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Hurwitz's theorem (composition algebras)

In mathematics, Hurwitz's theorem is a theorem of Adolf Hurwitz (1859–1919), published posthumously in 1923, solving the Hurwitz problem for finite-dimensional unital real non-associative algebras endowed with a positive-definite quadratic form. The theorem states that if the quadratic form defines a homomorphism into the positive real numbers on the non-zero part of the algebra, then the algebra must be isomorphic to the real numbers, the complex numbers, the quaternions, or the octonions. Such algebras, sometimes called Hurwitz algebras, are examples of composition algebras. The theory of composition algebras has subsequently been generalized to arbitrary quadratic forms and arbitrary fields. Hurwitz's theorem implies that multiplicative formulas for sums of squares can only occur in 1, 2, 4 and 8 dimensions, a result originally proved by Hurwitz in 1898. It is a special case of the Hurwitz problem, solved also in . Subsequent proofs of the restrictions on the dimension have been given by using the representation theory of finite groups and by and using Clifford algebras. Hurwitz's theorem has been applied in algebraic topology to problems on vector fields on spheres and the homotopy groups of the classical groups and in quantum mechanics to the classification of simple Jordan algebras. (Wikipedia).

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Maxim Kazarian - 3/3 Mathematical Physics of Hurwitz numbers

Hurwitz numbers enumerate ramified coverings of a sphere. Equivalently, they can be expressed in terms of combinatorics of the symmetric group; they enumerate factorizations of permutations as products of transpositions. It turns out that these numbers obey a huge num

From playlist ­­­­Physique mathématique des nombres de Hurwitz pour débutants

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Hurwitz numbers enumerate ramified coverings of a sphere. Equivalently, they can be expressed in terms of combinatorics of the symmetric group; they enumerate factorizations of permutations as products of transpositions. It turns out that these numbers obey a huge num

From playlist ­­­­Physique mathématique des nombres de Hurwitz pour débutants

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From playlist ­­­­Physique mathématique des nombres de Hurwitz pour débutants

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From playlist Algebraic geometry I: Varieties

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From playlist Course 8: Complex Analysis

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From playlist 4th Itzykson Colloquium - Moduli Spaces and Quantum Curves

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VaNTAGe seminar, August 31, 2021 License CC-BY-NC-SA

From playlist Belyi maps and Hurwitz spaces

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From playlist Belyi maps and Hurwitz spaces

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From playlist ­­­­Physique mathématique des nombres de Hurwitz pour débutants

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From playlist Mathematics

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VaNTAGe Seminar, August 17, 2021 License CC-BY-NC-SA

From playlist Belyi maps and Hurwitz spaces

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From playlist Algebraic geometry I: Varieties

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VaNTAGe seminar on March 3, 2020 License: CC-BY-NC-SA Closed captions provided by Andrew Sutherland.

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Clifford algebra | Symmetric cone | Unital algebra | Unit vector | Classical group | Homotopy group | Vector fields on spheres | Positive real numbers | Isomorphism | Algebraic topology | Quaternion | Symmetric group | Frobenius theorem (real division algebras) | Hurwitz problem | Complexification | Homomorphism | Representation theory of finite groups | Mathematics | Field (mathematics) | Octonion | Reinhold Remmert | Real number | Albert algebra | Even number | Quadratic form | Projective representation | Complex number | Orthogonal group | Cayley–Dickson construction | Associator | Exceptional object | Inner product space | Non-associative algebra | Irreducible representation | Alternative algebra | Composition algebra