Lie subgroup

In mathematics, a Lie subgroup H of a Lie group G is a Lie group that is a subset of G and such that the inclusion map from H to G is an injective immersion and group homomorphism. According to Cartan's theorem, a closed subgroup of G admits a unique smooth structure which makes it an embedded Lie subgroup of G -- i.e. a Lie subgroup such that the inclusion map is a smooth embedding.

Examples of non-closed subgroups are plentiful; for example take G to be a torus of dimension ≥ 2, and let H be a one-parameter subgroup of irrational slope, i.e. one that winds around in G. Then there is a Lie group homomorphism φ : R → G with H as its image. The closure of H will be a sub-torus in G.

In terms of the exponential map of G, in general, only some of the Lie subalgebras of the Lie algebra g of G correspond to closed Lie subgroups H of G. There is no criterion solely based on the structure of g which determines which those are.

References

Helgason, Sigurdur (2001), Differential geometry, Lie groups, and symmetric spaces, Graduate Studies in Mathematics, 34, Providence, R.I.: American Mathematical Society, ISBN 978-0-8218-2848-9, MR1834454

Warner, Frank W. (1983), Foundations of differentiable manifolds and Lie groups, Graduate Texts in Mathematics, 94, New York Berlin Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag, ISBN 978-0-3879-0894-6, MR0722297