Graded Symmetry Groups: Plane and Simple

TL;DR

This paper introduces a graded structure in Lie groups derived from reflections using geometric algebra, leading to new decomposition theorems, formulas, and representations for symmetries in geometry and physics.

Contribution

It reveals a graded structure in Lie groups from reflections, proves an invariant decomposition theorem, and develops new formulas and representations in geometric algebra.

Findings

Decomposition of reflections into commuting factors

Closed form formulas for exponential and logarithm in Spin groups

New matrix/vector representations for geometric algebras

Abstract

The symmetries described by Pin groups are the result of combining a finite number of discrete reflections in (hyper)planes. The current work shows how an analysis using geometric algebra provides a picture complementary to that of the classic matrix Lie algebra approach, while retaining information about the number of reflections in a given transformation. This imposes a graded structure on Lie groups, which is not evident in their matrix representation. By embracing this graded structure, the invariant decomposition theorem was proven: any composition of $k$ linearly independent reflections can be decomposed into $\lceil k/2 \rceil$ commuting factors, each of which is the product of at most two reflections. This generalizes a conjecture by M. Riesz, and has e.g. the Mozzi-Chasles' theorem as its 3D Euclidean special case. To demonstrate its utility, we briefly discuss various examples such as Lorentz transformations, Wigner rotations, and screw transformations. The invariant decomposition also directly leads to closed form formulas for the exponential and logarithmic function for all Spin groups, and identifies element of geometry such as planes, lines, points, as the invariants of $k$-reflections. We conclude by presenting novel matrix/vector representations for geometric algebras $\mathbb{R}_{pqr}$, and use this in E(3) to illustrate the relationship with the classic covariant, contravariant and adjoint representations for the transformation of points, planes and lines.