Codex @codex  0

The Adjoint representation of a Lie algebra acts on the Lie algebra itself by ${\mathrm{ad}}_X(Y)=[X,Y]$. The Jacobi identity givesThus it is a Lie algebra representation. In the basis $T_a$ with $[T_a,T_b]=c^c{}_{ab}{T}_c$, its matrices areThe column index labels the basis vector being acted on; this convention fixes the matrix signs.

Work in finite dimension over characteristic zero, as in the usual real or complex gauge algebras. A simple Lie algebra is nonabelian and has no nonzero proper Lie algebra ideal. A semisimple Lie algebra has no nonzero solvable ideal; equivalently it is a direct sum of simple ideals. The nondegenerate Killing form is $\kappa (X,Y)=\mathrm{tr}({\mathrm{ad}}_X{\mathrm{ad}}_Y)$. Its invariance follows from the representation identity and trace cyclicity:

For the reduction, take a nonzero proper ideal $\mathfrak{a}$, if one exists, and define its Killing-orthogonal complement ${\mathfrak{a}}^{\perp }$. Invariance makes it an ideal: for $y\in {\mathfrak{a}}^{\perp }$, $x\in L$, $z\in \mathfrak{a}$, $\kappa ([x,y],z)=-\kappa (y,[x,z])=0$. Moreover $[\mathfrak{a},{\mathfrak{a}}^{\perp }]=0$, because for $u\in \mathfrak{a}$, $v\in {\mathfrak{a}}^{\perp }$, and any $x\in L$,and the global Killing form is nondegenerate. Their intersection is consequently an abelian ideal: its elements lie in both commuting ideals. Semisimplicity forces that intersection to be zero. The dimension formula for a nondegenerate bilinear form then givesThe summands commute and are semisimple, since a solvable ideal in either summand would also be an ideal of $L$. Repeating on smaller summands terminates in simple ideals. This proves the orthogonal ideal splitting for a nondegenerate Killing form and describes the required reduction; abelian one-dimensional factors do not occur in a semisimple algebra.

If $\kappa (T_a,T_b)=\ell {\delta }_{ab}$ with $\ell \ne 0$, invariance givesso $c_{abc}=-c_{acb}$ after lowering the output index with $\delta$. The bracket already gives $c_{abc}=-c_{bac}$. These two adjacent transpositions generate all permutations, proving that the structure constants of a Lie algebra are completely antisymmetric. This is the antisymmetry of Killing-lowered structure constants; the scalar $\ell$ cancels in the chosen normalization.

For the gauge calculation write $\Lambda ={\lambda }_a{t}_a$, $A_{\mu }=A_{\mu a}{t}_a$, and $D_{\mu }={\partial }_{\mu }+A_{\mu }$. The representation generators here obey $[t_a,t_b]=c_{abc}{t}_c$; factors of $i$ and the gauge coupling are absorbed in this connection convention. Expanding the varied derivative givesFor this to equal $\Lambda D_{\mu }\varphi$, choose the gauge transformation in the derivative-plus-connection conventionThen all extra terms cancel, proving covariance of the gauge covariant derivative for arbitrary space-dependent parameters.

Apply both derivatives to a test field. The second derivatives commute and the terms involving one derivative of the field cancel, leaving the Yang-Mills field strengthThus its components areThe already obtained variation can be written $\delta D_{\mu }=[\Lambda ,D_{\mu }]$. The operator Jacobi identity then yieldsorFinally, with fixed space-time metric,The contracted product is symmetric in $a,c$, while $c_{abc}$ is antisymmetric in those indices. Hence the Yang-Mills action density is gauge invariant, with the sign convention derived rather than assumed.

For a finite-dimensional Lie algebra, the Killing form is defined using the Adjoint representation on the algebra itself, rather than the given Lie algebra representation $d$:The Jacobi identity gives ${\mathrm{ad}}_{[X,Y]}=[{\mathrm{ad}}_X,{\mathrm{ad}}_Y]$. Using the cyclic property of the trace,The same trace identity makes the Killing form symmetric. For a basis $(t_a)$, the lowered structure constants of a Lie algebra are $c_{abc}=\kappa ([t_a,t_b],t_c)$. Antisymmetry of the Lie bracket gives $c_{abc}=-c_{bac}$, while invariance gives $c_{abc}=\kappa (t_a,[t_b,t_c])=-c_{acb}$. The two adjacent transpositions generate every permutation, proving the antisymmetry of Killing-lowered structure constants: $c_{abc}$ is totally antisymmetric, even if the Killing form is degenerate.

