Product Description

Lie groups and Lie algebras have become essential to many parts of mathematics and theoretical physics, with Lie algebras a central object of interest in their own right. This book provides an elementary introduction to Lie algebras based on a lecture course given to fourth-year undergraduates. The only prerequisite is some linear algebra and an appendix summarizes the main facts that are needed. The treatment is kept as simple as possible with no attempt at full generality. Numerous worked examples and exercises are provided to test understanding, along with more demanding problems, several of which have solutions. Introduction to Lie Algebras covers the core material required for almost all other work in Lie theory and provides a self-study guide suitable for undergraduate students in their final year and graduate students and researchers in mathematics and theoretical physics.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #396226 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 254 pages

Review
"Lie theory is a subject that is usually only taught in graduate school. … This book aims to break this barrier and gives an introduction to Lie algebras suitable for advanced undergraduate students. … contains many examples and exercises and the authors included answers to selected exercises. Overall this book is a very well thought out and well-written introduction to Lie algebras and it provides an excellent entry point into Lie theory for advanced undergraduates and early graduate students interested in learning about the subject." --Aloysius Helminck, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2007 e

"Erdmann and Wildon s book is more leisurely and chatty, and to my knowledge is the most readable ... material that is currently in print. ... In summary, I think this text may be the best pedagogical advance in the teaching of Lie algebras in the last few decades, and may in fact be the only textbook ... genuinely suitable for undergraduates. ... excellent book that should be carefully reviewed by anybody seeking a textbook for a course in the purely algebraic theory of Lie algebras." --Mark Hunacek, The Mathematical Gazette, Vol. 92 (524), 2008

About the Author
Karin Erdmann is a well-known and respected algebraist at the international level, with extensive experience in writing and teaching.

Customer Reviews

Algebra should be fun
I am an amateur cosmologist and wanted to try my hand with Lie Algebras. Alas, this was not really the book for me. I was disappointed to find no glossary (ended up writing my own), hence the book was difficult to read. The authors have a habit of using "critical exercises" (sometimes without proof in the appendix) as the essence of the next steps. The good news is that I now do have an understanding of Lie Algebras, but not without reference to the Wiki Maths to complement the book.