{
  "aliases": null,
  "backlinks": [
    {
      "field": "defines",
      "target": "X0X1Q5JZFK"
    }
  ],
  "body": "\n## Summary\n\nThe Maurer–Cartan form of a [[Lie group|7JBRGCVJRB]] $G$ is a [[differential form|0E3G0GRPZ6]] of degree one on $G$ with values in its Lie algebra $\\mathfrak{g}$.\nIt translates each tangent vector of $G$ back to the identity by a left translation.\nIt is left-invariant and satisfies the Maurer–Cartan equation $d\\omega + \\tfrac12 [\\omega \\wedge \\omega] = 0$, which encodes the Lie bracket.\nIt is the model for connection forms and for Cartan's method of moving frames.\n\n## Explanations\n\n### L1 human\n\nAt each point $g$ of a Lie group there is a tangent space, and left translation by $g^{-1}$ moves it to the tangent space at the identity.\nThe Maurer–Cartan form does exactly this: it reads every velocity of the group as a vector in one fixed space, the Lie algebra.\nFor a group of matrices, a velocity $V$ at $g$ is read as $g^{-1} V$, so the form is written $g^{-1}\\,dg$.\nFor the circle group $e^{i\\theta}$, it is $e^{-i\\theta}\\, d(e^{i\\theta}) = i\\, d\\theta$.\n",
  "commit": "ff8a40749dc16545e3d2fc637f6b0196e81d0bfa",
  "front": {
    "kind": "concept",
    "msc": [
      "22E60",
      "53C05"
    ],
    "name": "Maurer–Cartan form",
    "same_as": {
      "wikidata": "Q552787",
      "wikipedia": "Maurer–Cartan form"
    },
    "sources": [
      {
        "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurer%E2%80%93Cartan_form"
      }
    ],
    "specializes": [
      "0E3G0GRPZ6"
    ],
    "tag": "P1JVA39H5E"
  },
  "kind": "concept",
  "link": "https://tamnd.github.io/math2/node/P1JVA39H5E/",
  "links": [
    {
      "field": "specializes",
      "target": "0E3G0GRPZ6"
    }
  ],
  "markdown": "https://tamnd.github.io/math2/node/P1JVA39H5E.md",
  "msc": [
    "22E60",
    "53C05"
  ],
  "name": "Maurer–Cartan form",
  "prov": null,
  "role": "",
  "source": "https://github.com/tamnd/math2/blob/main/nodes/P1J/P1JVA39H5E.md",
  "status": null,
  "tag": "P1JVA39H5E",
  "uri": "m2://P1JVA39H5E",
  "url": "https://tamnd.github.io/math2/wiki/maurer-cartan-form/",
  "writing": {
    "tag": "P1JVA39H5E",
    "kind": "concept",
    "level": "W0",
    "next": [
      {
        "what": "a source with a locator",
        "have": 0,
        "want": 1
      }
    ]
  }
}
