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An orthogonal transformation preserves the real inner product. If $W$ is an invariant subspace, its orthogonal complement is invariant too: $\alpha W=W$ in finite dimensions, and for $v\in W^{\perp }$, $w\in W$, we have $⟨\alpha v,w⟩=⟨v,{\alpha }^{-1}w⟩=0$.

Complexify the space and the transformation. There is a complex eigenvalue $\lambda$, and preservation of the Hermitian norm gives $|\lambda |=1$. If $\lambda$ is real, it is $1$ or $-1$, and the real kernel of $\alpha -\lambda I$ contains a nonzero vector. Its span is an invariant line on which $\alpha$ acts as $+1$ or $-1$.

If $\lambda$ is nonreal, write an eigenvector as $u+iv$. Its real and imaginary parts are linearly independent: otherwise a nonzero real vector would have the nonreal eigenvalue. The real plane $W=\mathrm{span}(u,v)$ is invariant, because comparison of real and imaginary parts in $\alpha (u+iv)=\lambda (u+iv)$ gives real combinations of $u,v$. The restriction has determinant $\lambda \bar{\lambda }=1$. In an oriented orthonormal basis of $W$, it is therefore a rotationThere is no invariant real line in this plane: such a line would supply a real eigenvalue, whereas its two eigenvalues are nonreal.

Apply the argument repeatedly to the invariant orthogonal complement. Thus the smallest mutually orthogonal invariant blocks are lines with action $\pm 1$, and planes with a genuine rotation. Planes with angle $0$ or $\pi$ can be decomposed further into lines.

In dimension three a suitably chosen orthonormal basis therefore gives eitherorChanging the orientation of the plane reverses the angle, so this angle range loses no cases. These exhaust rotations, reflections and their possible compositions in three dimensions.

Put $V={\mathbb{C}}^n$. We use complete reducibility of compact-group representations, and the highest-weight classification: the multiplicity of $V_{\lambda }$ in a completely reducible representation is the dimension of its weight-$\lambda$ subspace killed by all positive root vectors. Each irreducible summand contributes just its one-dimensional highest-weight line to that subspace.

Symmetrizing and antisymmetrizing the three tensor factors give invariant subspaces ${\mathrm{Sym}}^{3}V$ and ${\Lambda }^{3}V$ of $V^{\otimes 3}$. The vectors $e_1^{\otimes 3}$ and $e_1\wedge e_2\wedge e_3$ are highest-weight vectors of weights $(3,0,\dots ,0)$ and $(1,1,1,0,\dots ,0)$ respectively. The unitary version of the Weyl dimension formula isIt givesThese are exactly the dimensions of the third symmetric power and exterior power, so each is irreducible and occurs once in those subspaces.

The weight $(2,1,0,\dots ,0)$ in $V^{\otimes 3}$ has basisThe only positive root vector that acts nontrivially on this weight space is $E_{12}$. Acting on the tensor product as the sum of its actions on the three factors, it sends each of $a,b,c$ to $e_1^{\otimes 3}$. Consequently the highest-weight vectors in this space are preciselyThis is a two-dimensional space, so $V_{(2,1)}$ occurs exactly twice. Its dimension isThe dimensions of the summands already found add toThus no other irreducible summand can remain. We have proved the full decompositionThere are four summands counted with multiplicity and three distinct isomorphism types.

For $n=2$, the exterior cube vanishes. The third symmetric power still has highest weight $(3,0)$ and dimension $4$, while the same two-dimensional highest-vector calculation gives two copies of the representation of weight $(2,1)$ and dimension $2$. It is $\det \otimes V$, since a determinant twist shifts the standard highest weight $(1,0)$ to $(2,1)$. Hence

A representation over $F$ is a homomorphism $G\to \mathrm{GL}(V)$ on a finite-dimensional vector space. It is irreducible if it has no nonzero proper invariant subspace, and has absolute irreducibility of a group representation if it remains irreducible after every field extension. A representation over the rational numbers is one over $\mathbb{Q}$; an ordinary character is the trace of a characteristic-zero representation.

