2002/05/14 by Ulrika Magnea, Magnea, Ulrika
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Condensed Matter (cond-mat) #FOS: Physical sciences #High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th) #Mathematical Physics (math-ph) #cond-mat #hep-th #math-ph #math.MP
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.cond-mat/0205288
65 pages, no figures
arxiv created 2002/05/14 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30
Recently, the theory of symmetric spaces has come to play an increased role in the physics of integrable systems and in quantum transport problems. In addition, it provides a classification of random matrix theories. In this paper we give a self--contained introduction to symmetric spaces and their main characteristics. We take an algebraic approach; therefore it is not necessary to know almost anything about differential geometry to be able to follow the outline.