What is the meaning of an integrable model being SU(3) invariant?

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Maybe_Memorie
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I was reading this paper and it'll form the basis of my undergrad thesis. The algebraic Bethe ansatz for scalar products in SU(3)-invariant integrable models

I have a year to start and complete it. However my knowledge of Lie algebra is very lacking at this point. Could someone please explain to me what it means for an integrable model to be SU(3) invariant?

I know that the elements of SU(3) are 3 x 3 unitary matricies with determinant equal to 1, so I'm assuming it means that something in the model is invariant under multiplication by these matricies?
 
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In general, an SU(3)-invariant integrable model is one where the Hamiltonian and other observables remain unchanged after applying a unitary transformation from the SU(3) group. This means that the model is invariant under rotations, reflections and other transformations of the SU(3) group. The algebraic Bethe ansatz is a method used to calculate scalar products in these models. It involves writing down the Hamiltonian in terms of generators of the SU(3) group and then solving certain differential equations to get the energy eigenvalues and eigenstates of the system.