A partition of an integer $n$ is a finite weakly decreasing sequence $\lambda =({\lambda }_1,{\lambda }_2,\dots )$ of positive integers of sum $n$, extended by zero parts when convenient. Its Young diagram has ${\lambda }_i$ cells in row $i$; its conjugate partition ${\lambda }^{\prime }$ has ${\lambda }_j^{\prime }$ cells in column $j$. Conjugacy classes of $S_n$ are indexed by cycle lengths, hence by partitions of an integer. The number of ordinary irreducible characters equals the number of conjugacy classes; we now construct that many mutually distinct representations over the rational numbers.

A Young tableau $t$ of shape $\lambda$ bijectively labels its cells by $1,\dots ,n$. Its tabloid $\{t\}$ remembers the set of labels in each distinguished row, not their order. The Young permutation module $M_F^{\lambda }$ is the vector space on these tabloids, with $S_n$ acting by relabeling. Its tabloid bilinear form makes the tabloid basis orthonormal. Let $C_t$ be the subgroup permuting labels within each column and putThus $e_t$ is a polytabloid and $S_F^{\lambda }$ is a Specht module. Relabeling takes $e_t$ to $e_{gt}$, so any polytabloid generates the module. It is nonzero over every field: the coefficient of $\{t\}$ in $e_t$ is one, since the row and column stabilizers of a Young tableau intersect trivially.

Here is the elementary identity behind irreducibility. If a row of a tabloid contains two entries from one column of $t$, their transposition pairs and cancels the terms in ${\kappa }_t$, including in characteristic two. Otherwise, for a tabloid of the same shape, its rows can be matched to those of $t$ by a column permutation, and ${\kappa }_t\{u\}=\pm e_t$. Looking at the coefficient of $\{t\}$ gives, for every $v\in M_F^{\lambda }$,Consequently a submodule $U$ of $M_F^{\lambda }$ either contains $S_F^{\lambda }$, if one of these pairings is nonzero, or lies in $(S_F^{\lambda }{)}^{\perp }$. This proves the James submodule theorem used below.

Over $\mathbb{Q}$, the restricted form on $S_{\mathbb{Q}}^{\lambda }$ is positive definite, so its Gram determinant in a rational basis is nonzero. Extending scalars to any characteristic-zero field preserves that nonzero determinant and hence keeps the restricted form a nondegenerate bilinear form. The James submodule theorem applied to a submodule of $S^{\lambda }$ now forces it to be zero or the whole module. Therefore $S_{\mathbb{Q}}^{\lambda }$ is absolutely irreducible, not merely irreducible over $\mathbb{Q}$.

To distinguish shapes, the cancellation argument above works for a $\mu$-tabloid too. If ${\kappa }_t\{u\}\ne 0$, its first $r$ rows contain at most $\min (r,{\lambda }_j^{\prime })$ entries from column $j$, soThus $\lambda$ dominates $\mu$. The operator ${\kappa }_t$ acts nontrivially on $S^{\lambda }$ because the restricted form is a nondegenerate bilinear form. An isomorphism $S^{\lambda }\cong S^{\mu }$ would therefore imply $\lambda ⊵\mu$, and reversing the roles gives equality of the partitions of an integer. Counting conjugacy classes proves exhaustion. All matrices in a rational polytabloid basis have rational entries, giving the requested representations over the rational numbers.

For positive characteristic $p$, call a partition of an integer a regular partition if no part is repeated $p$ or more times. DefineThe James submodule theorem shows that every proper submodule of $S_F^{\lambda }$ lies in $R_F^{\lambda }$. Whenever the restricted form is nonzero, $R_F^{\lambda }$ is proper and its quotient is simple.

We verify exactly when this happens. Let $m_j$ be the number of rows of length $j$. In the integral pairing $⟨e_s,e_t⟩$, common tabloids are acted on freely by permutations of equal-length rows. Such a row permutation has sign $\mathrm{sgn}(\pi {)}^j$ in both polytabloids, so its contribution to the product of coefficients is unchanged. Each orbit has size ${\prod }_j{m}_j!$. Thus that integer divides every pairing. On the other hand, reverse each row of $t$ to obtain $t^{\ast }$. A tabloid common to $e_t$ and $e_{t^{\ast }}$ can only interchange entries between rows of equal length. There are $m_j!$ independent choices in each of their $j$ columns, and the two signs agree. HenceThese two products have exactly the same prime divisors. All pairings vanish modulo $p$ precisely when some $m_j\ge p$. Therefore $D_F^{\lambda }\ne 0$ exactly for $p$-regular $\lambda$.

