Seminars & Colloquia Calendar

Abstract: This is the first in a series of three introductory talks on Lie algebras, with a focus on semisimple Lie algebras. A Lie algebra is a vector space with a particular (somewhat strange-looking) non-associative binary operation. These "algebras" may look odd at first, but it turns out that semisimple Lie algebras have quite a lot of structure and are subject to some surprisingly powerful theorems. Many of the really cool theorems about semisimple Lie algebras will be relegated to the next few GARTS talks - but in this talk we'll introduce the basic terminology and tools, and at least one big theorem.

Note: This talk is intended to be accessible to all graduate students, including first-year students. We'll only assume knowledge of some linear algebra and abstract algebra. In particular, to understand this talk, it's not necessary to have attended the previous GARTS talk.