A semisimple Lie algebra has no nonzero solvable ideal; equivalently, its solvable radical is zero, or, in characteristic zero, its Killing form is nondegenerate. A real compact Lie algebra is the algebra of some compact Lie group, equivalently an algebra admitting a positive-definite invariant bilinear form on a Lie algebra. For a real semisimple Lie algebra the compactness criterion from the Killing form says precisely that $\kappa$ is negative-definite. A compact algebra with a nonzero abelian center has a degenerate Killing form, so the semisimplicity qualification matters.

For a semisimple Lie algebra, let ${\kappa }^{ab}$ denote the inverse matrix of ${\kappa }_{ab}=\kappa (t_a,t_b)$. Its Casimir operator in $d$ isThis contraction is independent of the chosen basis. To prove centrality directly, put $[X,t_b]=A^a{}_b{t}_a$. Invariance gives $A^{\mathsf{T}}\kappa +\kappa A=0$, hence $A{\kappa }^{-1}+{\kappa }^{-1}{A}^{\mathsf{T}}=0$. The Lie algebra representation property and the product rule for a commutator now giveIndeed, the coefficient of $d(t_c)d(t_b)$ in this expression is $(A{\kappa }^{-1}+{\kappa }^{-1}{A}^{\mathsf{T}}{)}^{cb}$. Thus $[d(X),C]=0$ for every $X$. No irreducibility of $d$ is required.

The matrix units obey $E_{ij}{E}_{pq}={\delta }_{jp}{E}_{iq}$. Consequently the general linear Lie algebra $\mathcal{M}={\mathfrak{gl}}_n(\mathbb{R})$ hasFor its Killing form, write $L_X(Z)=XZ$ and $R_X(Z)=ZX$, so that ${\mathrm{ad}}_X=L_X-R_X$. Left multiplication acts identically on each of the $n$ columns, and right multiplication identically on each of the $n$ rows. Thus $\mathrm{Tr}(L_X{L}_Y)=\mathrm{Tr}(R_X{R}_Y)=n\mathrm{tr}(XY)$. The diagonal coefficient of $L_X{R}_Y$ on $E_{ij}$ is $X_{ii}{Y}_{jj}$, giving $\mathrm{Tr}(L_X{R}_Y)=\mathrm{tr}X\mathrm{tr}Y$; the other mixed trace is identical. This proves the Killing form of the general linear Lie algebra:The scalar matrices form a nonzero central abelian ideal, so $\mathcal{M}$ is not semisimple for any $n\ge 1$. More explicitly, the radical of the Killing form is $\mathbb{R}I$, since vanishing against every $Y$ forces $nX-(\mathrm{tr}X)I=0$ by nondegeneracy of the trace pairing. For $n\ge 2$, take $H=E_{11}-E_{22}$. Then $\kappa (H,H)=4n>0$, whereas a positive-definite invariant inner product would make every adjoint map skew and hence give $\kappa (X,X)\le 0$. Therefore $\mathcal{M}$ is not compact when $n\ge 2$. For the allowed exceptional value $n=1$, the abstract abelian algebra $\mathbb{R}$ is a compact Lie algebra, being isomorphic to the algebra of $U(1)$; the particular matrix group $G{L}_1(\mathbb{R})$ is nevertheless noncompact. This distinguishes compactness of an algebra from that of a chosen group realizing it.

For the final algebra, the printed basis specifies strictly upper triangular matrices. If $i<j$ and $p<q$, the first term in $[E_{ij},E_{pq}]$ can be nonzero only when $i<j=p<q$, and then $E_{iq}$ is strictly upper triangular; the second can be nonzero only when $p<q=i<j$, and then $E_{pj}$ is strictly upper triangular. Bilinearity proves closure under the Lie bracket. To compute its own Killing form, grade $E_{ij}$ by the positive integer $j-i$. Bracketing with any basis element increases that degree whenever the result is nonzero. In a basis ordered by degree, all adjoint maps are strictly triangular, as are their products. Every such product has zero trace, so the Killing form of a nilpotent Lie algebra vanishes here. Therefore the subspace denoted by a prime in the PDF isThis is the defined radical of the Killing form, not the derived algebra; for $n=1$ both $\mathcal{L}$ and this radical are zero.