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The compact Weyl group is finite

Statement

Assume the Axiom of Choice. The centralizer of every torus S in a compact connected Lie group G is connected; in particular CG(T)=T for a maximal torus T. Consequently the Weyl group W(G,T)=NG(T)/T is finite and acts faithfully on T and on its Lie algebra.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: Assume the Axiom of Choice, a compact connected Lie group G with Lie algebra g, a torus S≤G, and a maximal torus T≤G.

[A1]

The Axiom of Choice is The Axiom of Choice; it enters through the Haar-based metric of [L3] and the structure theory of [L1].

[L1]

Every element of a compact connected Lie group lies in a maximal torus, every torus lies in a maximal torus, and a compact connected abelian Lie group is isomorphic to t/Λ≅(S1)r with surjective exponential map (Every element lies in a maximal torus, Existence of maximal tori, Structure of compact connected abelian Lie groups).

[L2]

A closed subgroup of a finite-dimensional real Lie group is an embedded Lie subgroup with a Lie algebra, and its exponential map is a local diffeomorphism at zero; the closure of a subgroup is a subgroup, the closure of a connected set is connected, a closed subset of a compact space is compact, a compact subset of a Hausdorff space is closed, and a Lie group whose Lie algebra is zero is discrete (Cartan closed subgroup theorem, The exponential map is a local diffeomorphism at zero, If A is connected and A⊆B⊆A‾ then B is connected; in particular the closure of a connected set is connected, A closed subset of a compact metric space is compact, In a Hausdorff space a point and a disjoint compact set, and two disjoint compact sets, have disjoint open neighbourhoods; hence every compact subset is closed, and in a compact Hausdorff space the compact subsets are exactly the closed ones).

[L3]

G carries a bi-invariant Riemannian metric whose value at the identity is a positive-definite inner product on g invariant under every Ad⁡g; consequently ⟨[X,U],V⟩=−⟨U,[X,V]⟩ for all X,U,V∈g (Compact Lie groups admit bi-invariant metrics).

[L4]

If H is a closed normal subgroup of a finite-dimensional real Lie group K, then K/H is a Lie group with Lie algebra canonically Lie⁡(K)/Lie⁡(H) (Quotient by a closed normal subgroup is a Lie group). For a closed subgroup H≤K, its Lie algebra is Lie⁡(H)={X∈Lie⁡(K):exp⁡(tX)∈H for every t∈R} by the construction in Cartan closed subgroup theorem.

[L5]

The rationals are countable and the reals uncountable (Q is countably infinite, R is uncountable (Cantor's nested intervals, 1874)).

[L6]

Exponentials commute with Lie-group homomorphisms, and the differential of the adjoint representation is ad⁡ (Exponential map is natural for Lie-group homomorphisms, The differential of Ad is ad).

Proof

technique · direct
1.1L1L2

Let g∈CG(S) and let A be the closure in G of the subgroup generated by S and g, that is, of ⋃n∈ZgnS. Then A is closed by definition, compact because G is compact, abelian and a subgroup by [L2], and hence by [L2] an embedded Lie subgroup: a compact abelian Lie group. Its identity component A0 is a compact connected abelian Lie group, hence by [L1] a torus, and A0 is open in A because identity components of Lie groups are open.

1.2L1

If a∈G lies in a maximal torus M, then by the surjectivity of the exponential map of the torus M in [L1] there is X∈Lie⁡(M)⊆g with a=exp⁡(X); in particular every element of A has this form.

1.3L1L2L4L5L6

A torus U has surjective N-th power maps: write u=exp⁡V by [L1] and take exp⁡(V/N). It also has a dense cyclic generator, as follows. Use [L1] to identify U with Rr/Zr. Choose x1,…,xr so that 1,x1,…,xr are rationally independent: at each of the finitely many stages the rational span of the previous choices is countable (enumerate rational tuples), so [L5] supplies a real outside it. Let H be the closure of the subgroup generated by x+Zr. If H≠U, [L2, L4] make U/H a nontrivial compact connected abelian Lie group, hence a positive-dimensional torus by [L1]. Projection to one circle factor gives a nontrivial smooth homomorphism χ:U→R/Z vanishing on H. By [L6], χ(v+Zr)=ℓ(v)+Z for the real-linear differential ℓ; since each coordinate vector represents zero in U, its coefficients mj=ℓ(ej) are integers. At least one is nonzero, since otherwise naturality and surjectivity of the exponential would make χ trivial. But χ(x)=0 says ∑mjxj∈Z, contradicting the chosen independence. Thus H=U. For r=0 the identity generates U.

