Lie Algebras

The theory of Lie algebras is fundamental to the study of groups of continuous symmetries acting on vector spaces, with applications to diverse areas including geometry, number theory and the theory of differential equations. Moreover, since quantum mechanical systems are described by Hilbert spaces acted on by continuous symmetries, Lie algebras and their representations are also fundamental to modern mathematical physics. This subject develops the basic theory in a way accessible to both pure mathematics and mathematical physics students, with an emphasis on examples. The main theorems are: the classification of complex semi-simple Lie algebras in terms of Cartan matrices and Dynkin diagrams, and the classification of finite-dimensional representations of these algebras in terms of highest weight theory.