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Let $E$ have rank $r\ge 1$, let $p:\mathbb{P}(E)\to X$ be its projectivization of a real vector bundle, and let $\lambda \subset p^{\ast }E$ be its tautological bundle. Put $u=w_1(\lambda )\in H^1(\mathbb{P}(E);{\mathbb{F}}_2)$. The Projective bundle definition of Stiefel–Whitney classes starts from the isomorphismIn particular, $p^{\ast }$ is injective. Expand $u^r$ uniquely in this basis. The coefficients define the Stiefel–Whitney classes through the relationSet $w_0(E)=1$ and $w_i(E)=0$ for $i>r$; for a rank-zero vector bundle set $w(E)=1$. Uniqueness also proves naturality of the Stiefel–Whitney classes under a pullback vector bundle.

To prove the Whitney product formula for Stiefel–Whitney classes, apply the splitting principle for real vector bundles simultaneously to $E$ and $E^{\prime }$. Its injective pullback on mod-two cohomology follows by iterating the Projective bundle definition of Stiefel–Whitney classes. It suffices to compute for a split vector bundle $E={⨁}_{i=1}^r{L}_i$. Put $x_i=w_1(L_i)$.

On $\mathbb{P}(E)$, the coordinate projections of the tautological inclusion $\lambda \hookrightarrow p^{\ast }E$ give sections of the real line bundles ${\lambda }^{\ast }\otimes p^{\ast }{L}_i$ with no common zero. The mod-two Euler class of a real line bundle is its first Stiefel–Whitney class, and the First Stiefel–Whitney class of a tensor product of real line bundles gives $u+p^{\ast }{x}_i$. Multiplication of Euler classes under a direct sum, and vanishing of the Euler class of a vector bundle with a nowhere-zero section, therefore giveComparing with the unique monic relation defining the Stiefel–Whitney classes shows that $w_j(E)$ is the $j$th elementary symmetric polynomial in the $x_i$. Thus $w(E)={\prod }_i(1+x_i)$. A direct sum joins the two lists, so injectivity of the splitting pullback gives

For the immersion obstruction, use the notation $g=(f,f)$: the printed $f\times f$ here means the map from one copy of Real projective space into the product. Write $x=w_1({\gamma }_{\mathbb{R}})$ and let $z$ be the mod-two reduction of $c_1({\gamma }_{\mathbb{C}}^{\ast })$. The mod-two cohomology ring of real projective space and the cohomology ring of complex projective space giveNontriviality in degree two forces $f^{\ast }z=x^2$. Necessarily $k\ge 1$, since the degree-two cohomology of ${\mathbb{CP}}^0$ vanishes.

The standard tangent bundle identities for Real projective space and Complex projective space areFor the underlying real vector bundle of a complex line bundle, its total Stiefel–Whitney class is $1+c_1\mathrm{mod}2$. HenceIf $g$ is homotopic to an immersion $j$, its normal bundle $\nu$ has rank $4k-(2k+1)=2k-1$, andThe Whitney product formula for Stiefel–Whitney classes and homotopy invariance of cohomology yieldThe division is legitimate in the truncated cohomology ring, since $1+x$ is a unit. The degree-$2k$ component isIt must vanish because $2k>\mathrm{rank}\nu$, while $x^{2k}\ne 0$. Therefore $k$ must be odd.

For the K-theory transfer of a finite covering, let $V\to Y$ be a vector bundle and defineOn an evenly covered neighborhood the $n$ sheets identify this with a direct sum of $n$ local vector bundles. On overlaps the identifications permute the sheets and apply the transition maps of $V$, so these local descriptions glue to a vector bundle on $X$. This operation respects direct sums, hence extends to a homomorphism of Grothendieck groupsIt obeys the projection formula for the K-theory transfer:For actual vector bundles, this follows fiberwise by distributing the tensor product of vector bundles over the direct sum; it then extends to their Grothendieck groups.

