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The commutator of two elements of an associative algebra over a field isIt measures how much the order of multiplication matters: $[A,B]=0$ exactly when $AB=BA$. It is a bilinear map, it is alternating since $AA-AA=0$, and associativity makes it satisfy the Jacobi identity. Hence every associative algebra becomes a Lie algebra on the same vector space when equipped with this product. This holds in every characteristic of a field.

For square matrices, this is the matrix commutator, and it is defined even for singular matrices. The group commutator of invertible matrices is instead $AB{A}^{-1}{B}^{-1}$: it equals the identity element when the matrices commute, whereas $AB-BA$ equals the zero matrix. The Lie bracket from local group commutators explains how differentiation connects the two constructions.

For a smooth homomorphism of Lie groups, naturality gives $f(\exp X)=\exp (d{f}_{e}X)$. Therefore $\log (f(g))=d{f}_e(\log g)$ locally. Apply this to the group commutator and differentiate its two curve parameters to obtain the displayed identity for the Lie bracket from local group commutators. In particular the differential of a group representation is a Lie algebra representation.

A real Lie group is a finite-dimensional real smooth manifold with a group structure whose multiplication and inversion are smooth. Its tangent space at the identity element $e$ is the vector space $\mathfrak{g}=T_{e}G$ of velocities of smooth curves through $e$. For the general linear group ${\mathrm{GL}}_n(\mathbb{R})$ it identifies with $M_n(\mathbb{R})$. The matrix exponential and local matrix logarithm areThe exponential is globally defined, and each matrix $\exp X$ is invertible with inverse $\exp (-X)$. The logarithm here is a local map near $I$; it is not a globally defined inverse on every real invertible matrix. The differential of $\exp$ at zero is the identity, and the two power series are inverse locally.

For a general $G$, the assumed Exponential map of a Lie group with $d{\exp }_0=I$ has a smooth local inverse by the inverse function theorem, giving a local exponential chart. Define the Lie bracket from local group commutators byFor small $s,t$ the group commutator lies in that chart. More explicitly, the map $F(u,v)=\log (\exp u\exp v\exp (-u)\exp (-v))$ is smooth and has $F(u,0)=F(0,v)=0$. Its mixed second differential at $(0,0)$ is a bilinear map of $X,Y$, proving bilinearity. Swapping the two group elements inverts the commutator, and $\log (g^{-1})=-\log g$ near $e$. Thus $F(v,u)=-F(u,v)$ and $[Y,X]=-[X,Y]$. In the matrix group, expansion to the mixed term $st$ gives the familiar commutator $XY-YX$.

For $g\in G$, let $c_g(h)=gh{g}^{-1}$ and define the Adjoint representation of a Lie group by ${\mathrm{Ad}}_g=d(c_g{)}_e\in \mathrm{GL}(\mathfrak{g})$. It is smooth and satisfies ${\mathrm{Ad}}_{gh}={\mathrm{Ad}}_g{\mathrm{Ad}}_h$. Its derived representation is $\mathrm{ad}=d(\mathrm{Ad}{)}_e:\mathfrak{g}\to \mathrm{End}(\mathfrak{g})$. Naturality of the Exponential map of a Lie group under conjugation givesAt $t=0$, the derivative of the logarithm of the commutator is ${\mathrm{Ad}}_{\exp (sX)}Y-Y$: the derivative of multiplication at $(e,e)$ adds tangent vectors, and $d{\log }_e=I$. Differentiate in $s$ to concludeTo prove the Jacobi identity without assuming it in the bracket construction, first establish that the differential of a Lie group homomorphism preserves Lie brackets. For a homomorphism $f:G\to H$, the allowed exponential identity gives ${\log }_H(f({\exp }_{G}u))=d{f}_e(u)$ locally. Apply this identity to the group commutator and take the mixed derivative to obtain $d{f}_e([X,Y])=[d{f}_{e}X,d{f}_{e}Y]$. In particular $f=\mathrm{Ad}:G\to \mathrm{GL}(\mathfrak{g})$ givesApplying both sides to $Z$ yields $[[X,Y],Z]=[X,[Y,Z]]-[Y,[X,Z]]$. Rearranging with antisymmetry provesNeither injectivity of $\mathrm{ad}$ nor the existence of a global logarithm was used.

Finally let $H$ be a normal Lie subgroup of $G$, with its corresponding Lie algebra $\mathfrak{h}\subseteq \mathfrak{g}$. For each $g\in G$, conjugation restricts to $H$, so its differential preserves $\mathfrak{h}$: ${\mathrm{Ad}}_g\mathfrak{h}=\mathfrak{h}$. Differentiate along $g=\exp (tX)$ to get $[X,Y]=\mathrm{ad}(X)Y\in \mathfrak{h}$ for every $X\in \mathfrak{g}$ and $Y\in \mathfrak{h}$. Thus the Lie algebra of a normal Lie subgroup is an ideal of a Lie algebra. The assertion concerns a subgroup carrying the corresponding Lie-subgroup structure, for example any closed subgroup; no arbitrary abstract subgroup is being assigned a tangent space.