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Exam 95

This document outlines the topics and questions to be covered in Course 424 on Group Representations. The course will cover defining and classifying representations of finite and compact groups, properties of characters, semisimple representations, representation rings, Lie algebras and representations of Lie algebras including those of SU(2) and SL(2,R). Students are asked to answer as many of the 10 multi-part questions as possible, covering topics such as determining simple representations of D4, properties of characters, the character table and representation ring of S4, relations between conjugacy classes and representations of a finite group G, types of simple representations, Haar measure on compact groups, conjugacy classes and representations of SU(2) and the Lie

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23 views3 pages

Exam 95

This document outlines the topics and questions to be covered in Course 424 on Group Representations. The course will cover defining and classifying representations of finite and compact groups, properties of characters, semisimple representations, representation rings, Lie algebras and representations of Lie algebras including those of SU(2) and SL(2,R). Students are asked to answer as many of the 10 multi-part questions as possible, covering topics such as determining simple representations of D4, properties of characters, the character table and representation ring of S4, relations between conjugacy classes and representations of a finite group G, types of simple representations, Haar measure on compact groups, conjugacy classes and representations of SU(2) and the Lie

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2eaa889c
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Course 424

Group Representations
Dr Timothy Murphy
G.M.B.

Friday, 22 May 1995

14:0016:00

Answer as many questions as you can; all carry the same number
of marks.
Unless otherwise stated, all representations are finite-dimensional
over C.
1. Define a group representation. What is meant by saying that 2 representations , are equivalent? What is meant by saying that the
representation is simple?
Determine all simple representations of D4 (the symmetry group of a
square) up to equivalence, from first principles.
2. What is meant by saying that the representation is semisimple?
Prove that every finite-dimensional representation of a finite group
over C is semisimple.
Define the character of a representation .
Define the intertwining number I(, ) of 2 representations , . State
without proof a formula expressing I(, ) in terms of , .
Show that the simple parts of a semisimple representation are unique
up to order.
3. Draw up the character table of S4 .
Determine also the representation ring of S4 , ie express each product
of simple representations of S4 as a sum of simple representations.
4. Show that the number of simple representations of a finite group G is
equal to the number s of conjugacy classes in G.

Show also that if these representations are 1 , . . . , s then


dim2 1 + + dim2 s = |G|.
Determine the dimensions of the simple representations of S5 , stating
clearly any results you assume.
5. Explain the division of simple representations of a finite group G over
C into real, essentially complex and quaternionic. Give an example of
each (justifying your answers).
Show that if is a simple representation with character then the
value of
X
(g 2 )
gG

determines which of these 3 types falls into.


6. Define a measure on a compact space. State carefully, but without
proof, Haars Theorem on the existence of an invariant measure on a
compact group. To what extent is such a measure unique?
Prove that every representation of a compact group is semisimple.
Which of the following groups are (a) compact, (b) connected:
O(n), SO(n), U(n), SU(n), GL(n, R), SL(n, R)?
(Justify your answer in each case.)
7. Determine the conjugacy classes in SU(2).
Prove that SU(2) has just one simple representation of each dimension
1, 2, . . . ; and determine the character of this representation.
If D(j) denotes the simple representation of SU(2) of dimension 2j + 1,
for j = 0, 1/2, 1, . . . , express the product D(j)D(k) as a sum of D(j)s.
8. Define the exponential eX of a square matrix X.
Determine eX in each of the following cases:






1 0
1 0
0 1
X=
, X=
, X=
,
0 1
0 1
1 0


X=


0 1
,
1 0

Which of these 5 matrices X are themselves expressible in the form


X = eY , with Y real? (Justify your answers in all cases.)


X=


1 1
1 1

9. Define a linear group, and a Lie algebra.


Define the Lie algebra L G of a linear group G, and outline the proof
that it is indeed a Lie algebra.
Determine the Lie algebras of SU(2) and SO(3), and show that they
are isomomorphic.
10. Define a representation of a Lie algebra; and show how each representation of a linear group G gives rise to a representation L of
L G.
Determine the Lie algebra of SL(2, R); and show that this Lie algebra
slg(2, R) has just 1 simple representation of each dimension 1, 2, 3, . . . .

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