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For a connected simply connected source Lie group, every Lie algebra homomorphism integrates uniquely to a Lie group homomorphism. Along a path $\gamma$ from the identity, transport its left logarithmic velocity by $\theta$ and solve the corresponding left-invariant differential equation in the target. The Maurer-Cartan equation and preservation of brackets make the endpoint invariant under fixed-endpoint homotopies. Simple connectedness removes path dependence, and path concatenation proves multiplicativity.

A Lie group homomorphism intertwines one-parameter subgroups and therefore obeys the displayed identity. A connected Lie group is generated by an identity neighbourhood in an exponential chart, so its homomorphism is uniquely determined by the differential at the identity. On a disconnected group, only the restriction to its identity component is determined this way; the images of the other components require extra data.

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.

Let $G$ be connected and compact with nonzero irreducible real Adjoint representation. Its Lie algebra has no proper invariant Lie algebra ideal. If it is Abelian, irreducibility forces dimension one, so $G$ is the circle group. Otherwise its centre has zero-dimensional Lie algebra and is finite. A proper closed normal subgroup likewise has zero-dimensional Lie algebra, hence is finite; connectedness of $G$ makes conjugation on that finite subgroup trivial, so the subgroup is central. A Lie group homomorphism onto a nontrivial connected target with surjective differential consequently has finite central group kernel. The qualifications “proper” and “nontrivial” are essential.

Identify the Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$ with the tangent space $T_{e}G$. For $X\in \mathfrak{g}$, its left-invariant vector field is $X^L(g)=(d{L}_g{)}_{e}X$. Let ${\gamma }_X$ be its integral curve with ${\gamma }_X(0)=e$. Uniqueness of integral curves and left invariance give ${\gamma }_X(s+t)={\gamma }_X(s){\gamma }_X(t)$ wherever initially defined. Repetition of a local curve extends it to all real times. Thus ${\gamma }_X$ is the unique one-parameter subgroup with derivative $X$ at zero, and the Exponential map of a Lie group is defined bySmooth dependence of solutions of differential equations on their initial data and parameters makes this map smooth.

The derivative at zero is particularly simple:It is the identity linear map from $\mathfrak{g}$ to $T_{e}G$. The inverse function theorem therefore proves that the Exponential map of a Lie group is a local diffeomorphism at zero, producing a local exponential chart. This proves the requested local assertion.

There is a necessary qualification to the other assertion: the image of every one-parameter subgroup lies in the identity component of a Lie group $G^{\circ }$. The correct statement without a connectedness hypothesis isIndeed, if $\exp$ is a group homomorphism, its image is an abelian subgroup. It contains an identity neighborhood by the local result. An open subgroup of a connected group is the entire group: every coset is open, so its complement is also open. Thus $\exp (\mathfrak{g})=G^{\circ }$, proving that this component is abelian.

Conversely, if $G^{\circ }$ is abelian, then $\exp (tX)\exp (tY)$ is a one-parameter subgroup: its group law follows by commuting the factors. Its derivative at zero is $X+Y$. Uniqueness gives $\exp (t(X+Y))=\exp (tX)\exp (tY)$ and, at $t=1$, additivity. This proves the additivity of the Lie exponential map criterion. For connected $G$ it is exactly the stated equivalence with an abelian group. For disconnected $G$ the unrestricted claim is false: $S_3\times \mathbb{R}$ is a nonabelian Lie group, but its exponential is the homomorphism $x\mapsto (e,x)$. The original PDF does not impose connectedness in that sentence, so that qualification cannot be omitted.

Now suppose $G$ is connected and abelian, of dimension $n$. The exponential is a surjective group homomorphism, and its kernel $\Lambda$ is discrete by local injectivity at zero. The induced mapis a bijective Lie group homomorphism and a local diffeomorphism, hence a Lie group isomorphism. To identify the quotient, take linearly independent elements ${\lambda }_1,\dots ,{\lambda }_b\in \Lambda$ spanning the real linear span of $\Lambda$, and let ${\Lambda }_0={\sum }_i\mathbb{Z}{\lambda }_i$. Every coset of ${\Lambda }_0$ in $\Lambda$ has a representative in the bounded fundamental parallelepiped of these vectors. A discrete additive subgroup has finite intersection with a compact set: otherwise differences of arbitrarily close elements would approach zero, contradicting discreteness at zero. Thus $\Lambda /{\Lambda }_0$ is finite.

