An Introduction to Symmetric Spaces

An Introduction to Symmetric Spaces
by Ulrika Magnea

Publisher: arXiv 2002
Number of pages: 66

Description:
Recently, the theory of symmetric spaces has come to play an increased role in the physics of integrable systems and in quantum transport problems. In addition, it provides a classification of random matrix theories. In this paper we give a self--contained introduction to symmetric spaces and their main characteristics. We take an algebraic approach; therefore it is not necessary to know almost anything about differential geometry to be able to follow the outline.