Let $P=p_{!}(1_Y)$ be the permutation vector bundle of the covering. It has rank $n$ on every connected component, but need not be a trivial vector bundle; in particular one cannot replace $p_{!}{p}^{\ast }$ by multiplication by $n$ integrally. Instead writeThe componentwise nilpotence result from the preceding solution gives ${\eta }^N=0$ for some $N$. In the localization of a ring $K^0(X)\otimes \mathbb{Z}[1/n]$, the finite geometric seriesis an inverse. The projection formula for the K-theory transfer givesThus $p^{\ast }(a)=0$ implies $a=0$ after inverting $n$. More explicitly, $(n+\eta {)}^{-1}{p}_{!}$ is a left inverse, proving

Use a positive-energy unitary representation with finite helicity states, excluding continuous-spin representations. In the specified frame the Pauli matrices giveFor every $A$ and every state $|\chi ⟩$,Positivity therefore gives $Q_2^A={\bar{Q}}_{\dot{2}A}=0$ on this massless supermultiplet. The equal-chirality anticommutator $\{Q_1^A,Q_2^B\}={ϵ}_{12}{Z}^{AB}$ then shows that every central charge in supersymmetry vanishes on this superalgebra representation.

Normalize the remaining supercharges as fermionic raising and lowering operators:They obey the canonical anticommutation relationsChoose a Clifford vacuum $|\lambda ⟩$ of helicity $\lambda \in \frac{1}{2}\mathbb{Z}$ annihilated by every $a_A$. Such a vector exists because the commuting fermion number operators $a_A^{†}{a}_A$ have eigenvalues $0$ and $1$, and lowering every occupied mode produces a nonzero empty state. In an irreducible representation this empty space has dimension one; multiple empty states produce a direct sum of copies. The states areThe canonical anticommutation relations make these states orthonormal for a normalized Clifford vacuum. In the helicity convention $[J_3,Q_1^A]=\frac{1}{2}{Q}_1^A$, its adjoint has $[J_3,a_A^{†}]=-\frac{1}{2}{a}_A^{†}$. Thus the Clifford vacuum is the highest-helicity state andReversing the rotation convention reverses the displayed ordering and leaves all counts unchanged. The level-$k$ states form the exterior power ${\Lambda }^k{\mathbb{C}}^{\mathcal{N}}$, which explains the binomial coefficient. Summing the binomial coefficients gives the helicity spectrum of a massless supermultiplet:Each application of a fermionic raising and lowering operator reverses fermion parity. The even and odd levels each contain $2^{\mathcal{N}-1}$ states, so a physical massless supermultiplet has $2^{\mathcal{N}-1}$ boson and $2^{\mathcal{N}-1}$ fermion states.

These formulas describe one irreducible representation of the massless Super-Poincaré algebra at fixed four-momentum. A reducible superalgebra representation can contain several such supermultiplets. Also, the CPT theorem sends helicity $h$ to $-h$ and conjugates internal charges. CPT completion of a supermultiplet may therefore require a second $2^{\mathcal{N}}$-state supermultiplet, with highest helicity $\mathcal{N}/2-\lambda$. A necessary condition for the original helicity spectrum of a massless supermultiplet to be self-conjugate is $\lambda =\mathcal{N}/4$; internal charges must also admit the conjugation in a realization compatible with the Spin-statistics theorem. Thus this helicity condition alone is not sufficient for CPT completion of a supermultiplet without doubling. In particular, the original irreducible count is not automatically the count after CPT completion of a supermultiplet.

For the conventional bounds on extended supersymmetry, suppose all massless states satisfy $|h|\le s_{\max }$. The helicity spectrum of a massless supermultiplet occupies an interval of width $\mathcal{N}/2$, whereas the available interval has width $2s_{\max }$. HenceAn ordinary four-dimensional renormalizable quantum field theory without gravity uses interacting massless fields of spin angular momentum at most one. Massless spin angular momentum $3/2$ requires supergravity, whose gravitational coupling has negative mass dimension and is a nonrenormalizable interaction by power counting in quantum field theory. Setting $s_{\max }=1$ gives $\mathcal{N}\le 4$ for conventional renormalizable theories. The bound is attained by four-dimensional N=4 super Yang-Mills theory: choosing $\lambda =1$ givesfor its supersymmetric vector multiplet.

