Lie Groups And Algebras With Applications To Physics Geometry And Mechanics

This book is intended as an introductory text on the subject of Lie groups and algebras and their role in various fields of mathematics and physics. It is written by and for researchers who are primarily analysts or physicists, not algebraists or geometers. Not that we have eschewed the algebraic and geo metric developments. But we wanted to present them in a concrete way and to show how the subject interacted with physics, geometry, and mechanics. These interactions are, of course, manifold; we have discussed many of them here-in particular, Riemannian geometry, elementary particle physics, sym metries of differential equations, completely integrable Hamiltonian systems, and spontaneous symmetry breaking. Much ofthe material we have treated is standard and widely available; but we have tried to steer a course between the descriptive approach such as found in Gilmore and Wybourne, and the abstract mathematical approach of Helgason or Jacobson. Gilmore and Wybourne address themselves to the physics community whereas Helgason and Jacobson address themselves to the mathematical community. This book is an attempt to synthesize the two points of view and address both audiences simultaneously. We wanted to present the subject in a way which is at once intuitive, geometric, applications oriented, mathematically rigorous, and accessible to students and researchers without an extensive background in physics, algebra, or geometry.

Describing many of the most important aspects of Lie group theory, this book presents the subject in a 'hands on' way. Rather than concentrating on theorems and proofs, the book shows the applications of the material to physical sciences and applied mathematics. Many examples of Lie groups and Lie algebras are given throughout the text. The relation between Lie group theory and algorithms for solving ordinary differential equations is presented and shown to be analogous to the relation between Galois groups and algorithms for solving polynomial equations. Other chapters are devoted to differential geometry, relativity, electrodynamics, and the hydrogen atom. Problems are given at the end of each chapter so readers can monitor their understanding of the materials. This is a fascinating introduction to Lie groups for graduate and undergraduate students in physics, mathematics and electrical engineering, as well as researchers in these fields.

A self-contained introduction to the cohomology theory of Lie groups and some of its applications in physics.

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.

Covering subjects including manifolds, tensor fields, spinors, and differential forms, this textbook introduces geometrical topics useful in modern theoretical physics and mathematics. It develops understanding through over 1000 short exercises, and is suitable for advanced undergraduate or graduate courses in physics, mathematics and engineering.