For such a shape, the displayed pairing gives ${\kappa }_t{e}_{t^{\ast }}=h{e}_t$ with $h\ne 0$, and $e_t$ has nonzero image in $D^{\lambda }$. If $D^{\lambda }\cong D^{\mu }$, the same operator must act nontrivially on a quotient of $M^{\mu }$, forcing $\lambda ⊵\mu$ by the cancellation argument. Interchanging the shapes proves $\lambda =\mu$.

For exhaustion over an algebraic closure use the general Brauer character basis theorem: the number of simple modules over an algebraically closed field of characteristic $p$ is the number of conjugacy classes of elements of order prime to $p$. Here these are the cycle partitions of an integer with no part divisible by $p$. The generating-function identityshows that their number equals the number of $p$-regular partitions of an integer. We have already constructed that many distinct simple modules, so they exhaust all simples. The form, its radical and its quotient commute with field extension, and the same simplicity proof holds after every extension. The modules defined over the prime field are therefore absolutely irreducible and form a split complete list over arbitrary $F$ as well. In summary,For characteristic zero the list is instead all $S_F^{\lambda }$. In positive characteristic a Specht module itself need not be irreducible; the radical quotient is essential.

For $X\in L$, define the Adjoint representation of a Lie algebra by ${\mathrm{ad}}_X(Y)=[X,Y]$. The Jacobi identity gives, for every $Z$,Thus $\mathrm{ad}$ preserves brackets and is a Lie algebra representation. Its Killing form isUsing the representation identity and the cyclic property of the trace,The Killing form is also symmetric by cyclicity.

In a basis $T_a$, write $[T_a,T_b]=c_{ab}{}^d{T}_d$. The lowered structure constants satisfyThe first expression is antisymmetric in $a,b$ and the second in $b,c$. These transpositions generate all permutations, so $c_{abc}$ is totally antisymmetric.

An invariant subspace of $L$ under its Adjoint representation of a Lie algebra is exactly an ideal of a Lie algebra: $[L,I]\subseteq I$. A simple Lie algebra has no nonzero proper ideal, proving the adjoint representation is irreducible.

Put $D_X=d(X)$. The same trace calculation proves invariance of the Trace form of a Lie algebra representation:Because the $D_X$ are anti-Hermitian, $H$ is a real symmetric bilinear form. The Killing form of a simple compact Lie algebra is negative definite. Define a real linear map $T$ by $H(X,Y)=\kappa (TX,Y)$. Invariance of both forms implies that $T$ commutes with every ${\mathrm{ad}}_Z$, while symmetry makes $T$ self-adjoint for the positive inner product $-\kappa$. By the spectral theorem, its real eigenspaces are invariant under the Adjoint representation of a Lie algebra. Irreducibility forces a single eigenvalue, so $T=\mu I$ and $H=\mu \kappa$. This also avoids the extra care needed when applying the complex form of the Schur lemma to a real vector space.

The kernel of $d$ is an ideal of a Lie algebra. It cannot be all of $L$: a trivial representation of dimension greater than one is reducible. Simplicity therefore makes $d$ faithful. For every nonzero $X$,Hence the positive trace index for a compact simple Lie algebra givesin the adapted basis.

For the cubic trace tensor of a Lie algebra representation, the identityexpands toSet $Y=T_d$, $X=T_a$, $Z=T_b$, $W=T_c$. Cyclicity of $B$ converts $B_{\ell bc}$ to $B_{bc\ell }$ and $B_{a\ell c}$ to $B_{ca\ell }$. Thus the invariance identity for a cubic trace tensor is

For the final contraction, it is important to keep the specified index-raising convention. In the adapted basis write $C_{ab}{}^c=c_{ab}{}^c$. Then $c_{abc}=-C_{ab}{}^c$, while raising the last two indices with ${\kappa }^{ab}=-{\delta }^{ab}$ gives $c_a{}^{mn}=-C_{am}{}^n$. Total antisymmetry and the definition of the Killing form implyOnly the antisymmetric part of $B$ in $m,n$ contributes, soConsequently the Killing-normalized contraction of a cubic trace tensor isThe negative sign printed in the last requested identity is incompatible with raising indices by the inverse Killing form. The opposite sign is obtained if one instead defines the lowered structure constants using the positive Euclidean metric, a different convention from the one specified.