Allowing gravity permits $s_{\max }=2$, so $\mathcal{N}\le 8$ for conventional theories including gravity. The four-dimensional N=8 supergravity supergravity multiplet attains the bound with $\lambda =2$:It has $256$ states, $128$ boson and $128$ fermion states. The conventional claim about a maximum “in general” assumes local interacting four-dimensional theories in Minkowski spacetime with a finite spectrum of fields and no massless spin angular momentum above two. It is not a theorem excluding arbitrary free higher-spin angular momentum constructions or all theories in other spacetime settings.

Finally, a chiral gauge spectrum means that the independent left-handed Weyl spinors occur in complex gauge group representations without obligatorily paired conjugate left-handed Weyl spinors. In four-dimensional N=1 supersymmetry, an irreducible matter supermultiplet with helicities $(0,-\frac{1}{2})$ can carry a complex gauge group representation $R$. Its CPT completion of a supermultiplet supplies the right-handed antiparticle in $\bar{R}$, as every left-handed Weyl spinor requires; it does not supply a second independent left-handed Weyl spinor in $\bar{R}$. Consequently a chiral gauge spectrum is possible.

For $\mathcal{N}=2$, the matter hypermultiplet has helicities $(\frac{1}{2},0,0,-\frac{1}{2})$ before internal charge conjugation. If it carries a complex gauge group representation $R$, its CPT completion of a supermultiplet adds the conjugate hypermultiplet. Equivalently, the resulting full hypermultiplet contains two $\mathcal{N}=1$ chiral superfields, one in $R$ and one in $\bar{R}$. These give a vectorlike gauge spectrum. Half-hypermultiplets can occur in pseudoreal representations, which also do not produce genuinely complex chiral gauge spectra. A supersymmetric vector multiplet has Adjoint representation, hence real gauge quantum numbers. Since every $\mathcal{N}\ge 2$ algebra contains an $\mathcal{N}=2$ subalgebra, the same obstruction applies to greater extended supersymmetry.

Therefore a conventional chiral gauge spectrum is possible only for $\mathcal{N}=0$ or $\mathcal{N}=1$. Here $\mathcal{N}=0$ means no supersymmetry; among theories with actual supersymmetry, only $\mathcal{N}=1$ qualifies. These are necessary structural conditions, not a guarantee that a chosen chiral gauge spectrum satisfies anomaly cancellation.

An eigenvalue of a matrix $A$ is a scalar $\lambda$ for which $Av=\lambda v$ for some nonzero eigenvector $v$. Its corresponding eigenspace is

Write $v=(a,b,c,d{)}^T$. The displayed matrix is the outer product $A=v{v}^T$, soIts column space is contained in $\mathrm{span}\{v\}$ and is nonzero because $Av=\Vert v{\Vert }^{2}v\ne 0$. Hence $A$ is a rank-one matrix.

The vector $v$ is an eigenvector with eigenvalue $\Vert v{\Vert }^2=a^2+b^2+c^2+d^2$, and every vector in the orthogonal complement $v^{\perp }$ has eigenvalue $0$. ThusSince ${\mathbb{R}}^4=\mathrm{span}\{v\}\oplus v^{\perp }$ is a direct sum of these eigenspaces, $A$ has an eigenbasis and is therefore a diagonalizable.

Put $h_0=\psi (h)$ and $e_0=\psi (e)={\sum }_{i=1}^{\ell }{e}_i$, where $0\ne e_i\in {\mathfrak{g}}_{{\alpha }_i}$. Since $[h_0,e_0]=2e_0$ and the root spaces are a direct sum, ${\alpha }_i(h_0)=2$ for every simple root. Every root has simple-root coefficients of one sign, so no root vanishes on $h_0$. The Regular element criterion in a Cartan subalgebra therefore shows that $h_0$ is regular.

