What are all the generators of SU(5)?

  • Thread starter Anchovy
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In summary: The 3x2 matrices are arbitrary complex matrices. They therefore form a 12-dimensional vector space and you can chose any set of basis vectors in this space which are linearly independent. The choice of basis in the document you found is just one possibility (just as the Pauli matrices are just one possibility for a basis in the Lie algebra of SU(2)), although perhaps the one most people would use.The 3x2 matrices are general complex matrices and are therefore spanned by 6x2 = 12 different generators. To find a specific set of basis vectors, you can use a variety of methods, such as choosing those that are linearly independent or analogous to the elements of a particular matrix.
  • #1
Anchovy
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I'm trying to find out what all the generators of the SU(5) group explicitly look like but I can't find them anywhere.
I know what the first 12 look like:

[tex]
T^{1,2,3} = \begin{pmatrix} 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0\\ 0 & 0 & 0 & \sigma^{1,2,3} & \\ 0 & 0 & 0 & & \end{pmatrix},

T^{4} = \begin{pmatrix} \frac{-1}{3} & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & \frac{-1}{3} & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & \frac{-1}{3} & 0 & 0\\ 0 & 0 & 0 & \frac{1}{2} & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & \frac{1}{2} \end{pmatrix},

T^{\alpha = 5,...,12} = \begin{pmatrix} \lambda^{\alpha - 4} & & & 0 & 0 \\ & & & 0 & 0 \\ & & & 0 & 0\\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \end{pmatrix}
[/tex]

where [itex]\sigma^{1,2,3}[/itex] are the Pauli matrices of SU(2) and [itex]\lambda^{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8}[/itex] are the Gell-Mann matrices of SU(3). However, there are another 12 that I can't seem to find anywhere:
[tex]
T^{\alpha=13,...,24} = \begin{pmatrix} 0 & 0 & 0 &m ^{13+n} & \\

0 & 0 & 0 & & \\

0 & 0 & 0 & & \\

(m^{13+n})^{\dagger} & & & 0 & 0 \\

& & & 0 & 0 \end{pmatrix} (n = 0, 1, ..., 11)
[/tex]

where [itex]m^{13 + n}[/itex] are [itex]3\times2[/itex] matrices. Can anyone show me?
 
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  • #2
Anchovy said:
I'm trying to find out what all the generators of the SU(5) group explicitly look like but I can't find them anywhere.

It is unclear what you mean by this. Any Hermitian traceless matrix is in the Lie algebra of SU(5). In order to have a complete set of generators you only need to write down a basis for this Lie algebra. The 3x2 matrices you are looking for are general complex matrices and are therefore spanned by 6x2 = 12 different generators.
 
  • #3
Orodruin said:
It is unclear what you mean by this. Any Hermitian traceless matrix is in the Lie algebra of SU(5). In order to have a complete set of generators you only need to write down a basis for this Lie algebra. The 3x2 matrices you are looking for are general complex matrices and are therefore spanned by 6x2 = 12 different generators.

What I meant was, I'm wondering what those 3x2 matrices actually look like?
 
  • #4
Ah I finally found what I was looking for (attached in case anyone searching for this might want it).
 

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  • #5
Anchovy said:
What I meant was, I'm wondering what those 3x2 matrices actually look like?

The 3x2 matrices are arbitrary complex matrices. They therefore form a 12-dimensional vector space and you can chose any set of basis vectors in this space which are linearly independent. The choice of basis in the document you found is just one possibility (just as the Pauli matrices are just one possibility for a basis in the Lie algebra of SU(2)), although perhaps the one most people would use.
 
  • #6
I think what Oroduin was getting at, was, if you're already clever enough to use Gell-Mann matrics to cover the 3x3 block and Pauli matrices to cover the 2x2 block, then you only have the 2x3 blocks on the off-diagonal left. So you need a basis for 12 Hermitian matrices. Easiest to use are ones that are analogous to ##\sigma_1## and ##\sigma_2##. Namely, there are 6 real matrices with a single element and its transpose image equal to 1, as well as 6 matrices with an ##i## in one element and ##-i## in the transpose image. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that is precisely what your reference does.
 
  • #7
That is what the reference does yes thanks.
 
  • #8
Think what you did with the Gellmann matrices:
[itex]\lambda^{3} = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & -1 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 &0 \end{pmatrix}~~,~~\lambda^{8} =\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}} \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & 1 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 &-2 \end{pmatrix}[/itex]
Diagonal elements.

And then you took the [itex]\sigma^i[/itex] and starting moving their entries along the off-diagonal positions. Eg [itex]\sigma^1[/itex]:
[itex] \lambda^1 = \begin{pmatrix} 0& 1 & 0 \\ 1 & 0 &0 \\ 0& 0 &0 \end{pmatrix} ~~,~~ \lambda^4 = \begin{pmatrix} 0& 0 & 1 \\ 0 & 0 &0 \\ 1& 0 &0 \end{pmatrix} ~~,~~\lambda^6 = \begin{pmatrix} 0& 0 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 &1 \\ 0& 1 &0 \end{pmatrix} [/itex]

You can do the same for the SU(5)... In fact you have [itex]\sigma^{1,2}[/itex] (2) off diagonal entries, which can be moved in [itex]\frac{5^2-5}{2}=10[/itex] positions. That is 20 , your T^a with a=5,...,24.
Of course that's in one basis, what you can also do is change your basis and complexify them... (in particular combine with [itex]\pm i[/itex] the ones that you made with [itex]\sigma^1[/itex] and those you made with [itex]\sigma^2[/itex]).That way, as in SU(3), you can create the independent SU(2) subgroups.
 

What is SU(5)?

SU(5) is a mathematical group that represents the symmetries of a hypothetical particle physics model called "Grand Unified Theory". It is a special type of group known as a Lie group that has important applications in physics, particularly in quantum mechanics and particle physics.

What are generators in SU(5)?

Generators in SU(5) are mathematical objects that represent the symmetries of the group. They are represented by matrices and are used to generate all the elements of the group through a process of multiplication and combination.

How many generators does SU(5) have?

SU(5) has a total of 24 generators, which can be represented by 24 different matrices. These generators are derived from the fundamental representation of SU(5), which has a dimension of 5x5.

What are the properties of the generators in SU(5)?

The generators in SU(5) have several important properties that make them useful in physics. One of the key properties is that they are Hermitian matrices, which means they are equal to their own complex conjugate. Additionally, the generators form a closed algebra, meaning that their combinations and commutators also result in other generators in the group.

How are the generators of SU(5) related to particle physics?

The generators of SU(5) are related to particle physics through the concept of symmetry breaking. In Grand Unified Theory, SU(5) is broken down into smaller groups, which correspond to the fundamental forces of nature (electromagnetism, weak nuclear force, and strong nuclear force). The generators of SU(5) describe the symmetries of the unified theory before it is broken down into these smaller groups, giving insight into the fundamental symmetries of the universe.

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