Lie group–Lie algebra correspondence 2026-10-14
Differentiation sends Lie groups to Lie algebras and smooth group homomorphisms to bracket-preserving linear maps. On connected simply connected Lie groups, this is an equivalence with finite-dimensional real Lie algebras: the Lie third theorem gives existence, and integration of a Lie algebra homomorphism gives unique maps. General connected groups require discrete central quotient data, and disconnected groups additionally require component and conjugation data.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2004 iii Paper 20 3 iii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
A Lie algebra homomorphism always defines a local group homomorphism near the identities by the exponential charts:for sufficiently small . Preservation of the BCH multiplication law makes this a local homomorphism. The issue is extending it consistently around all paths and periods in the source.
Suppose first that is connected and simply connected. For a piecewise smooth path from to , letbe its left logarithmic velocity. Solve in the differential equationThe equation exists throughout the finite path interval: bounded smooth body velocity gives a uniform local existence interval at the identity, and left translation repeatedly continues the solution. Define the proposed map by the endpoint .
Bracket preservation makes this endpoint invariant under fixed-endpoint homotopy. To see the mechanism, for a two-parameter path write and , using the Maurer-Cartan form rather than literal multiplication for nonmatrix groups. The Maurer-Cartan equation givesAfter applying , the same identity holds for and . If , the transport equation impliesBoth have zero initial value because the path starts at a fixed identity. Uniqueness gives . At the fixed endpoint, , hence . The endpoint is therefore unchanged by the homotopy. Simple connectedness then makes it independent of the chosen path.
For paths to and , concatenate the first with the left translate by of the second. Its transported endpoint is , because left logarithmic velocity is unchanged by left translation. It follows that . Near the identity, choose ; transport yields . Thus is smooth near the identity and, by translation, everywhere, and its differential is . The uniqueness argument from the root solution givesThis is integration of a Lie algebra homomorphism.
For a connected source that is not simply connected, first integrate on its universal cover . The resulting map descends exactly whenIndeed two lifts of one element differ by a kernel element, so this condition is both necessary and sufficient for their images to agree. It is the period obstruction to integration of a Lie algebra homomorphism. For , identify the Lie algebras with and take . The integrated map on the cover is , which respects the source period precisely when . Therefore half-scaling is a valid Lie algebra homomorphism but does not integrate to a circle homomorphism. If both groups are written as simply connected covers modulo central subgroups, the equivalent descent condition is that the integrated cover map send into .
For disconnected , first solve this problem on , obtaining . One must then assign images to representatives of the component group. These assignments must satisfy the conjugation and multiplication relations. Explicitly, with and for , the conditions areWhen these can be solved, is a smooth global homomorphism. They may prevent existence or allow several extensions with the same differential. Thus a bracket-preserving linear map gives local data; global integration requires the source's periods and, when present, its component relations to be respected.