2.1L2step 1.1

The set ⋃n∈ZgnA0 is an open subgroup of A containing ⋃n∈ZgnS, whose closure is A; an open subgroup is closed and its cosets partition A, so this union is all of A. Hence A/A0 is generated by the coset gA0, and being a discrete compact group it is finite, of some order N; consequently gN∈A0.

3.1L1step 2.1step 1.3

There exists a∈A whose powers are dense in A: since A0 is a torus, step 1.3 supplies an element a0 with dense powers; let b∈A represent a generator of the cyclic group A/A0 of order N from step 2.1; the N-th power map of the torus A0 is surjective by step 1.3, so there is c∈A0 with cN=b−Na0; then (bc)N=bNcN=a0, so the closure of the powers of bc contains the dense powers of a0 and hence A0, and (bc)k∈bkA0 for every k, so it contains a representative of each coset of A/A0; therefore the closure of the cyclic subgroup generated by a:=bc is all of A.

4.1L2step 1.2step 3.1

Write a=exp⁡(X) by step 1.2 and let S′ be the closure of {exp⁡(tX):t∈R}; this is a compact connected abelian subgroup of G by [L2] and hence a torus, and it contains A: indeed ak=exp⁡(kX) for every integer k, so the cyclic subgroup generated by a lies in {exp⁡(tX)}, and taking closures gives A⊆S′; in particular S′ contains S and g.

5.1L2step 4.1

If x∈CG(S) and S′ is constructed for x as in step 4.1, then S′ is a torus containing S and x; conversely every torus containing S lies in CG(S), since it is abelian. Hence CG(S)=⋃{S′:S′ a torus,S⊆S′}, a union of connected sets all containing the nonempty connected set S, which is therefore connected.

5.2L1L6step 4.1

For a maximal torus T, applying step 4.1 to x∈CG(T) produces a torus S′ containing T and x; maximality of T forces S′=T, so x∈T. Hence CG(T)=T; in particular cg(t)=t for t=Lie⁡(T), because if X centralizes t, then Ad⁡(exp⁡(tX))H=H for H∈t: by [L6] this curve satisfies the linear equation v′=ad⁡Xv with constant solution H. Naturality and the surjectivity of exp⁡T show exp⁡(tX)∈CG(T)=T, so differentiating gives X∈t.

6.1L2L3L4L6step 5.2

The normalizer N:=NG(T) is closed, because it is the intersection, over t∈T, of the closed conditions gtg−1∈T and g−1tg∈T; hence N is a compact Lie subgroup by [L2] and contains T as a closed normal subgroup, so N/T is a compact Lie group by [L4]. Its Lie algebra is n/t, where n=Lie⁡(N); for X∈n and H∈t the curve t↦Ad⁡(exp⁡tX)H lies in t, so differentiating at 0 gives [X,H]∈t, and then for every H′∈t the invariance identity of [L3] gives ⟨[X,H],H′⟩=⟨X,[H,H′]⟩=0 because t is abelian; positive definiteness yields [X,H]=0, so X∈cg(t)=t by step 5.2. Hence n=t and the Lie algebra of N/T is zero; by [L2] the group N/T is discrete, and being compact it is finite. Thus W(G,T)=NG(T)/T is finite.

7.1A1L1L6step 5.2step 6.1∎

The action of W(G,T) on T has kernel {gT:g∈N, gtg−1=t for all t∈T}=CG(T)/T=T/T={T} by step 5.2, so it is faithful; if gT acts trivially on t=Lie⁡(T) then Ad⁡(g) fixes t pointwise, hence gexp⁡(X)g−1=exp⁡(Ad⁡(g)X)=exp⁡(X) for all X∈t and g centralizes T, so gT=T; thus the action on the Lie algebra is faithful as well. The Axiom of Choice entered through the cited metric and structure theory.

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