Representation Theory Of SU(2)
In the study of the representation theory of Lie groups, the study of representations of SU(2) is fundamental to the study of representations of semisimple Lie groups. It is the first case of a Lie group that is both a compact group and a non-abelian group. The first condition implies the representation theory is discrete: representations are direct sums of a collection of basic irreducible representations (governed by the Peter–Weyl theorem). The second means that irreducible representations will occur in dimensions greater than 1.
SU(2) is the universal covering group of SO(3), and so its representation theory includes that of the latter.
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