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I've been trying to prove this, but I got stuck. First, I defined the next fuction

$$\varphi : SO(4)\times \mathbb{R}P^3\to\mathbb{R}P^3$$ $$\quad \quad \quad \quad(A,\overline{x})\mapsto \overline{Ax}$$

I already proved that $\varphi$ is a transitive action. Since, $SO(4)$ is a connected Lie group, then

$$SO(4)/I_x\cong \mathbb{R}P^3$$

where $I_x$ is the stabilizer soubgroup and $x=(1,0,0,0)^T$. I guess $SO(4)/I_x \cong SO(3)$, but I couldn't prove it. I'd like to know if it is true.

I've seen another questions in which they give another ways to prove this, but I'd like to complete mine. Thanks.

Gyadso
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1 Answers1

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Indeed your idea to apply the orbit-stabilizer makes sense. But you seem to be thinking about the orbit and the stabilizer backwards. We say $SO(4)/I\simeq \mathbb{RP}^3$ as $SO(4)$-spaces, where $I$ is the stabilizer subgroup of $SO(4)$. That is, we quotient by the stabilizer to get the space, we don't quotient to get a subgroup. (That said, $\mathbb{RP}^3$ is diffeomorphic to $SO(3)$, but we can't use the orbit-stabilizer with these groups to conclude that very easily.)

But, your claim about the stabilizer is incorrect. Say $x=(0,0,0,1)^T$. If you write out the condition $Ax=x$ explicitly, you will see $A$ must be block diagonal with a $3\times3$ block in the upper left and a $1\times 1$ block in the lower right. But $A$ is an orthogonal matrix, which forces the $3\times 3$ and $1\times 1$ blocks to be orthogonal matrices as well. However, $\det A=+1$, so either both blocks have determinant $-1$ (to cancel out) or both blocks have determinant $+1$.

In other words, the stabilizer is $S(O(3)\times O(1))$ (this is the notation for it). It contains $SO(3)\times SO(1)$ as an index $2$ subgroup, with complement $[O(3)\setminus SO(3)]\times\{-1\}$ as its other coset. This group isn't the same set as $O(3)\times SO(1)$ (another block-diagonal subgroup of $O(4)$) however it is isomorphic to $O(3)$, with the isomorphism $O(3)\to S(O(3)\times O(1))$ given by $X\mapsto (X,\det X)$ (that is, we can turn a $3\times 3$ orthogonal matrix $X$ into a $4\times 4$ special orthogonal matrix that stabilizes $x$ by putting $X$ in the upper left corner and $\det X$ in the lower right corner).

The easiest way to see $SO(3)\simeq\mathbb{RP}^3$ in my opinion is with quaternions. The unit quaternions are $S^3$, the three-sphere, and there is a map $S^3\to SO(3)$ which is onto with kernel $S^0=\{\pm1\}$ (are you familiar with this map?). Then that means $S^3/S^0=SO(3)$, but $S^3/S^0$ is just $\mathbb{RP}^3$!

anon
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  • Thank you so much. Regarding to the map $S^3\to SO(3)$ which you told me, I'm not familiarized with that map. Could you show it to me? please. – Gyadso Jan 28 '21 at 00:13
  • Given a unit quaternion $p$, define $\phi_p({\bf x})=p{\bf x}p^{-1}$. (For me, a quaternion is a formal combination of a scalar and a 3D vector.) Note $\phi_p$ restricts to a rotation of 3D vectors $\bf x$, so the map $S^3\to SO(3)$ is $p\mapsto\phi_p$ with kernel $\pm1$. – anon Jan 28 '21 at 03:38