Cartan solvability criterion

This is the solvability test in Cartan's criterion, distinct from its semisimplicity test.

A complex Lie subalgebra $\mathfrak{h}\subseteq \mathfrak{gl}(V)$ is solvable iffor every $x\in [\mathfrak{h},\mathfrak{h}]$ and $y\in \mathfrak{h}$. For an abstract Lie algebra, this is equivalent to $\kappa (\mathfrak{h},[\mathfrak{h},\mathfrak{h}])=0$.

For $x$ in the derived algebra of a complex matrix Lie algebra $L$, define $y$ by multiplication by $\overline{\lambda }$ on each generalized eigenspace $V_{\lambda }$ of $x$. Polynomial interpolation and adjoint compatibility of additive Jordan decomposition make $\mathrm{ad}y$ a polynomial in $\mathrm{ad}x$ with zero constant term, so $[y,L]\subseteq [L,L]$. Trace orthogonality of $[L,L]$ and $L$ forces the displayed sum to vanish. Thus $x$ is a nilpotent endomorphism, and the Engel theorem implies solvability. The auxiliary $y$ and the Jordan components are not required to lie in $L$.