theory of quivers. The text includes in particular infinite-dimensional unitary representations for abelian groups, Heisenberg groups and SL(2), and representation theory of finite-dimensional algebras. The last chapter is devoted to some applications of quivers, including Harish-Chandra modules for SL(2). Ample examples are provided and some are revisited with a different approach when new methods are introduced, leading to deeper results. Exercises are spread throughout each chapter. Prerequisites include an advanced course in linear algebra that covers Jordan normal forms and tensor products as well as basic results on groups and rings.

This book is intended to present group representation theory at a level accessible to mature undergraduate students and beginning graduate students. This is achieved by mainly keeping the required background to the level of undergraduate linear algebra, group theory and very basic ring theory. Module theory and Wedderburn theory, as well as tensor products, are deliberately avoided. Instead, we take an approach based on discrete Fourier Analysis. Applications to the spectral theory of graphs are given to help the student appreciate the usefulness of the subject. A number of exercises are included. This book is intended for a 3rd/4th undergraduate course or an introductory graduate course on group representation theory. However, it can also be used as a reference for workers in all areas of mathematics and statistics.

``We explore widely in the valley of ordinary representations, and we take the reader over the mountain pass leading to the valley of modular representations, to a point from which (s)he can survey this valley, but we do not attempt to widely explore it. We hope the reader will be sufficiently fascinated by the scenery to further explore both valleys on his/her own.'' --from the Preface Representation theory plays important roles in geometry, algebra, analysis, and mathematical physics. In particular, representation theory has been one of the great tools in the study and classification of finite groups. There are some beautiful results that come from representation theory: Frobenius's Theorem, Burnside's Theorem, Artin's Theorem, Brauer's Theorem--all of which are covered in this textbook. Some seem uninspiring at first, but prove to be quite useful. Others are clearly deep from the outset. And when a group (finite or otherwise) acts on something else (as a set of symmetries, for example), one ends up with a natural representation of the group. This book is an introduction to the representation theory of finite groups from an algebraic point of view, regarding representations as modules over the group algebra. The approach is to develop the requisite algebra in reasonable generality and then to specialize it to the case of group representations. Methods and results particular to group representations, such as characters and induced representations, are developed in depth. Arithmetic comes into play when considering the field of definition of a representation, especially for subfields of the complex numbers. The book has an extensive development of the semisimple case, where the characteristic of the field is zero or is prime to the order of the group, and builds the foundations of the modular case, where the characteristic of the field divides the order of the group. The book assumes only the material of a standard graduate course in algebra. It is suitable as a text for a year-long graduate course. The subject is of interest to students of algebra, number theory and algebraic geometry. The systematic treatment presented here makes the book also valuable as a reference.

Representation Theory of Finite Groups is a five chapter text that covers the standard material of representation theory. This book starts with an overview of the basic concepts of the subject, including group characters, representation modules, and the rectangular representation. The succeeding chapters describe the features of representation theory of rings with identity and finite groups. These topics are followed by a discussion of some of the application of the theory of characters, along with some classical theorems. The last chapter deals with the construction of irreducible representations of groups. This book will be of great value to graduate students who wish to acquire some knowledge of representation theory.

Introducing the representation theory of groups and finite dimensional algebras, first studying basic non-commutative ring theory, this book covers the necessary background on elementary homological algebra and representations of groups up to block theory. It further discusses vertices, defect groups, Green and Brauer correspondences and Clifford theory. Whenever possible the statements are presented in a general setting for more general algebras, such as symmetric finite dimensional algebras over a field. Then, abelian and derived categories are introduced in detail and are used to explain stable module categories, as well as derived categories and their main invariants and links between them. Group theoretical applications of these theories are given – such as the structure of blocks of cyclic defect groups – whenever appropriate. Overall, many methods from the representation theory of algebras are introduced. Representation Theory assumes only the most basic knowledge of linear algebra, groups, rings and fields and guides the reader in the use of categorical equivalences in the representation theory of groups and algebras. As the book is based on lectures, it will be accessible to any graduate student in algebra and can be used for self-study as well as for classroom use.