An Elementary Introduction to Groups and Representations

Abstract

These notes give an elementary introduction to Lie groups, Lie algebras, and their representations. Designed to be accessible to graduate students in mathematics or physics, they have a minimum of prerequisites. Topics include definitions and examples of Lie groups and Lie algebras, the relationship between Lie groups and Lie algebras via the exponential mapping, the basics of representations theory, the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula, a detailed study of the representations of SU(3), and a brief survey of the representation theory of general semisimple groups.