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The Lie algebra of a Lie group $G$ is the vector space $\mathfrak{g}=T_{e}G$ equipped with the bracket transferred from left-invariant vector fields. For $a\in G$, write $L_a(g)=ag$. A field is left-invariant when $(D_g{L}_a)X_g=X_{ag}$ for all $a,g$. Given $v\in T_{e}G$, defineThis is smooth and left-invariant, because $L_a{L}_g=L_{ag}$ and the chain rule applies. Conversely a left-invariant field is determined by its value at $e$, through this formula. Thusis a vector-space isomorphism, whose inverse is evaluation at the identity.

The Lie bracket of vector fields is preserved by diffeomorphisms: on functions this follows by transporting the commutator of derivations. Therefore the bracket of two left-invariant fields is again left-invariant. Define $[v,w]=[X_v,X_w{]}_e$. Bilinearity, antisymmetry and the Jacobi identity follow from the same properties of commutators of derivations. This supplies the asserted Lie algebra structure.

For the general linear group $G{L}_n(\mathbb{R})$, invertible matrices form an open subset of $M_n(\mathbb{R})$, so $T_{I}G{L}_n(\mathbb{R})=M_n(\mathbb{R})$. The left-invariant field determined by $A$ is $X_A(g)=gA$. Its ambient derivative is $D_g{X}_A(H)=HA$. Therefore differentiating left-invariant matrix fields givesHenceThis is the general linear Lie algebra, with the ordinary matrix commutator; right invariance with the same identification would give the opposite sign.

Now let $F:G\to H$ be a smooth Lie group homomorphism. It sends the identity to the identity and induces the linear mapSince $F\circ L_g=L_{F(g)}\circ F$, differentiation givesThese fields are $F$-related; no injectivity or surjectivity of $F$ is needed. For every smooth function $f$ on $H$,Apply this first with $w$ and then with $v$, and subtract the reversed order. The result isAt $e$, smooth functions detect tangent vectors, soThis proves that the differential of a Lie group homomorphism preserves Lie brackets, and hence that $F_{\ast }$ is a Lie algebra homomorphism.

For the exponential identity, let ${\eta }_v$ be the integral curve of $X_v$ through $e$. Left invariance and uniqueness show ${\eta }_v(t+s)={\eta }_v(t){\eta }_v(s)$ for small times: translating the curve through $e$ gives the curve through ${\eta }_v(s)$. Repeating this identity extends the curve to all real times. This proves completeness of left-invariant vector fields without assuming that an arbitrary smooth field is complete. Rescaling the parameter also gives ${\eta }_v(t)={\eta }_{tv}(1)$. By the definition of the Exponential map of a Lie group, ${\exp }_G(v)={\eta }_v(1)$.

The field-related identity shows that $F({\eta }_v(t))$ is an integral curve of $X_{F_{\ast }v}$ starting at $e_H$. By uniqueness it equals ${\eta }_{F_{\ast }v}(t)$ for all times. At time one,This is the naturality of the Lie group exponential.

Apply this to the determinant homomorphism $G{L}_n(\mathbb{R})\to {\mathbb{R}}^{\times }$. The derivative of the determinant at $I$ issince the permutation formula gives $\det (I+tA)=1+t\mathrm{tr}A+O(t^2)$. The left-invariant field on ${\mathbb{R}}^{\times }$ with initial tangent $c$ is $y\mapsto cy$; its curve through one solves $y^{\prime }=cy$, hence is $e^{ct}$. The matrix exponential determinant identity therefore follows from naturality:This argument uses only the flow definition of the exponential and the scalar exponential, not an unproved matrix formula.

To identify it explicitly with the usual matrix exponential, the series $E(t)={\sum }_{k\ge 0}{t}^k{A}^k/k!$ converges in operator norm, uniformly with its differentiated series on bounded intervals. Termwise differentiation gives $E^{\prime }=EA$ and $E(0)=I$. The series commutes with $A$, and differentiating $E(t)E(-t)$ gives zero, so $E(t)E(-t)=I$. Thus $E(t)$ stays in $G{L}_n(\mathbb{R})$ and, by uniqueness, is the integral curve of $X_A$ through $I$. The matrix series is exactly the flow-defined exponential, justifying either notation in the determinant identity.

