ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Representations of classical Lie groups

Lie groups can be very complicated groups of mathematical structures that describe how things rotate, move or change in space. Essentially, a Lie group is a special type of group that can be continuously transformed. This means that if you take an object and move it just a tiny bit, it is still considered to be part of the same Lie group.

Now, let's talk about classical Lie groups. These are a specific set of Lie groups that have been studied extensively for many years. They include groups like the general linear group (which deals with linear transformations) and the orthogonal group (which deals with rotations).

When mathematicians study Lie groups, they often want to find ways to represent these groups in a simpler form. This is where representations come in. A representation of a Lie group is essentially a way of expressing the group in terms of matrices or other simpler mathematical objects.

For example, let's say we want to represent the orthogonal group in a simpler form. We might start by looking at the group's action on vectors in three-dimensional space. We can then represent this action using matrices that correspond to rotations around various axes.

This can be a very powerful tool in mathematics, because it allows us to study the properties of the Lie group in a simpler way. For example, we might use representations to prove important theorems about Lie groups or to study how Lie groups relate to other areas of mathematics.

Overall, representations of classical Lie groups are a powerful tool in the study of abstract mathematical structures. They allow mathematicians to simplify these groups and explore their properties in a more manageable way.