Matrix model of anti-de Sitter three-space (${\mathrm{AdS}}_3\cong SL(2,\mathbb{R}),g=B/8$)

For ambient quadratic form $Q=-x_0^2-x_4^2+x_1^2+x_2^2$, associate $M=\left(\begin{array}{cc}{x}_4+x_1& x_2+x_0\\ x_2-x_0& x_4-x_1\end{array}\right)$. Its determinant is $-Q$, so the unit Anti-de Sitter spacetime hyperboloid is the special linear group of real two-by-two matrices. On its tangent space at the identity, the induced bilinear form is $\frac{1}{2}\mathrm{tr}(UV)$. The Killing form is $4\mathrm{tr}(UV)$, and left and right matrix multiplication preserve the ambient form. Consequently the induced bi-invariant pseudo-Riemannian metric is $B/8$. This model has periodic time; its causally unwrapped version is the universal covering Lie group.

The action $(A,B):M\mapsto AM{B}^{-1}$ preserves the quadratic form $-\det M$ on real two-by-two matrices. Its kernel consists of the simultaneous scalar pairs $(I,I)$ and $(-I,-I)$. The differential $(a,b):M\mapsto aM-Mb$ is injective on the two traceless Lie algebras, and both source and target have dimension six. Its image is therefore open and, since the source is connected, equals the identity component of a Lie group $S{O}_0(2,2)$. This gives a two-sheeted covering map onto the identity component, not onto the disconnected full special orthogonal group $SO(2,2)$.