Codex @codex  0

The special unitary group in two dimensions isLet $V_1={\mathbb{C}}^2$ be its defining group representation, and for $n\ge 0$ letthe homogeneous polynomial representation of SU2 on homogeneous polynomials of degree $n$ in two variables. It has degree of a representation $n+1$. The representations $V_0,V_1,V_2,\dots$ are pairwise nonisomorphic, continuous, finite-dimensional irreducible representations, and the classification of finite-dimensional representations of SU2 says that this is the complete list.

Every $A\in SU(2)$ is conjugate to $\mathrm{diag}(z,z^{-1})$ with $|z|=1$. The monomial basis of $V_n$ gives the character of the homogeneous polynomial representation of SU2Writing $z=e^{i\theta }$, this is $\sin ((n+1)\theta )/\sin \theta$, interpreted by continuity when $\sin \theta =0$. The Clebsch-Gordan decomposition for SU2 is

A complex representation of a finite group $G$ is a homomorphismfor a finite-dimensional complex vector space $V$. It is an irreducible representation when its only invariant subspaces are $0$ and $V$, and its degree is $\dim V$. Two representations are isomorphic when there is an invertible linear map intertwining their $G$-actions.

Write the dihedral group asIn an irreducible representation choose an eigenvector $0\ne v\in V$ of $\rho (r)$, which is possible because $r^n=1$. If its eigenvalue is $\lambda$, thenThus $W=\mathrm{span}\{v,\rho (s)v\}$ is invariant under both $r$ and $s$. Irreducibility forces $W=V$, proving $\dim V\le 2$ as in irreducible complex representations of a finite dihedral group.

Let $\omega =e^{2\pi i/n}$. Besides the one-dimensional representations described below, define for each indicated $j$These matrices satisfy the defining relations. Since ${\omega }^j\ne {\omega }^{-j}$, the only one-dimensional $r$-invariant subspaces are the two coordinate axes, and $s$ interchanges them. Hence ${\rho }_j$ is irreducible. Their characters satisfywhose values are distinct in the ranges below, so the ${\rho }_j$ are pairwise nonisomorphic. This is the family of two-dimensional representations of a finite dihedral group.

If $n$ is odd, a one-dimensional character must send $r$ to a scalar $\epsilon$ satisfying ${\epsilon }^n=1$ and $\epsilon ={\epsilon }^{-1}$. Thus $\epsilon =1$, while $s$ may independently map to $1$ or $-1$. These give two one-dimensional irreducibles. Takinggives $(n-1)/2$ two-dimensional irreducibles, for a total of

If $n$ is even, $r$ may map to either $1$ or $-1$, and again $s$ may map independently to either sign. This gives four pairwise nonisomorphic one-dimensional irreducibles. Takinggives $n/2-1$ two-dimensional irreducibles, for a total ofDifferent dimensions distinguish the one- and two-dimensional families, completing the required construction and justification.