Lie's third theorem


In mathematics, Lie's third theorem states that every finite-dimensional Lie algebra over the real numbers is associated to a Lie group G. The theorem is part of the Lie group–Lie algebra correspondence.
Historically, the third theorem referred to a different but related result. The two preceding theorems of Sophus Lie, restated in modern language, relate to the infinitesimal transformations of a group action on a smooth manifold. The third theorem on the list stated the Jacobi identity for the infinitesimal transformations of a local Lie group. Conversely, in the presence of a Lie algebra of vector fields, integration gives a local Lie group action. The result now known as the third theorem provides an intrinsic and global converse to the original theorem.

Cartan's theorem

The equivalence between the category of simply connected real Lie groups and finite-dimensional real Lie algebras is called usually Cartan's or Cartan-Lie theorem as it is proved by Élie Cartan whereas S. Lie has proved earlier just the infinitesimal version.
Lie listed his results as three direct and three converse theorems. The infinitesimal variant of Cartan's theorem was essentially Lie's third converse theorem. In an influential book Jean-Pierre Serre called it the third theorem of Lie. The name is historically somewhat misleading, but often used in connection to generalizations.
Serre provided two proofs in his book: one based on Ado's theorem and another recounting the proof by Élie Cartan.