Conformal Group

In mathematics, the conformal group is the group of transformations from a space to itself that preserve all angles within the space. More formally, it is the group of transformations that preserve the conformal geometry of the space. Several specific conformal groups are particularly important:

  • The conformal orthogonal group. If V is a vector space with a quadratic form Q, then the conformal orthogonal group CO(V,Q) is the group of linear transformations T of V such that for all x in V there exists a scalar λ such that
The conformal orthogonal group is equal to the orthogonal group times the group of dilations.
  • The conformal group of the sphere. The group of conformal transformations of the n-sphere is generated by the inversions in circles. This group is also known as the Möbius group.

All conformal groups are Lie Groups.

Famous quotes containing the word group:

    The poet who speaks out of the deepest instincts of man will be heard. The poet who creates a myth beyond the power of man to realize is gagged at the peril of the group that binds him. He is the true revolutionary: he builds a new world.
    Babette Deutsch (1895–1982)