Is GL(n,C) the biggest complex manifold within GL(2n,R)?

In summary, the conversation discusses whether GL_n(\mathbb C) is the maximal complex submanifold in GL_{2n}(\mathbb R) or if there is another one that strictly contains it. The concept of maximal complex submanifolds is debated and it is argued that there is never such a thing unless it equals the entire manifold. It is also noted that not all manifolds have a complex structure, so in those cases, there would be bigger and bigger complex submanifolds containing any given one.
  • #1
nonequilibrium
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So the question is simple: is [itex]GL_n(\mathbb C)[/itex] the biggest complex manifold in [itex]GL_{2n}(\mathbb R)[/itex]? Or is there another one that strictly contains it?
 
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  • #2
I'm not sure this question makes sense. First of all, you don't mean biggest, you mean to ask if it's maximal, which is still a fairly weird question. I mean, a complex manifold of (complex) dimension n union C^n is still a complex manifold.

As long is there is an open ball left in the complement, you can put a complex structure on that open ball, so you can conclude that any maximal complex submanifold would have to be dense in GL_2n(R) and therefore equal to it. I don't know whether GL_2n(R) can accommodate a complex structure, but this argument shows that there is never any such thing as a maximal complex submanifold of any manifold, unless it happens to equal the manifold itself. Not all manifolds have a complex structure, so if they don't, then what you would get is just bigger and bigger complex submanifolds containing any given one.
 

FAQ: Is GL(n,C) the biggest complex manifold within GL(2n,R)?

1. What is GL(n,C)?

GL(n,C) is the general linear group of n-dimensional complex matrices. It is the set of all invertible complex matrices of size n by n, with matrix multiplication as the group operation.

2. What is GL(2n,R)?

GL(2n,R) is the general linear group of 2n-dimensional real matrices. It is the set of all invertible real matrices of size 2n by 2n, with matrix multiplication as the group operation.

3. Why is GL(n,C) considered a complex manifold?

GL(n,C) is considered a complex manifold because it is a topological space that is locally homeomorphic to n-dimensional complex Euclidean space. This means that each point in GL(n,C) has a neighborhood that is homeomorphic to a subset of n-dimensional complex Euclidean space.

4. Is GL(n,C) the same as GL(2n,R)?

No, GL(n,C) and GL(2n,R) are not the same. They are different groups with different properties and operations. The only similarity is that they both involve matrices, but one is composed of complex matrices while the other is composed of real matrices.

5. Is GL(n,C) the biggest complex manifold within GL(2n,R)?

Yes, GL(n,C) is considered the biggest complex manifold within GL(2n,R) because it is the largest subset of GL(2n,R) that can be homeomorphic to n-dimensional complex Euclidean space. This is due to the fact that GL(n,C) has more elements than any other subgroup of GL(2n,R).

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