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A one-dimensional particle with $H=p^2/2+g/x^2$ admits conserved time-translation, dilation and special-conformal charges. Their Poisson brackets form the sl2R Lie algebra. The homogeneity of the inverse-square potential is what allows the symmetry.

The complexification of a Lie algebra $L_0$ is $L=L_0{\otimes }_{\mathbb{R}}\mathbb{C}$, with the Lie bracket extended complex-bilinearly. Equivalently write $L=L_0\oplus i{L}_0$, whereComplex conjugation is an antilinear map and a Lie algebra automorphism whose fixed subalgebra is $L_0$.

If the solvable radical of $L_0$ is nonzero, its complexification is a nonzero solvable ideal of $L$. Conversely the solvable radical $R$ of $L$ is preserved by complex conjugation, because it is the unique largest solvable ideal. Consequentlyfor $z\in R$, both $(z+\overline{z})/2$ and $(z-\overline{z})/(2i)$ belong to $R_0$. If $R\ne 0$, $R_0\ne 0$ is a solvable ideal of $L_0$. This proves $L_0$ is semisimple if and only if $L_0{\otimes }_{\mathbb{R}}\mathbb{C}$ is semisimple. Consistently, the complex Killing form is just the complex-bilinear extension of the real one; its determinant in a real basis is unchanged by extending scalars.

Take the sl2R Lie algebra ${\mathfrak{sl}}_2(\mathbb{R})$ and the special unitary Lie algebra $\mathfrak{su}(2)$. Both complexify to ${\mathfrak{sl}}_2(\mathbb{C})$. This is immediate for the former; for the latter, the real basis $ih,e-f,i(e+f)$ consists of traceless matrices that are skew-Hermitian matrices and is also a complex basis of ${\mathfrak{sl}}_2(\mathbb{C})$.

They are not isomorphic as real Lie algebras. Their Killing forms are $B(X,Y)=4\mathrm{tr}(XY)$, but on $\mathfrak{su}(2)$ this is negative definite. On ${\mathfrak{sl}}_2(\mathbb{R})$ the basis $h,e+f,e-f$ has a diagonal Gram matrix with entries $8,8,-8$, so the signature of a quadratic form is $(2,1)$. A Lie algebra isomorphism preserves the Killing form and therefore its signature.

A real split semisimple Lie algebra has a Cartan subalgebra whose Adjoint representation of a Lie algebra is simultaneously diagonalizable over $\mathbb{R}$, so its root-space decomposition is defined over $\mathbb{R}$. The example ${\mathfrak{sl}}_2(\mathbb{R})$ is split: the diagonal Cartan subalgebra $\mathbb{R}h$ has eigenvalues $0,2,-2$ and real root spaces $\mathbb{R}e,\mathbb{R}f$. The example $\mathfrak{su}(2)$ is not split. Invariance makes every $\mathrm{ad}x$ skew-adjoint for the positive definite inner product $-B$, so its eigenvalues are purely imaginary. If it were diagonalizable over $\mathbb{R}$, all these eigenvalues would be zero and $\mathrm{ad}x=0$. The center is zero, so only $x=0$ has this property; no nonzero split Cartan subalgebra exists. Thus ${\mathfrak{sl}}_2(\mathbb{R})$ is split and $\mathfrak{su}(2)$ is not.

Work away from $x=0$, where the inverse-square potential is singular. Variation of the phase-space action givesThe last equation is the constraint imposed by the Lagrange multiplier $e$. The canonical momentum conjugate to $t$ is $-E$, not $E$. Consequently the nonzero canonical Poisson brackets areIn particular,With the convention $\delta z=\alpha \{z,Q\}$, the Noether charge generating $\delta t=\alpha$ is $Q=-E$. Equivalently, the conserved physical energy is $E$; a convention that calls the energy the time-translation charge absorbs this minus sign into its parameter.

For the dilation charge,on the constraint surface. Its infinitesimal canonical transformations areFor constant $\alpha$, extending this by ${\delta }_{D}e=-\alpha e$ preserves the action: the kinetic terms are invariant and $E-H$ scales oppositely to $e$. Thus the dilation acts on time and position with their nonrelativistic relative scaling. Its Poisson bracket with the energy is

Put $C=E-H$. Direct variation of the Hamiltonian givessoThe supplied transformations are generated by the special conformal charge of inverse-square mechanicsChooseThen $\delta (eC)=0$ even for a time-dependent parameter. Expanding the kinetic-term variation, keeping the terms in $\dot{\beta }$, givesHenceFor a constant parameter only the boundary term remains, identifying $K$ as the Noether charge. Independently, the equations of motion giveUsing the same canonical Poisson bracket convention,Together, $\{D,E\}=-E$, $\{D,K\}=K$ and $\{E,K\}=2D$ form the sl2R Lie algebra of conformal mechanics. These are time translation, dilation and special conformal transformation. A useful normalization check is the Casimir elementon the constraint surface.

A semisimple Lie algebra over a field of characteristic zero is split if it has a Cartan subalgebra whose adjoint action is simultaneously diagonalizable over that field. Its root-space decomposition then needs no extension of scalars. The sl2R Lie algebra is split, with the real diagonal Cartan subalgebra. The real special unitary Lie algebra $\mathfrak{su}(2)$ is not: its adjoint operators are skew-adjoint for the positive definite inner product obtained by negating its Killing form. Thus a split adjoint operator would have to be zero.