For a concrete check, take the two-dimensional representation of $\mathfrak{su}(2)$ with $T_a=-i{\sigma }_a/(2\sqrt{2})$, where the ${\sigma }_a$ are Pauli matrices. ThenTheir contraction is $+{\delta }_{ab}/8$, confirming the positive sign with $\mu =1/4$ and providing a counterexample to the printed sign.

Choose a nonzero vector in an irreducible representation. Its finite group orbit spans a finite-dimensional invariant subspace, which must be the whole representation. The representing matrices of an abelian group commute. Choose an eigenspace of one matrix; all other matrices preserve it. Repeatedly choosing an eigenspace for the restrictions of the remaining matrices gives a common eigenvector. Its line is invariant under the whole group. Irreducibility therefore makes the representation that line, proving every irreducible complex representation of a finite abelian group is one-dimensional.

Use the complex inner product convention linear in its first argument. Give the exterior algebra its induced inner product, with an orthonormal wedge basis. Exterior multiplication is $e(v)\eta =v\wedge \eta$. Its adjoint is contraction:Applying this formula to $a\wedge \eta$ separates its first term from the remaining terms, giving $e(b{)}^{\ast }e(a)\eta =(a,b)\eta -e(a)e(b{)}^{\ast }\eta$. Hence the canonical anticommutation relations areFor irreducibility, choose an orthonormal basis $u_1,\dots ,u_d$. The occupancy projections are $N_j=e(u_j)e(u_j{)}^{\ast }$, and $P_0={\prod }_j(I-N_j)$ projects onto the vacuum $1\in {\Lambda }^{0}V$. For an increasing index set $J$, put $E_J=e(u_{j_1})\cdots e(u_{j_r})$. Then $E_I{P}_0{E}_J^{\ast }$ maps the wedge basis vector $u_J$ to $u_I$ and kills every other wedge basis vector. Thus these products are all matrix units and the generated star-algebra is $\mathrm{End}(\Lambda V)$. Any common invariant subspace for the creation and annihilation operators is therefore either zero or all of $W$.

The commutant is $A^{\prime }=\{T\in \mathrm{End}V:Ta=aT\text{ for every }a\in A\}$. Clearly $A\subseteq A^{\prime \prime }$. For the reverse inclusion, first note that $A\xi$ is an invariant subspace for the unital star-algebra $A$, and its orthogonal complement is invariant too. Its projection belongs to $A^{\prime }$. Thus if $B\in A^{\prime \prime }$, $B\xi \in A\xi$.

To make the same algebra element work for all vectors, amplify to $V^d$, where $d=\dim V$. The diagonal action $a^{(d)}$ has commutant consisting of block matrices whose entries belong to $A^{\prime }$. Therefore $B^{(d)}$ commutes with this amplified commutant. For a basis ${\xi }_1,\dots ,{\xi }_d$, the subspace $\{(a{\xi }_1,\dots ,a{\xi }_d):a\in A\}$ is invariant and reducing for the amplified algebra. Its projection lies in that commutant. The preceding argument gives some $a\in A$ with $(B{\xi }_1,\dots ,B{\xi }_d)=(a{\xi }_1,\dots ,a{\xi }_d)$. Since these vectors form a basis, $B=a$. HenceThis finite-dimensional double commutant theorem for star-algebras uses the star hypothesis to make the orbit subspaces reducing.

Use the Polynomial representation of the Heisenberg Lie algebra on $V=\mathbb{C}[x]$:The product rule gives $[d/dx,x]f=f$, verifying the required bracket, and the identity commutes with both operators.

For irreducibility, let $W$ be a nonzero invariant subspace and choose a nonzero polynomial of degree $d$ in it. Its $d$th derivative is a nonzero constant, so $1\in W$. Repeated multiplication by $x$ then puts every monomial in $W$, giving $W=\mathbb{C}[x]$.