It follows that $\Lambda$ is a finitely generated torsion-free abelian group of rank $b$, hence has a $\mathbb{Z}$-basis of $b$ elements. These basis elements also span its $b$-dimensional real span and are linearly independent over $\mathbb{R}$. Extending them to a real basis identifies $\Lambda$ with ${\mathbb{Z}}^b\times \{0{\}}^{n-b}$. Consequently the classification of connected abelian Lie groups isThe compact circle factors record the periods of the one-parameter subgroups.

An isomorphism of Lie algebras identifies the local multiplication laws of the identity components. In exponential coordinates the local product is governed by the Baker--Campbell--Hausdorff formula,A bracket-preserving linear isomorphism carries this law to the corresponding law in the other Lie algebra. Thus the identity components are locally isomorphic. This statement is local; the exponential coordinates need not cover the whole group.

The stronger global description uses a universal covering Lie group. The universal cover of a connected Lie group acquires a group law by lifting multiplication with a chosen identity; uniqueness of lifts supplies associativity and inversion. The covering map is a local diffeomorphism and a Lie group homomorphism, with discrete kernel. That kernel is central: conjugation of one of its elements gives a continuous map from the connected covering group into a discrete set, so it is constantly that element.

By integration of the given Lie algebra isomorphism and its inverse on simply connected covers, these covers are isomorphic. Their two compositions have identity differential and therefore are identity maps by the preceding uniqueness argument. Consequently, for some connected simply connected Lie group $\tilde{G}$,where ${\Gamma }_1,{\Gamma }_2$ are discrete central subgroups. Different quotients need not be isomorphic. The additive group $\mathbb{R}$ and the circle group $\mathbb{R}/2\pi \mathbb{Z}$ have the same one-dimensional Lie algebra but different compactness and fundamental groups. Another familiar pair is the SU(2) group and the SO(3) group, with the latter the quotient of the former by $\{I,-I\}$.

Thus isomorphic Lie algebras give isomorphic connected simply connected groups, and identify arbitrary identity components up to discrete central quotients. For disconnected groups the Lie algebra also omits the group of components and its conjugation and extension data. For example $\mathbb{R}\times F$, for any finite group $F$, always has Lie algebra $\mathbb{R}$, while its component group is $F$.

The Lie group–Lie algebra correspondence separates local differential structure from global topology. For a Lie group $G$, define $LG=T_{e}G$ as a real vector space. Extend each $X\in T_{e}G$ to the left-invariant vector fieldThe commutator of two such vector fields is again left-invariant. SetThe vector-field commutator is bilinear, antisymmetric and satisfies the Jacobi identity, so this makes $T_{e}G$ a Lie algebra. For a matrix group this bracket is $XY-YX$.

For a smooth Lie group homomorphism $\varphi :G_1\to G_2$, its differential at the identity is the linear mapThe identity $\varphi \circ L_g=L_{\varphi (g)}\circ \varphi$ shows that the corresponding left-invariant fields are $\varphi$-related. Brackets of related vector fields are related, henceThe chain rule also gives $L(\psi \circ \varphi )=L\psi \circ L\varphi$ and $L(\mathrm{id})=\mathrm{id}$. Thus differentiation is a functor from Lie groups and smooth homomorphisms to real Lie algebras and bracket-preserving linear maps.

To see what information the differential retains, apply $\varphi$ to a one-parameter subgroup. Its initial tangent is $L\varphi (X)$, so uniqueness yieldsIf $G_1$ is connected, a small exponential neighbourhood generates it. Every $g\in G_1$ is a finite product $\exp X_1\cdots \exp X_k$, and thereforeFor an already existing homomorphism this expression is independent of the chosen product because it equals $\varphi (g)$. Two homomorphisms with the same differential agree on that neighbourhood and hence everywhere. This proves that a Lie group homomorphism determined by its differential requires a connected source.

On a disconnected source only the restriction to $G_1^{\circ }$ is determined. For instance a nontrivial finite discrete group has zero Lie algebra, so its identity and trivial endomorphisms have the same zero differential but are different maps. The discussion of all components must therefore include additional global data. The remaining parts explain the corresponding existence and topology conditions.

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 universal cover of a connected Lie group carries a unique lifted Lie group structure with a chosen identity, making its covering map a Lie group homomorphism. The kernel is a discrete central subgroup: conjugation of any kernel element is a continuous map from a connected group into a discrete set, hence constant. Every connected Lie group is therefore a quotient of its simply connected cover by a discrete central subgroup.