Journal of Lie Theory, 7(2), 171-199 (1997)

On the exponentiality of real Lie groups

D. Dokovic and K. H. Hofmann

Department of Pure Mathematics
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1
Canada
dragomir@herod.uwaterloo.ca

Fachbereich Mathematik
Technische Hochschule Darmstadt
Schlossgartenstr. 7
D-64289 Darmstadt
Germany
hofmann@mathematik.th-darmstadt.de


Abstract: The present knowledge of the structure of the exponential function of a real Lie group is surveyed. The emphasis is on the image of the exponential function: Which powers of a group element are contained in it, when is it dense, when does it fill the group? Some so far unobserved errors in the literature are pointed out, results are described, and some conjectures are formulated.

Keywords: Lie groups, Lie algebras, exponential map, exceptional Lie groups, Lie semigroup

Classification (MSC91): 22E10, 22E15, 22--02, 22E60

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