For faithfulness, suppose $a\rho (p)+b\rho (q)+dI=0$. Applying this operator to $1$ gives $bx+d=0$, so $b=d=0$. Applying what remains to $x$ gives $a=0$. The representation is therefore faithful and irreducible. It is necessarily infinite-dimensional, by the finite-dimensional classification just proved.

Give $\mathfrak{g}$ its Adjoint representation and use the tensor product of Lie algebra representations. Define the action map of a Lie algebra representationFor $y\in \mathfrak{g}$, the action on the source is $y(x\otimes v)=[y,x]\otimes v+x\otimes yv$. The defining representation identity then givesThus $a$ is a Lie algebra representation homomorphism.

If $V$ is nontrivial and simple, the action is not identically zero, so the image of $a$ is a nonzero submodule. Simplicity forces $a$ to be surjective. For a finite-dimensional $V$ and a semisimple Lie algebra, the Weyl complete reducibility theorem provides an invariant complement $U$ to $\ker a$ in $\mathfrak{g}\otimes V$. The restriction $a{|}_U$ is then an isomorphism onto $V$, givingThis proves the requested summand assertion in the finite-dimensional setting.

If finite dimensionality is not implicit, the final assertion needs that hypothesis: the action summand can fail for an infinite-dimensional simple module. Here is an explicit counterexample. Take $\mathfrak{g}={\mathfrak{sl}}_2$ with $[h,e]=2e$, $[h,f]=-2f$, $[e,f]=h$, and the Verma module of highest weight $-2$:The lowering coefficient never vanishes for $m>0$, so an invariant subspace, using the distinct $h$-weights to isolate a basis vector and then raising, contains $v_0$ and hence all of $V$. Thus $V$ is simple.

In ${\mathfrak{sl}}_2\otimes V$, a vector of weight $-2$ is $Ae\otimes v_1+Bh\otimes v_0$. Applying $e$ gives $-2(A+B)e\otimes v_0$, so its highest vectors are precisely the multiples of $w=e\otimes v_1-h\otimes v_0$. But $w=f(e\otimes v_0)$, and $e\otimes v_0$ has weight zero, absent from $V$. Every homomorphism $r:\mathfrak{g}\otimes V\to V$ therefore kills this vector and then kills $w$. Any embedded copy of $V$ would send its highest vector to a nonzero multiple of $w$, so it cannot admit a projection back to $V$. This rules out a direct summand, not merely a splitting of the particular action map.

We consider finite-dimensional continuous complex representations of SU(2). Its maximal torus is $\mathrm{diag}(e^{i\theta },e^{-i\theta })$. The irreducible representations areThey may be realized as homogeneous polynomials of degree $n$ in two variables, with the induced linear substitution action. Their torus weights are $n,n-2,\dots ,-n$, each once. The centre $-I$ acts by $(-1{)}^n$, so precisely the even-$n$ representations descend to SO(3). In physics $n=2j$ labels integral or half-integral spin $j$.

Here is a classification argument. Average any positive definite Hermitian form over the compact group using normalized Haar measure. The averaged form is invariant, so the orthogonal complement of an invariant subspace is invariant. Repeatedly splitting gives complete reducibility. Differentiate an irreducible representation and complexify to the Lie algebra ${\mathfrak{sl}}_2$, with generators $H,E,F$ satisfying $[H,E]=2E$, $[H,F]=-2F$, and $[E,F]=H$. Torus periodicity gives integer $H$-weights. Choose a vector $v$ of maximal weight $n$; then $Ev=0$. Induction on $k$ using the commutators givesThe chain terminates: if $F^{p}v\ne 0$ and $F^{p+1}v=0$, the displayed formula forces $n=p\ge 0$. The vectors $v,Fv,\dots ,F^{n}v$ have distinct weights, span an invariant subrepresentation, and hence span the irreducible representation. Their generator action agrees with ${\mathrm{Sym}}^n{\mathbb{C}}^2$. Invariance under the Lie algebra is equivalent to invariance under the connected group, completing the classification. Conversely, a nonzero invariant subspace of a symmetric power contains a weight vector by projection onto torus weights. Raising it to the highest weight and then lowering generates every monomial, proving that the symmetric power is irreducible.

