Ciro Santilli @cirosantilli 35

Following the definition of the indefinite orthogonal group, we want to show that only the metric signature matters.

First we can observe that the exact matrices are different. For example, taking the standard matrix of $O(2)$:and:both have the same metric signature. However, we notice that a rotation of 90 degrees, which preserves the first form, does not preserve the second one! E.g. consider the vector $x=(1,0)$, then $x\cdot x=1$. But after a rotation of 90 degrees, it becomes $x_2=(0,1)$, and now $x_2\cdot x_2=2$! Therefore, we have to search for an isomorphism between the two sets of matrices.

For example, consider the orthogonal group, which can be defined as shown at the orthogonal group is the group of all matrices that preserve the dot product can be defined as:

Given a matrix $A$ with metric signature containing $m$ positive and $n$ negative entries, the indefinite orthogonal group is the set of all matrices that preserve the associated bilinear form, i.e.:Note that if $A=I$, we just have the standard dot product, and that subcase corresponds to the following definition of the orthogonal group: Section "The orthogonal group is the group of all matrices that preserve the dot product".

As shown at all indefinite orthogonal groups of matrices of equal metric signature are isomorphic, due to the Sylvester's law of inertia, only the metric signature of $A$ matters. E.g., if we take two different matrices with the same metric signature such as:and:both produce isomorphic spaces. So it is customary to just always pick the matrix with only +1 and -1 as entries.

Intuitive definition: real group of rotations + reflections.

Mathematical definition that most directly represents this: the orthogonal group is the group of all matrices that preserve the dot product.

Let's show that this definition is equivalent to the orthogonal group is the group of all matrices that preserve the dot product.

Note that:and for that to be true for all possible $x$ and $y$ then we must have:i.e. the matrix inverse is equal to the transpose.

Conversely, if:is true, then

These matricese are called the orthogonal matrices.

TODO is there any more intuitive way to think about this?

Or equivalently, the set of rows is orthonormal, and so is the set of columns. TODO proof that it is equivalent to the orthogonal group is the group of all matrices that preserve the dot product.

We looking at the definition the orthogonal group is the group of all matrices that preserve the dot product, we notice that the dot product is one example of positive definite symmetric bilinear form, which in turn can also be represented by a matrix as shown at: Section "Matrix representation of a symmetric bilinear form".

By looking at this more general point of view, we could ask ourselves what happens to the group if instead of the dot product we took a more general bilinear form, e.g.:The answers to those questions are given by the Sylvester's law of inertia at Section "All indefinite orthogonal groups of matrices of equal metric signature are isomorphic".