Lie Algebras and Lie Groups Homework VII

Pádraig Sheehy
Due: 08-11-2019

Problem 1
Show that if L is a semisimple Lie algebra, then L = [L, L].

Solution:
By Theorem 3.54, we can consider L as a direct sum L1 ⊕ L2 ⊕ ... ⊕ Ln of simple Lie algebras.
[Li , Li ] ⊂ Li is an ideal.
But, Li is simple and so [Li , Li ] = Li or [Li , Li ] = 0.
[Li , Li ] = 0 =⇒ Li is Abelian =⇒ Li is not simple ⇒⇐
Thus, [Li , Li ] = Li , and so we have:

L = L1 ⊕ L2 ⊕ ... ⊕ Ln
= [L1 , L1 ] ⊕ [L2 , L2 ] ⊕ ... ⊕ [Ln , Ln ]
= [L1 ⊕ L2 ⊕ ... ⊕ Ln , L1 ⊕ L2 ⊕ ... ⊕ Ln ]
= [L, L]

Problem 2
Let L = kx be a one-dimensional Lie algebra.
1. Given a vector space V, show that there is a bijection between the set of representations ρ : L → gl(V )
and the set of endomorphisms gl(V ).
2. Give an example of a non-semisimple representation of L.

3. Show that an L-representation V is semisimple if and only if x is diagonalizable.

Solution:
1. Define a map φ : A 7→ ρA by ρA (λx) = λA, when A ∈ gl(V ), λ ∈ k. First, we can check that ρA is
a representation for each A ∈ gl(V ). Let λx, λ0 x ∈ L. Then [ρA (λx), ρA (λ0 x)] = λλ0 (AA − AA) = 0 =
ρA (0) = ρA ([λx, λ0 x]). Also, the map is linear, so it is a representation. Let A, A0 ∈ gl(V ) and suppose
ρA = ρA0 . Then ρA (x) = ρA0 (x) =⇒ A = A0 . Let ρ : L 7→ gl(V ) be a representation. For each λx ∈ L
we have ρ(λx) = λρ(x). We can set A = ρ(x) and observe that ρ = ρA . We have show that the map is
injective and surjective, so it is a bijection.
 
1 1
2. Let V = k2 . Consider ρ(x) : V → V : ρ(x)(v) = Av, where A =
0 1
Suppose V is semisimple, then by definition V is a sum of simple representations.
Let V = kv1 ⊕ kv2
Then Av1 = v1 , Av2 = v1 + v2 .
Thus, A(kv1 ) ⊂ kv1 and so kv1 is a subrepresentation of V .
Applying Lemma 3.59, we get that V semisimple =⇒ any submodule W ⊂ V has a complement.
Thus, ∃ W ⊂ V such that V = W ⊕ kv1 .

1
 Let W = k(av1 + bv2 ), for some a, b ∈ k
We have:
A(av1 + bv2 ) = a(Av1 ) + b(Av2 )
= a(v1 ) + b(v1 + v2 )
= (a + b)v1 + bv2
But W a subrepresentation =⇒ (a + b)v1 + bv2 ∈ W =⇒ b = 0
Thus, W = kv1 =⇒ V 6= W ⊕ kv1 , a contradiction. So we have that (V, ρ) is not semisimple.
3. Consider V an L-representation. Let dim V = n.
We have:
V is semisimple ⇐⇒ V is a direct sum of simple L-representations
⇐⇒ V is a direct sum of 1-dim L-representations
n
k vi
M
⇐⇒ V =
i=0
⇐⇒ kvi is a subrepresentation of V, ∀i
⇐⇒ x(kvi ) ⊂ kvi ∀i
 
λ1 0 ... 0
0 λ2 ... 0 
⇐⇒ x =  .
 
.. .. ..
 ..

. . . 
0 0 ... λn
⇐⇒ x is diagonal in some basis
⇐⇒ x is diagonalisable
Where we used that simple L-representations are 1-dimensional. This is true since:
Suppose ρ1 : L → gl(V1 ) is a non-zero irreducible representation. Then, dim V1 ≥ 1 and we have that
L is abelian and therefore solvable. Since k is algebraically closed, by Lie’s Theorem (3.32) we have
that kv1 is a non-zero subrepresentation of V1 , and so it must be that V1 = kv1 . Thus, every irreducible
representation of L is one-dimensional.

Problem 3
Let V be an irreducible representation of a Lie algebra. Show that the dual representation V ∗ is also irreducible.

Solution:
Let dim V = n.
We will prove by contradiction that V ∗ is irreducible.
Assume ∃ a subrepresentation U ∗ ⊂ V ∗ s.t dim U ∗ = k, with 0 < k < n.
Let v1∗ , v2∗ , . . . , vk∗ be a basis of U ∗ .
From linear algebra, we know that v1 , v2 , . . . , vk are linearly independent.
Let U = Span{v1 , v2 , . . . , vk }. Then U ⊂ V and dim U = k.
Consider φ : U ∗ → V ∗ : φ(f ) = f an embedding of representations, and the dual map φ0 : V ∗∗ → U ∗∗ .
For all f ∈ U ∗ , v ∗∗ ∈ V ∗∗ , we have:
φ0 (v ∗∗ )(f ) = v ∗∗ (φ(f ))
= (φ(f ))(v)
= f (v)
∗ ⊥
So Ker φ ' {v ∈ V | f (v) = 0 ∀ f ∈ U } = U
Furthermore, let v ∈ U ⊥ , f ∈ U ∗ , x ∈ L.
Since x · f ∈ U ∗ , we have:
f (x · v) = −(x · f )(v) = 0.
Thus, x · v ∈ U ⊥ and so it is a subrepresentaion of V of dimension n − k, and we know 0 < n − k < n.
It must then be a non-trivial subrepresentation, contradicting our assumption on V.
So V ∗ is irreducible.

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Problem 4
Show that the standard representation kn of gln (and sln ) is irreducible.

Solution:
We will prove by contradiction that V = kn is irreducible.
Assume ∃ a subrepresentation U ⊂ V s.t dim U = k, with 0 < k < n.
Without loss of generality, let v1 , v2 , . . . .vn be a basis of V s.t. v1 , v2 , . . . , vk forms a basis of U .
Consider e1 , e2 , ..., en the standard basis of V .
From linear algebra, we know there exists an orthogonal matrix B s.t. vi = Bei , ∀i ∈ {1, 2, . . . , n}.
Consider the matrix Aij = BEij B −1 . We have:

tr(Aij ) = tr(BEij B −1 )
= tr (Eij )
= 0, if i 6= j

and so Aij ∈ sln ⊂ gln . Thus, for all v ∈ U, Aij v ∈ U since U is a subrepresentation.
Let i = k + 1, j = 1. Then, we have

Aij vj = BEij B −1 vj
= BEij ej
= Bei
= vi

But v1 ∈ U and vk+1 6∈ U , a contradiction.

Thus @ a subrepresentation U ⊂ V s.t dim U = k, with 0 < k < n, and so the the standard representation kn
of gln (and sln ) is irreducible.