The character on the torus iswith the endpoints interpreted by continuity. Every representation has a unique decomposition $V\cong {⨁}_{n\ge 0}{m}_n{V}_n$. Its multiplicities can be computed from character inner products,The sine orthogonality directly verifies orthonormality of the irreducible characters. Alternatively, if $w_k$ is the dimension of the weight-$k$ subspace, the weight lists give $w_n=m_n+m_{n+2}+\cdots$, so $m_n=w_n-w_{n+2}$ for $n\ge 0$. This gives a constructive decomposition from torus weights. In particular, multiplying weight characters yields the Clebsch-Gordan decomposition $V_m\otimes V_n\cong V_{m+n}\oplus V_{m+n-2}\oplus \cdots \oplus V_{|m-n|}$. Arbitrary unitary Hilbert-space representations of this compact group similarly decompose into Hilbert direct sums of these finite-dimensional irreducibles; the finite-dimensional statement above is the standard representation-theory setting.

The two independent columns of $V$ remain independent after multiplication by invertible $S$. Since $R=SV$ has zeros below the second row, its leading two-by-two triangular block is invertible. Hence the image under $S$ of the invariant subspace is exactly $\mathrm{span}(e_1,e_2)$. This coordinate plane is invariant under $\hat{A}=SA{S}^{-1}$, forcing the bottom-left block to vanish:The block determinant factors $\det (zI-\hat{A})=\det (zI-B)\det (zI-D)$. Therefore the eigenvalues of $A$ are exactly those of the indicated two-by-two and $(n-2)$-by-$(n-2)$ blocks, counted with algebraic multiplicity. No diagonalizability assumption is needed.

Let $Q\in \mathrm{SO}(3,\mathbb{R})$. Since $Q^{T}Q=I$ and $\det Q=1$,so $\det (Q-I)=0$. Choose a unit vector $e$ with $Qe=e$. Its orthogonal complement is an invariant subspace: for $v\perp e$, $e\cdot Qv=(Q^{T}e)\cdot v=e\cdot v=0$. In an orthonormal basis $(e,e_1,e_2)$, $Q$ therefore has a scalar block $1$ and a two-dimensional orthogonal matrix block of determinant one. Such a block has columns $(\cos \theta ,\sin \theta {)}^T$ and $(-\sin \theta ,\cos \theta {)}^T$. Consequently $Q$ is a rotation in three dimensions about the axis $\mathbb{R}e$ through angle $\theta$, including the identity when $\theta =0$.

To construct the Householder reflections, let $S_0$ reflect in the plane spanned by $e,e_1$ and let $S_{\psi }$ reflect in the plane spanned by $e,\cos \psi e_1+\sin \psi e_2$. They fix $e$, while on $e^{\perp }$ their matrices areTheir product is the planar rotation matrix through $2\psi$. Taking $\psi =\theta /2$ proves $\boxed{Q=S_{\theta /2}{S}_0}$. This gives the composition of two plane reflections explicitly; each is a Householder reflection $I-2n{n}^T$ for the corresponding unit plane normal $n$.

For an orthonormal basis $(e_i)$, define the Hilbert-Schmidt norm by $\Vert T{\Vert }_2^2={\sum }_i\Vert T{e}_i{\Vert }^2$. For a possibly uncountable basis, the nonnegative sum means the supremum over finite subsets. Parseval's identity gives, for any other orthonormal basis $(f_j)$,Changing the domain basis in the last expression proves basis independence. Polarization gives a basis-independent inner productwith the same first-argument linear convention. The sums converge by the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality. The operator-norm bound $\Vert T\Vert \le \Vert T{\Vert }_2$ follows by applying Cauchy-Schwarz to the coordinates of a unit vector.

To prove completeness, let $(T_n)$ be Cauchy in this norm. The operator-norm bound gives a bounded-operator limit $T$. For a finite subset $F$ of the basis,For large $n$, the right side is uniformly small by the Cauchy property. Taking the supremum over $F$ shows $T_n-T$ is Hilbert-Schmidt and $\Vert T_n-T{\Vert }_2\to 0$; it also shows $T$ is Hilbert-Schmidt. Thus the Hilbert-Schmidt operators form a Hilbert space. Finite-rank operators are dense there: keeping finitely many basis columns makes the sum of omitted squared column norms tend to zero. The operator-norm bound then shows that every Hilbert-Schmidt operator is compact.

