 Solution

Suppose first that the left-invariant 1-form $\alpha$ is closed. The scalar function $\alpha (l_{\xi })$ is constant for every $\xi$, because both the form and vector field are left-invariant. Cartan's magic formula therefore givesPart b says that $g\mapsto R_g^{\ast }\alpha$ is locally constant. Since $G$ is connected, it is constant, and its value at the identity is $\alpha$. Hence $R_g^{\ast }\alpha =\alpha$ for every $g$, so $\alpha$ is bi-invariant.

Conversely, if $\alpha$ is bi-invariant, then all these Lie derivatives vanish. Cartan's formula and the constancy of $\alpha (l_{\xi })$ give ${\iota }_{l_{\xi }}d\alpha =0$. The left-invariant vector fields span every tangent space, so $d\alpha =0$.

Connectedness cannot be omitted. The orthogonal group $O(2)$ has an Abelian Lie algebra, so every left-invariant 1-form is closed by the Maurer-Cartan equation in a Lie-algebra basis. Conjugation by a reflection acts as $-1$ on its one-dimensional Lie algebra, so a nonzero left-invariant 1-form is not right-invariant. This is the standard obstruction recorded by the closed left-invariant 1-form criterion.