EXERCISE 1.

2
This is to show that smoothness of the inverse map on Lie groups is a consequence
of smoothness of the multiplication map : M M M . The plan is this: First
we show that the subset S = {(g, g 1 )} of M M is a submanifold. This uses the
implicit function theorem aka, the regular level set theorem. Next we show that the
projection map 1 |S : S M is locally diffeomorphic. This will mean that the map
g 7 (g, g 1 ) is smooth, and so the inverse map g g 1 is smooth.
We use without proof the following:
Theorem 1. (about regular level sets) Let F : M m N n be a smooth map of
manifolds, and y N a regular value with F 1 (y) nonempty. Then F 1 (y) is an
embedded submanifold of dimension m n. Additionally, if f (x) = y, then under the
natural linear injection
Tx S Tx M, Xx (f Xx (f |S )),
we have
Tx S
= ker F : Tx M Ty N
We will also recall:
Proposition 1. For any two manifolds M and N with (a, b) M N ,
(1 , 2 ) : T(a,b) M N Ta M Tb N
is an isomorphism, and under this identification,
(1 ) (Xa , Yb ) = Xa .
Proof. Omitted, but it is enough to show that the map
(Xa , Yb ) Z(a,b)
where Z(a,b) is defined by
Z(a,b) f := Xa f (, b) + Yb f (a, ),
is an inverse.

Back to M being a Lie group: letting `g and rg denote left and right multiplication
by g (both smooth diffeomorphisms), respectively, we now find the differential of the
multiplication map:
1

EXERCISE 1.2

Proposition 2.
Ta M Tb M Tab M
is given by
(Xa , Yb ) (`a ) Yb + (rb ) Xa .
Additionally, is surjective.
Proof. Let h be a smooth function defined in a neighborhood of ab. Let Z(a,b) be
the element of T(a,b) M M corresponding to (Xa , Yb ), as in Proposition 1. Then we
have:
Z(a,b) h := Z(a,b) (h )
:= Xa h (, b) + Yb h (a, )
= Xa (h rb ) + Yb (h la )
= (rb ) Xa h + (la ) Yb h
Surjectivity: If Zab Tab M , define Xa Ta M as follows: for all smooth function
f defined around a, set
Xa f = Zab (f rb1 )

We record what we have done so far as:
Observation 1. Surjectivity of in particular gives that e is a regular value. So
we may apply Theorem 1 to say that
S = 1 (e) = {(g, g 1 ) M M }
is an embedded submanifold of dimension 2n n = n, and that for a, b M with
b = a1 ,
T(a,b) S = ker : Ta M Tb N Te M
= {(Xa , Yb ) Ta M Tb N : (`a ) Yb + (rb ) Xa = 0}

On our way to applying the inverse function theorem, we will prove:

Proposition 3. The differential (1 |S ) : T(a,b) S Ta M is an isomorphism.
Proof. Recall that S and M have the same dimension. So it is enough to show
surjectivity. Let Xa Ta M . Set
Yb (`a )1
((rb ) Xa )

EXERCISE 1.2

which is an element of Tb M . This is possible because the differential of the diffeomorphism `a is an isomorphism, hence invertible. It satisfies
(`a ) Yb + (rb ) Xa = 0
by construction, and so (Xa , Yb ) is an element of T(a,b) S by Observation 1. Then
(1 |S ) (Xa , Yb ) = Xa , which shows surjectivity, and thus isomorphism.

We lastly apply the inverse function theorem to say that there is a neighborhood
N , with
(a, b) N S,
on which 1 |S is a diffeomorphism. Then on some neighborhood of a, the inverse
map is given by a composition of smooth maps, and so is itself smooth.