Group representations Definition and 27 Threads

I just want to make sure I understand this correctly. For an infinite-dimensional representation, the generators of translation can be written as ##i \frac{\partial}{\partial_{\mu}}= i \partial_{\mu}##, where the generators of the Lorentz group can be written as ##i (x^{\mu}\partial_{\nu} -...

I am looking at the point group C_3v described shown here. I am trying to understand the block diagonalization process. The note says that changing the basis in the following way will result in the block diagonal form. What is the rationale for choosing the new basis. Is it...

I believe what is asked is impossible. Here is why. The U(1) factors are abelian, so V and T commute with each other and with U, so i can just try to build a term containing and even number of T-s,V-s and U-s. From the transformation laws we see that a bilinear term in the Weyl fermions must...

Hi Pfs i have 2 matrix representations of SU(2) . each of them uses a up> and down basis (d> and u> If i take their tensor product i will get 4*4 matrices with this basis: d>d>,d>u>,u>d>,u>u> these representation is the sum equal to the sum of the 0-representation , a singlet represertation with...

Let's say I want to study subalgebras of the indefinite orthogonal algebra ##\mathfrak{o}(m,n)## (corresponding to the group ##O(m,n)##, with ##m## and ##n## being some positive integers), and am told that it can be decomposed into the direct sum $$\mathfrak{o}(m,n) = \mathfrak{o}(m-x,n-x)...

Being myself a chemist, rather than a physicist or mathematician (and after consulting numerous sources which appear to me to skip over the detail): 1) It’s not clear to me how one can go generally from a choice of basis vectors in real space to a representation matrix for a spatial symmetry...

Consider the pseudoscalar and vector meson family, as well as the baryon J = 1/2 family and baryon J = 3/2 family. Within each multiplet, for each particle state write down its complete set of quantum numbers, its mass, and its quark state content. Furthermore, for each multiplet draw the (Y...

Consider two arbitrary scalar multiplets ##\Phi## and ##\Psi## invariant under ##SU(2)\times U(1)##. When writing the potential for this model, in addition to the usual terms like ##\Phi^\dagger \Phi + (\Phi^\dagger \Phi)^2##, I often see in the literature, less usual terms like: $$\Phi^\dagger...

Hey there, I've suddenly found myself trying to learn about the Lorentz group and its representations, or really the representations of its double-cover. I have now got to the stage where the 'complexified' Lie algebra is being explored, linear combinations of the generators of the rotations...

I'm having a bit of an issue wrapping my head around the adjoint representation in group theory. I thought I understood the principle but I've got a practice problem which I can't even really begin to attempt. The question is this: My understanding of this question is that, given a...

Hello! Can someone recommend me some good reading about the Lorentz group and its representations? I want something to go pretty much in all the details (not necessary proofs for all the statements, but most of the properties of the group to be presented). Thank you!

In quantum field theory, we use the universal cover of the Lorentz group SL(2,C) instead of SO(3,1). (The reason for this is, of course, that representations of SO(3,1) aren't able to describe spin 1/2 particles.) How is the invariant speed of light enocded in SL(2,C)? This curious fact of...

My question concerns both quantum theory and relativity. But since I came up with this while studying QFT from Weinberg, I post my question in this sub-forum. As I gather, we first work out the representation of Poincare group (say ##\mathscr{P}##) in ##\mathbb{R}^4## by demanding the Minkowski...

When reading about GUTs you often come across the 'Standard Model decomposition' of the representations of a given gauge group. ie. you get the Standard Model gauge quantum numbers arranged between some brackets. For example, here are a few SM decompositions of the SU(5) representations...

Hi I am a physics graduate student. Recently I am learning representation theory of groups. I understand the basic concepts. But I need a good book with lots of examples in it and also exercise problems on representation theory so that I can brush up my knowledge.The text we follow is "Lie...

An element of SU(2), such as for example the rotation around the x-axis generated by the first Pauli matrice can be written as U(x) = e^{ixT_1} = \left( \begin{array}{cc} \cos\frac{x}{2} & i\sin\frac{x}{2} \\ i\sin\frac{x}{2} & \cos\frac{x}{2} \\ \end{array} \right) = \left(...

Problem This is a conceptual problem from my self-study. I'm trying to learn the basics of group theory but this business of representations is a problem. I want to know how to interpret representations of a group in different dimensions. Relevant Example Take SO(3) for example; it's the...

Hi to all the readers of the forum. I cannot figure out the following thing. I know that a representation of a group G on a vector spaceV s a homomorphism from G to GL(V). I know that a scalar (in Galileian Physics) is something that is invariant under rotation. How can I reconcile this...

I was rethinking about some things I learned but I came to things that seemed to be not firm enough in my mind. 1) When we want to find the unitary matrix that block-diagonalizes a certain matrix through a similarity transformation, we should find the eigenvectors of that matrix and stick them...

The vectors \vec{\alpha}=\{\alpha_1,\ldots\alpha_m \} are defined by [H_i,E_\alpha]=\alpha_i E_\alpha they are also known to be the non-zero weights, called the roots, in the adjoint representation. My question is - is this connection (that the vectors \vec{\alpha} defined by the commutation...

We have that A and B belong to different representations of the same Lie Group. The representations have the same dimension. X and Y are elements of the respective Lie algebra representations. A = e^{tX} B = e^{tY} We want to show, for a specific matrix M B^{-1} M B = AM Does it suffice to...

I am reading a text about the splitting of the energy levels in crystals caused by the spin orbit interaction. In particular, the argument is treated from the point of view of the group theory. The text starts saying that a representation (TxD) for the double group can be obtained from the...

I have to choose a total of 12 modules for my 3rd year. I've everything decided except four of them. I want to eventually do research either General Relativity, quantum mechanics, string theory, something like that. I'm torn between Group Representations, with one of Practical numerical...

I am writing an undergraduate "thesis" on group representations (no original work, basically a glorified research paper). I was wondering if anyone could suggest interesting aspects that might be worth writing about in my paper. I have only just begun to explore the topic, and I see that it...

I am a physicist, so my apologies if haven't framed the question in the proper mathematical sense. Matrices are used as group representations. Matrices act on vectors. So in physics we use matrices to transform vectors and also to denote the symmetries of the vector space. v_i = Sum M_ij...

Hey guys, I'm pretty new to group theory at the moment, what's the best way of understanding a 'representation' of a group? Thanks

What are good resources on Young diagrams and tableaux for representations of the permutation groups Sn and the unitary groups U(n) of n x n unitary matrices?