Lie Groups

This (post) graduate text gives a broad introduction to Lie groups and algebras with an emphasis on differential geometrical methods. It analyzes the structure of compact Lie groups in terms of the action of the group on itself by conjugation, culminating in the classification of the representations of compact Lie groups and their realization as sections of holomorphic line bundles over flag manifolds. Appendices provide background reviews.

Hans Duistermaat was a geometric analyst, who unexpectedly passed away in March 2010. His research encompassed many different areas in mathematics: ordinary differential equations, classical mechanics, discrete integrable systems, Fourier integral operators and their application to partial differential equations and spectral problems, singularities of mappings, harmonic analysis on semisimple Lie groups, symplectic differential geometry, and algebraic geometry. He was (co-)author of eleven books.

Duistermaat was affiliated to the Mathematical Institute of Utrecht University since 1974 as a Professor of Pure and Applied Mathematics. During the last five years he was honored with a special professorship at Utrecht University endowed by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was also a member of the Academy since 1982. He had 23 PhD students.

Johan Kolk published about harmonic analysis on semisimple Lie groups, the theory of distributions, and classical analysis. Jointly with Duistermaat he has written four books: besides the present one, on Lie groups, and on multidimensional real analysis. Until his retirement in 2009, he was affiliated to the Mathematical Institute of Utrecht University. For more information, see http://www.staff.science.uu.nl/~kolk0101/