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The determinant is a smooth Lie group homomorphism from the real general linear group to ${\mathbb{R}}^{\times }$. Its derivative at the identity is the trace, and the flow-defined exponential on ${\mathbb{R}}^{\times }$ is the ordinary scalar exponential. Naturality of the Lie group exponential therefore proves the identity without diagonalizability assumptions. The series ${\sum }_{k\ge 0}{t}^k{A}^k/k!$ is the flow-defined matrix exponential because it solves $E^{\prime }=EA$, $E(0)=I$, and has inverse $E(-t)$.

For a Lie group homomorphism $F$, the image of the integral curve through the identity of a left-invariant vector field is the integral curve of the field induced by its differential. Uniqueness of integral curves of a vector field identifies the curves for all times. Evaluating at time one gives the formula. Completeness of invariant fields follows from left translation and repetition of a local integral curve, independently of a matrix-series formula.

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.