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Group Representations

A group representation is a homomorphism from a group G to the general linear group GL(V) of invertible matrices, allowing the study of group properties through matrix properties. Key concepts include faithful representations, irreducibility, degrees of representation, and sub-representations, alongside important results like Schur's Lemma and Maschke's Theorem. Exercises demonstrate the application of these concepts in proving properties of operators and projectors in finite-dimensional vector spaces.

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11 views4 pages

Group Representations

A group representation is a homomorphism from a group G to the general linear group GL(V) of invertible matrices, allowing the study of group properties through matrix properties. Key concepts include faithful representations, irreducibility, degrees of representation, and sub-representations, alongside important results like Schur's Lemma and Maschke's Theorem. Exercises demonstrate the application of these concepts in proving properties of operators and projectors in finite-dimensional vector spaces.

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amelfaki222
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Group Representations

A group representation is a way to view a group as a group of invertible


matrices, with the goal of understanding certain properties of the group using
the properties of the associated matrices.

Definition
Let G be a group and V a vector space. A representation of the
group G in V is any group homomorphism of G into GL(V ), that is,
any map
ρ : G → GL(V )
satisfying

ρ(g1 g2 ) = ρ(g1 ) ◦ ρ(g2 ), for all g1 , g2 ∈ G.

Most often, we work with a finite group G and a finite-dimensional vec-


tor space V (which we will assume from now on). Let us establish some
associated definitions:
• A representation ρ : G → GL(V ) is called faithful if ρ is an injective
morphism.
• A representation ρ : G → GL(V ) is called irreducible if V is non-zero
and the only subspaces of V invariant under ρ are V and {0V }.
(A subspace W ⊂ V is invariant under ρ if
ρ(g)(W ) ⊂ W for all g ∈ G.
In this case, we can define a representation ρW : G → GL(W ) by
defining ρW (g) as the restriction of ρ(g) to W .)
• The degree of the representation is the dimension of V .
• If W is a subspace of V that is stable under all elements of ρ(G), then
we can define a mapping
ρW : G → GL(W ), g 7→ ρ(g)|W ,

1
which is a group morphism. The representation ρW : G → GL(W ) is
then called a sub-representation of ρ : G → GL(V ).

• The direct sum of a family of representationsLρi : G → Vi (of the


same group G) is the representation ρ of G on i Vi , defined by
M
ρ(g) = ρi (g).
i

• A morphism of the representation ρ : G → GL(V ) to the representa-


tion σ : G → GL(W ) is a linear map

φ:V →W

satisfying the intertwining relation

φ ◦ ρ(g) = σ(g) ◦ φ for all g ∈ G.

Schur’s Lemma
Every irreducible representation of an abelian group in a finite-
dimensional vector space over an algebraically closed field has degree
1.

Exercise 1 (Proof of Schur’s Lemma)

Let E be a finite-dimensional K-vector space, and let U be an


irreducible subset of L(E), meaning that the only subspaces of E that
are invariant under all elements of U are {0} and E. Let ϕ ∈ L(E) be
an operator that commutes with all elements of U .

1. Prove that ϕ is either the zero map or an automorphism.


2. Assume that K = C. Deduce that there exists λ ∈ C such that
ϕ = λ IdE .

Solution:

1. Since for all u ∈ U , u ◦ ϕ = ϕ ◦ u, it follows that ker ϕ is invariant


under all elements of U . In particular, ker ϕ = {0} or ker ϕ = E. In
the first case, ϕ is injective, hence it is an automorphism of E (which
is finite-dimensional). In the second case, ϕ is the zero map.

2
2. Let λ be an eigenvalue of ϕ. Then ϕ − λ IdE is not an automorphism of
E, but ϕ − λ IdE commutes with all elements of U . From the previous
question, it follows that ϕ − λ IdE = 0. Thus, ϕ = λ IdE .

Exercise 2 (Maschke’s Theorem)

Let E be a finite-dimensional vector space over a field K, where K = R


or K = C. Let G be a finite subgroup of GL(E) of order m, and let
F be a subspace invariant under all elements of G. Denoting by p a
projector onto F , we define:
1 X
p0 = u ◦ p ◦ u−1 .
m u∈G

1. Prove that p0 is a projector onto F .

2. Prove that, for all v ∈ G,

v ◦ p0 = p0 ◦ v.

3. Let S = ker(p0 ). Prove that S is invariant under all elements of


G.

4. State the theorem that has been demonstrated.

Solution:
1. First, let us note that p0 maps into F , since every u ∈ G maps into
F and F is a vector subspace. Next, choose x ∈ F and prove that
p0 (x) = x. For u ∈ G, we have u−1 ∈ G, and hence u−1 (x) ∈ F .
Therefore,
u ◦ p ◦ u−1 (x) = u ◦ u−1 (x) = x.
Hence, p0 (x) = x. It remains to verify that, for any x ∈ E, p0 ◦ p0 (x) =
p0 (x). This follows from the two properties above, since p0 (x) ∈ F and
p0 acts as the identity on F .

2. We need to prove that

v ◦ p0 ◦ v −1 = p0 .

Note that the map G → G, defined by u 7→ v ◦ u, is a bijection. In


other words, when u runs over G, so does v ◦ u. From this, we deduce

3
that:
1 X 1 X
v ◦ p0 ◦ v −1 = v ◦ (u ◦ p ◦ u−1 ) ◦ v −1 = (v ◦ u) ◦ p ◦ (v ◦ u)−1 .
m u∈G m u∈G

Since v ◦ u also runs over G, we obtain:

v ◦ p0 ◦ v −1 = p0 .

3. This is straightforward! If x ∈ S = ker(p0 ), then p0 (v(x)) = v(p0 (x)) =


0, which implies v(x) ∈ ker(p0 ).

4. We have shown that F has a complementary subspace that is also


invariant under all elements of G.

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