nLab
special unitary Lie algebra

Idea

The Lie algebra $\mathfrak{su}(n)$ of the special unitary group $SU(n)$. Canonically identified with matrices with complex number entries that are skew-hermitean and have vanishing trace.

Examples

• su(2)

Related concepts

• unitary Lie algebra

• special orthogonal Lie algebra

• special linear Lie algebra

References

Textbook accounts:

• Walter Pfeifer, The Lie algebras $\mathfrak{su}(N)$, Birkhäuser Verlag 2003 (doi:10.1007/978-3-0348-8097-8)