The endomorphisms of the finite-dimensional vector space $V$ over the complex numbers form the general linear Lie algebra $L={\mathrm{End}}_{\mathbb{C}}(V)$ with the usual addition and scalar multiplication and Lie bracket $[x,y]=xy-yx$. This commutator is bilinear and antisymmetric, and expanding the six products verifies the Jacobi identity.

For a Lie subalgebra $\mathfrak{g}=L_1$, being an abelian Lie algebra means $[\mathfrak{g},\mathfrak{g}]=0$. A nilpotent Lie algebra has ${\gamma }_1=\mathfrak{g}$, ${\gamma }_{j+1}=[\mathfrak{g},{\gamma }_j]$ eventually zero; a solvable Lie algebra has ${\mathfrak{g}}^{(0)}=\mathfrak{g}$, ${\mathfrak{g}}^{(j+1)}=[{\mathfrak{g}}^{(j)},{\mathfrak{g}}^{(j)}]$ eventually zero. These are the lower central series of a Lie algebra and derived series of a Lie algebra, respectively. Nilpotence is a condition on the Lie bracket, and does not require every member to be a nilpotent endomorphism: a nonzero scalar multiple of the identity spans an abelian Lie algebra.

A flag of a vector space is an increasing chain of vector subspaces. The flag we construct is a complete flag, $0=V_0\subset V_1\subset \cdots \subset V_d=V$, where $\dim V_i=i$, and each $V_i$ is an invariant subspace for $\mathfrak{g}$. We first prove the common-eigenvector assertion in the Lie theorem, by induction on $\dim \mathfrak{g}$; the zero algebra is immediate. For nonzero solvable $\mathfrak{g}$, its derived algebra is proper, so there is a codimension-one ideal of a Lie algebra $\mathfrak{k}$ containing $[\mathfrak{g},\mathfrak{g}]$. Write $\mathfrak{g}=\mathfrak{k}\oplus \mathbb{C}x$. By induction there are $v\ne 0$ and a linear functional $\lambda$ on $\mathfrak{k}$ such that $kv=\lambda (k)v$ for every $k\in \mathfrak{k}$.

Let $W$ be the cyclic subspace spanned by $v,xv,x^{2}v,\dots$. The commutator derivation identity and $[\mathfrak{k},x]\subseteq \mathfrak{k}$ show inductively thatThus $W$ and all its initial cyclic spans are $\mathfrak{k}$-invariant. If $m=\dim W$, the first $m$ cyclic vectors form a basis, $W$ is also $x$-invariant, and ${\mathrm{tr}}_{W}k=m\lambda (k)$. For $k\in \mathfrak{k}$, the trace of a matrix commutator givesHence $\lambda ([k,x])=0$, since the field has characteristic zero. The nonzero common weight spaceis $x$-invariant: $k(xw)=x(kw)+[k,x]w=\lambda (k)xw$. The restriction of $x$ to $V_{\lambda }$ has an eigenvector, because $\mathbb{C}$ is an algebraically closed field. This is a common eigenvector for $\mathfrak{g}$. Its line is invariant, and repeating the argument on the quotient vector space gives the complete invariant flag. Equivalently, this proves simultaneous triangularization of a Lie algebra representation.

In a basis adapted to this complete flag, every member of $\mathfrak{g}$ is upper triangular, so every member of its derived algebra is strictly upper triangular. Products of $d$ strictly upper triangular matrices vanish, and each iterated Lie bracket of $d$ such matrices is a sum of these products. Consequently the derived algebra is a nilpotent Lie algebra. We may therefore take $L_2=[L_1,L_1]$: it is an ideal, and the quotient Lie algebra $L_1/L_2$ is abelian. This also covers $\dim V=0$.