Now let $U$ be a strongly continuous unitary representation of the compact metric group $G$, as is standard for a representation of a topological group. Fix $\xi \ne 0$ and average the positive rank-one operator $R_{\xi ,\xi }$:The integrand is continuous in the Hilbert-Schmidt norm, so this Bochner integral exists in the complete space just proved. Normalized Haar measure and invariance show that $K$ is positive, compact and commutes with every $U_g$. Moreover,the integrand is positive near the identity and every nonempty open set has positive Haar measure. Thus $K\ne 0$. A nonzero eigenspace is finite-dimensional and invariant under $U$, by (a). Within it choose a nonzero invariant subspace of smallest dimension; it is irreducible. Its orthogonal complement is invariant because the representation is unitary, so the finite-dimensional space splits into irreducibles.

Take a maximal orthogonal family of such finite-dimensional irreducible invariant subspaces. If their closed span had a nonzero orthogonal complement, the same averaging argument on that complement would produce another member, contradicting maximality. ThereforeThis compact averaging of a rank-one operator argument does not require $H$ itself to be separable. Strong continuity is the topological representation hypothesis used in the averaging step.

For a compact Lie group, take any positive-definite Hermitian inner product $h_0$ on $V$ and average using probability Haar measure:It remains positive definite, because the integrand is positive for a nonzero vector, and translation invariance makes it $G$-invariant. If $W\subset V$ is an invariant subspace, then $W^{\perp }$ is invariant too: $h(gv,w)=h(v,g^{-1}w)=0$ when $v\in W^{\perp }$. Thus $V=W\oplus W^{\perp }$. Induction on dimension proves complete reducibility. This uses the usual continuous finite-dimensional representations of the compact group.

For a connected complex reductive algebraic group, representations are understood to be rational representations. Use a compact real form $K\subset G$ with $\mathrm{Lie}(G)=\mathrm{Lie}(K){\otimes }_{\mathbb{R}}\mathbb{C}$. The structural construction takes a compact real form of the semisimple derived factor and the unit circles in the central torus, then passes through their finite central quotient. This is the compact-form structure of a complex reductive group, rather than an assumption that its given representation is already unitary.

The group $K$ is Zariski dense: the Lie algebra of its Zariski closure contains the complex span of $\mathrm{Lie}(K)$, hence all of $\mathrm{Lie}(G)$; connectedness then makes that closure $G$. Average over $K$ as above. The orthogonal complement of a $G$-submodule is $K$-invariant. Its stabilizer is a Zariski-closed subgroup, since preserving a fixed subspace is a system of algebraic matrix conditions. The stabilizer contains dense $K$, so it is all of $G$. This again gives an invariant complement to every submodule and provesIf reductivity is defined to allow finitely many components, first obtain a $G^0$-equivariant projection $P:V\to W$. Average its conjugates over the finite component group. Since $P$ commutes with $G^0$, the average is independent of coset representatives; it is $G$-equivariant and remains the identity on $W$. Its kernel supplies the required complement. Thus the result holds in that convention too.

Here representations mean finite-dimensional rational representations of $S{L}_2(\mathbb{C})$. Put $W={\mathbb{C}}^2$. The irreducibles areThe invariant alternating form on $W$ identifies $W$ with $W^{\ast }$, so these can equally be realized as binary forms of degree $d$. With basis $e_j=x^{d-j}{y}^j$, the standard Lie algebra generators act asThe distinct torus weights and these nonzero lowering and raising coefficients show irreducibility: any nonzero invariant subspace contains a weight vector, and repeated applications of $E,F$ obtain the entire basis.

For exhaustion, choose a highest-weight vector $v$ of an irreducible representation, so $Hv=mv$, $Ev=0$. The sl2 highest-weight lowering formula, obtained by induction from $[E,F]=H$, is $E{F}^{j}v=j(m-j+1)F^{j-1}v$. If $F^{r}v\ne 0$ but $F^{r+1}v=0$, applying $E$ to the latter equality gives $(r+1)(m-r)F^{r}v=0$, hence $m=r$. The vectors $v,Fv,\dots ,F^{r}v$ have distinct weights and span an invariant submodule, so irreducibility makes it the whole representation. After rescaling basis vectors it is $V_r$. Complete reducibility from Question 2 now describes every representation as a finite direct sum of these symmetric powers. Their central element $-I$ acts by $(-1{)}^d$.

