Uniqueness of the invariant subspaces of a reducible representation

group-theoryrepresentation-theory

Let $G$ be a finite group. Let $(\rho, V)$ be a representation of $G$. Now suppose this representation is reducible, and specifically, it is the sum of two inequivalent irreducible representations, $\rho = \rho_1 + \rho_2$. Correspodingly, $V = V_1 \oplus V_2 $.

The question is, is $V_1$ unique? Or, is the decomposition $V = V_1 \oplus V_2 $ unique?

Best Answer

Yes. Indeed, $V_1$ and $V_2$ are the only proper nontrivial subrepresentations. Any subreps would be sums of subirreps. If $W$ is any irrep, any homomorphism $W\to V_1\oplus V_2$ can be written as $\phi_1\oplus\phi_2$ for morphisms $\phi_1:W\to V_1$ and $\phi_2:W\to V_2$. By Schur's lemma, these two morphisms can only be trivial or isomorphisms, but they can't both be isomorphisms, so the only subirreps are $V_1$ and $V_2$, and any subrep must be these or a sum of these.

More generally, if $V$ is a direct sum of inequivalent irreps, then this decomposition is unique, and the only subreps are direct sums of these given subirreps.

This uniqueness fails when you start having more than one equivalent irrep as subreps. For instance, consider multiple copies of a trivial representation, $\mathbb{C}^n$. There are infinitely many trivial subreps of any intermediate dimension, and infinitely many decompositions into (1D) irreps.

However, there are unique "isotypic components" which contain all subreps isomorphic to a given irrep, they are the images of applying "isotypical projectors" from the group algebra (these elements kill any element of an irrep that is inequivalent to the given one, and fix any element in an irrep equivalent to the given one).