Saturday, 5 February 2011

cv.complex variables - Infinite-dimensional complex polynomial or rational Lie algebras and their pseudogroups

In studying the transformation groups generated by holomorphic vector fields V(z) d/dz on ℂ, I've noticed the (surely well-known) fact that the complex quadratic vector fields:



            {(a z2 + b z + c) d/dz  |  (a,b,c) ∊ ℂ3}



form precisely the Lie algebra whose nonzero elements generate the linear fractional transformations, i.e., PSL(2,ℂ).



  • Is there some underlying reason for this? (Beyond direct calculation, which provides an easy proof.)

Other than the further Lie algebras {0}, {a d/dz}, and {(a z + b) d/dz} over ℂ of trivial, constant, and linear (affine) vector fields, there seem to be no other polynomial finite-dimensional Lie algebras of vector fields on ℂ.



  • Is there some easy-to-explain reason for this?

The next "simplest" such polynomial Lie algebras of vector fields on C seem to be those defined by all polynomial and all rational functions:



(*)        VP := {P(z) d/dz  |  P(z) ∊ C[z]}   and   VR := {R(z) d/dz  |  R(z) ∊ C(z)}.



  • Contrariwise, do there exist finite-dimensional Lie algebras of vector fields on ℂ defined by rational functions -- other than the polynomial ones mentioned above?


  • In case VP and/or VR generate well-studied (infinite-dimensional) Lie "groups" of transformations from open sets of ℂ into open sets, then what are these groups? Properly, these are pseudogroups, but perhaps they behave like Lie groups.


[Note: It's not hard to compute formulas for such transformations -- the flows -- directly from an expression for the vector field in terms of its zeroes (and poles, if any).]



  • In any case, are there standard names for the Lie algebras VP and VR ?


  • References to the above matters would also be appreciated.


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