Restrict the Adjoint representation of $\mathfrak{g}$ along $\psi$. By Complete reducibility of semisimple Lie algebra representations, it is a direct sum of finite-dimensional sl2 Lie algebra modules. The $h_0$-eigenvalues on a root space are twice the heights of the roots, so they are all even. Each irreducible summand consequently has even highest weight, contains exactly one zero-weight vector, and has a one-dimensional kernel for the raising operator $e_0$ by the classification of finite-dimensional sl2 representations.

Because $h_0$ is regular, its zero-weight space in $\mathfrak{g}$ is precisely $\mathfrak{t}$ and has dimension $\ell$. There are therefore exactly $\ell$ irreducible summands, whenceThus $e_0$ is regular; equivalently it is a principal nilpotent element in the given Principal sl2 subalgebra.

The rank-nullity theorem says that for a linear map $T:V\to Z$ with finite-dimensional domain,

The direct sum $U\oplus W$ consists of pairs $(u,w)$ with componentwise vector-space operations. The canonical inclusions areFor subspaces $U,W\le V$, defineThis is surjective, andThe First isomorphism theorem for vector spaces therefore gives

A representation is completely reducible, or semisimple, when it is a direct sum of irreducible representation. Equivalently, every invariant subspace has an invariant complement.

Maschke's theorem says that every finite-dimensional representation of a finite group $G$ over a field of characteristic zero is completely reducible. More generally, it is enough that the field characteristic does not divide $|G|$.

Schur lemma states the following.

Indeed, $\ker T\subseteq V$ and $\mathrm{im}T\subseteq W$ are invariant subspaces. If $T\ne 0$, irreducibility forcesso $T$ is an isomorphism. For an endomorphism of a finite-dimensional complex representation, choose an eigenvalue $\lambda$ of $T$. The intertwiner $T-\lambda I$ has nonzero kernel, so the first part forcesThis proves the Proof of Schur lemma.

Now let $\rho :G\to \mathrm{GL}(V)$ be faithful and irreducible over $\mathbb{C}$. For every $z\in Z(G)$, the operator $\rho (z)$ commutes with every $\rho (g)$. Schur's lemma therefore givesfor some ${\lambda }_z\in {\mathbb{C}}^{\times }$. Faithfulness makes $z\mapsto {\lambda }_z$ an embeddingSince every finite subgroup of the multiplicative complex numbers is cyclic,This is the cyclic-center obstruction to a faithful irreducible representation.

Let $P_{\bullet }\to \mathbb{Z}$ be a projective resolution of the trivial $\mathbb{Z}G$-module. The projective-resolution definition of group cohomology isThis is independent, up to a natural isomorphism, of the chosen projective resolution.

The degreewise natural isomorphismscommute with the coboundary maps. Taking cohomology proves that group cohomology commutes with finite direct sums:

Now restrict $P_{\bullet }$ from $G$ to a subgroup $K$. The group ring $\mathbb{Z}G$ is free as a $\mathbb{Z}K$-module, so restriction carries free modules to free modules and projective modules to projective modules. Thus the restricted complex is a projective resolution of the trivial $\mathbb{Z}K$-module. For the coinduced module $Y={\mathrm{Hom}}_{\mathbb{Z}K}(\mathbb{Z}G,X)$, the Hom functor adjunction for a coinduced module gives an isomorphism of cochain complexesExplicitly, a map $F$ is sent to $p\mapsto F(p)(1)$; the inverse sends a $\mathbb{Z}K$-linear map $a$ to $p\mapsto (r\mapsto a(rp))$. Taking cohomology proves Shapiro's lemma:

