Symmetric Spaces General Theory

* Presents extensive surveys by van den Ban, Schlichtkrull, and Delorme of the recent progress in deriving the Plancherel theorem on reductive symmetric spaces * Well suited for both graduate students and researchers in semisimple Lie theory and neighboring fields, possibly even mathematical cosmology * Knowledge of basic representation theory of Lie groups as well as familiarity with semisimple Lie groups, symmetric spaces, and parabolic subgroups is required

Harmonic analysis on Riemannian semisimple symmetric spaces and on special types of non-Riemannian semisimple symmetric spaces are well-established theories. This book presents a systematic treatment of the basic problems on semisimple symmetric spaces and a discussion of some of the more important recent developments in the field. The author's primary contribution has been his idea of how to construct the discrete series for such a space. In this book a fundamental role is played by the ideas behind that construction, namely the duality principle, the orbit picture related to it, and the definition of representations by means of distributions on the orbits. Intended as a text at the upper graduate level, the book assumes a basic knowledge of Fourier analysis, differential geometry, and functional analysis. In particular, the reader should have a good knowledge of the general theory of real and complex Lie algebras and Lie groups and of the root and weight theories for semisimple Lie algebras and Lie groups.

Suitable for both graduate students and researchers in semi simple Lie theory and neighboring fields, this work provides an examination of semisimple Lie groups and their integral importance and applications to research in many branches of mathematics and physics.

Key definitions and results in symmetric spaces, particularly Lp, Lorentz, Marcinkiewicz and Orlicz spaces are emphasized in this textbook. A comprehensive overview of the Lorentz, Marcinkiewicz and Orlicz spaces is presented based on concepts and results of symmetric spaces. Scientists and researchers will find the application of linear operators, ergodic theory, harmonic analysis and mathematical physics noteworthy and useful. This book is intended for graduate students and researchers in mathematics and may be used as a general reference for the theory of functions, measure theory, and functional analysis. This self-contained text is presented in four parts totaling seventeen chapters to correspond with a one-semester lecture course. Each of the four parts begins with an overview and is subsequently divided into chapters, each of which concludes with exercises and notes. A chapter called “Complements” is included at the end of the text as supplementary material to assist students with independent work.

A great book ... a necessary item in any mathematical library. --S. S. Chern, University of California A brilliant book: rigorous, tightly organized, and covering a vast amount of good mathematics. --Barrett O'Neill, University of California This is obviously a very valuable and well thought-out book on an important subject. --Andre Weil, Institute for Advanced Study The study of homogeneous spaces provides excellent insights into both differential geometry and Lie groups. In geometry, for instance, general theorems and properties will also hold for homogeneous spaces, and will usually be easier to understand and to prove in this setting. For Lie groups, a significant amount of analysis either begins with or reduces to analysis on homogeneous spaces, frequently on symmetric spaces. For many years and for many mathematicians, Sigurdur Helgason's classic Differential Geometry, Lie Groups, and Symmetric Spaces has been--and continues to be--the standard source for this material. Helgason begins with a concise, self-contained introduction to differential geometry. Next is a careful treatment of the foundations of the theory of Lie groups, presented in a manner that since 1962 has served as a model to a number of subsequent authors. This sets the stage for the introduction and study of symmetric spaces, which form the central part of the book. The text concludes with the classification of symmetric spaces by means of the Killing-Cartan classification of simple Lie algebras over $\mathbb{C}$ and Cartan's classification of simple Lie algebras over $\mathbb{R}$, following a method of Victor Kac. The excellent exposition is supplemented by extensive collections of useful exercises at the end of each chapter. All of the problems have either solutions or substantial hints, found at the back of the book. For this edition, the author has made corrections and added helpful notes and useful references. Sigurdur Helgason was awarded the Steele Prize for Differential Geometry, Lie Groups, and Symmetric Spaces and Groups and Geometric Analysis.

This book is intended to introduce researchers and graduate students to the concepts of causal symmetric spaces. To date, results of recent studies considered standard by specialists have not been widely published. This book seeks to bring this information to students and researchers in geometry and analysis on causal symmetric spaces. Includes the newest results in harmonic analysis including Spherical functions on ordered symmetric space and the holmorphic discrete series and Hardy spaces on compactly casual symmetric spaces Deals with the infinitesimal situation, coverings of symmetric spaces, classification of causal symmetric pairs and invariant cone fields Presents basic geometric properties of semi-simple symmetric spaces Includes appendices on Lie algebras and Lie groups, Bounded symmetric domains (Cayley transforms), Antiholomorphic Involutions on Bounded Domains and Para-Hermitian Symmetric Spaces