The symbolic method for binary-form invariants works as follows. Write a degree-$d$ form as $f(x,y)={\sum }_{j=0}^d\left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{d}{j}\right)f_j{x}^{d-j}{y}^j$ and introduce a formal letter $a=(a_0,a_1)$. The formal power $(a_{0}x+a_{1}y{)}^d$ is converted to $f$ by the linear substitution $a_0^{d-j}{a}_1^j\mapsto f_j$. This is an umbral linear rule, not a claim that every form is an actual power of a linear form.

For a coefficient polynomial of degree $r$, polarize it into $r$ copies of the form, represented by letters $a,b,\dots$. Each letter must occur with degree $d$. In characteristic zero, polarization and evaluation on equal forms recover the original coefficient polynomial. The basic invariant expressions in the letters are bracketsThey are invariant because $\det g=1$. Invariant tensors on copies of a two-dimensional space are spanned by pairwise alternating contractions; equivalently, the invariant polynomials in the letters are generated by these brackets. One can see the tensor statement from the two-row Young-symmetrizer description of the determinant powers in tensor space. Their basic relations include $(ab)=-(ba)$ and $(ab)(cd)-(ac)(bd)+(ad)(bc)=0$. Multiply brackets, ensure the required degree in each letter, symmetrize letter copies as needed, and apply the umbral substitutions. This gives all coefficient invariants, and also works for joint invariants of several forms.

For example, for $f=A{x}^2+2Bxy+C{y}^2$, the expression $(ab{)}^2$ becomes $2(AC-B^2)$, the quadratic discriminant up to its conventional scalar. Contractions leaving variable indices unpaired give covariants. A useful systematic construction is the transvectant of binary forms:For forms of degrees $m,n$, this is an equivariant form of degree $m+n-2r$. The corresponding tensor decomposition isIts character identity follows by multiplying the weight sums; complete reducibility then gives the decomposition, and alternating contractions supply the displayed maps onto its summands.

The commuting Hermitian operators $H_1,H_2$ admit a weight-space decomposition. The six root vectors shift their simultaneous eigenvalues byor their negatives. Put $h_i=2{\alpha }_i\cdot H$, $e_i=\sqrt{2}{E}_{+}^i$ and $f_i=\sqrt{2}{E}_{-}^i$. The supplied relations giveThese are three sl2 triples, coming from the complexifications of the three SU(2) Lie algebra root-pair subalgebras. They act through homomorphisms into $\mathrm{End}(V)$. For a nontrivial representation, simplicity of the SU(3) Lie algebra makes its kernel zero, so these images are actual ${\mathfrak{sl}}_2(\mathbb{C})$ subalgebras; a trivial representation gives zero actions. The real compact generators can be taken as $i{h}_i$, $i(E_{+}^i+E_{-}^i)$ and $E_{+}^i-E_{-}^i$.

Decomposing under any one of these subalgebras gives finite weight strings in its root direction. The two simple-root highest weights must be nonnegative integers. In the SU(3) highest-weight coordinates used here, this condition isHere $(a,b)$ are the Dynkin labels; $(p,q)$ are the eigenvalues of $H_1,H_2$. An irreducible representation is determined by these labels and has dimension $(a+1)(b+1)(a+b+2)/2$. An arbitrary finite-dimensional anti-Hermitian representation is a direct sum of such representations: the orthogonal complement of an invariant subspace remains invariant.

The weight diagram has Weyl group symmetry, namely reflections and rotations by $120$ degrees. Its convex boundary is a hexagon with alternating side lengths $a,b$, degenerating to a triangle when one label vanishes. Generic representations need not have $60$-degree symmetry. Boundary weight multiplicities are one. Moving inward through hexagonal layers increases multiplicity by one, up to $\min (a,b)+1$; triangular inner layers retain that maximum. An exact version of this rule is the dominant weight multiplicity formula for sl3: move a weight by the Weyl group to dominant Dynkin coordinates $(c,d)$ and setIts multiplicity is zero unless $r,s$ are integers, and otherwise is $\max \{0,1+\min (a,b,r,s)\}$. These rules construct the diagram while counting coincident weights correctly.