For the conjugation module of a group ring $N=\mathbb{Z}{G}_{\mathrm{conj}}$, the basis $G$ is the disjoint union of its conjugacy classes. Hence $N$ is the direct sum of the integral permutation modules on those classes. The class of a representative $g_i$ is the transitive $G$-set $G/C_G(g_i)$, where $C_G(g_i)$ is its centralizer. Since $G$ is finite, this permutation module is both induced and coinduced from the trivial $C_G(g_i)$-module $\mathbb{Z}$. Applying group cohomology commutes with finite direct sums and Shapiro's lemma yields the group cohomology of a conjugation module:

The symmetric group $S_3$ has three conjugacy classes, represented by the identity, a transposition, and a three-cycle. Their centralizers are respectivelyFor any finite group $L$ acting trivially on $\mathbb{Z}$,because a group homomorphism sends an element of finite order to an element of finite order, while the additive group of the integers contains no nonzero torsion elements. ThereforeThe periodic resolution of a finite cyclic group alternates the maps $t-1$ and $1+t+\cdots +t^{m-1}$. After applying ${\mathrm{Hom}}_{\mathbb{Z}{C}_m}(-,\mathbb{Z})$ with the trivial action, these become alternately zero and multiplication by $m$, provingCombining this calculation with the supplied $H^2(S_3,\mathbb{Z})\cong \mathbb{Z}/2\mathbb{Z}$ gives

The defining two-dimensional group representation is reducible, because the line $\mathbb{R}{e}_1$ is an invariant subspace:For $b\ne 0$, the complementary line $\mathbb{R}{e}_2$ is not invariant, so this representation need not split as a direct sum of one-dimensional representations.

A linear projection is an idempotent linear operator: $P^2=P$. Every vector decomposes as $x=Px+(I-P)x$, into the image of a linear map and the kernel of a linear map. Those two vector subspaces form a direct sum. An orthogonal projection additionally uses the orthogonal complement in an inner-product space.

A module is semisimple, or completely reducible, when it is a direct sum of simple modules. Equivalently, every submodule has a direct-sum complement.

A representation is semisimple when it is a direct sum of irreducible representations. Equivalently, every invariant subspace has an invariant complement.

The tensor square is the second tensor power $V^{\otimes 2}=V\otimes V$. Over a field of characteristic different from two it decomposes as the direct sum of the symmetric square and exterior square.

Choosing a positive system of a root system for a complex semisimple Lie algebra divides its root spaces into negative and positive ones. Their respective sums ${\mathfrak{n}}^{-}$ and ${\mathfrak{n}}^{+}$, together with the Cartan subalgebra $\mathfrak{h}$, give this direct sum of vector spaces. Both ${\mathfrak{n}}^{\pm }$ are nilpotent Lie algebras, and $\mathfrak{h}\oplus {\mathfrak{n}}^{+}$ is a Borel subalgebra. The Poincare-Birkhoff-Witt theorem turns this into an ordered vector-space decomposition of the universal enveloping algebra, useful for building Verma modules.

If idempotents $e_1,\dots ,e_N$ satisfy $e_i{e}_j=0$ for $i>j$, then the left ideals $A{e}_i$ have an internal direct sum. Multiply a relation $\sum z_i=0$ by $e_1$ on the right to obtain $z_1=0$, and continue in order. Pairwise orthogonality in both directions is unnecessary. If the sum has dimension $\dim A$, it is the whole algebra.

A nonzero module is uniform if every pair of nonzero submodules has nonzero intersection. Equivalently, every nonzero submodule is an essential submodule. A right Noetherian domain is uniform as a right module: if $aA\cap bA=0$ for nonzero $a,b$, the right ideals $b^{i}aA$, $i\ge 0$, form an infinite direct sum, contradicting the ascending chain condition.

A weight-space decomposition expresses a Lie algebra representation as a direct sum of simultaneous eigenspaces for a Cartan subalgebra. Each summand is the weight space for its weight. In complex finite-dimensional representations of a semisimple Lie algebra, the simple coroots act as commuting diagonalizable operators, giving this decomposition.