Pontryagin Duality: (And Fourier Inversion and The Plancherel Theorem, Oh My!)

Pontryagin Duality
(and Fourier inversion and the Plancherel theorem, oh my!)
Siyan Daniel Li-Huerta
October 8, 2020
Let G be an abelian locally compact topological group. Let m be a Haar
measure on G . For any measurable f : G → C and 1 ≤ p < ∞, define the
Lp -norm
Z 1/p
p
kf kp = dx |f (x)| ∈ R≥0 ∪ {∞}.
G
This gives Cc (G ) the structure of a pre-Banach space over C.

Write Lp (G ) for the completion of Cc (G ) with respect to k·kp . Then
Lp (G ) is a Banach space over C, and recall we can identify it with
{f : G → C | f is measurable, and kf kp < ∞}/ ∼,
where f ∼ g if and only if f = g outside a subset of measure zero, i.e.
almost everywhere.
Definition
Let f : G → C Rbe in L1 (G ). Its Fourier transform is the function fb : Gb → C
given by χ 7→ G dx f (x)χ−1 (x).
2 / 10
Note that the triangle inequality yields
Z Z
|fb(χ)| = dx f (x)χ−1 (x) ≤ dx |f (x)| = kf k1 .
G G
Example
Let G = Z/nZ with the discrete topology, and let m be the counting
measure. Then every function f : G → C lies in L1 (G ), and
fb(ζ) = nk=1 f (k)ζ −k for any n-th root of unity ζ.
P
Let G = Z with the discrete topology, and let m be the P counting

measure. Then f : G → C lies in L1 (G ) if and only if ∞ k=−∞ |f (k)|
P∞ −k
is finite, and in that case f (z) = k=−∞ f (k)z
b for any z in S 1 .
Let G = S 1 , and let m be the pushforward of the Lebesgue measure
via ϕ : [0, 1] → S 1 . Let f : G → C be in L1 (G ). Then
Z Z 1
−k
fb(k) = dz f (z)z = dx f (ϕ(x))e −2πkix ,
S1 0
i.e. fb(k) is the k-th Fourier coefficient of the periodic function f ◦ ϕ.

3 / 10
Theorem (Plancherel)
There exists a Haar measure m b on Gb such that, for all f in L1 (G ) ∩ L2 (G ),
its Fourier transform f lies in L2 (Gb) and satisfies kf k2 = kfbk2 .
b
Furthermore, the set of all such fb is dense in L2 (Gb).
We call mb the dual measure on Gb. Note this implies that f 7→ fb extends
∼
to an isometry L2 (G ) → L2 (Gb), which we also denote using b·.
Next, let x be in G . Consider the group homomorphism evx : Gb → S 1
given by χ 7→ χ(x).
Proposition
The homomorphism evx is continuous.
Proof.
We have to show √ev−1
x (N(1)) = {χ ∈ G | χ(x) ⊆ N(1)} is open. But this
b
equals W ({x}, 1, 3), so it’s open.
Hence we get a map ev : G → Gb, which we see is a group homomorphism.

b
4 / 10
Theorem (Pontryagin duality)
The map ev is an isomorphism of topological groups.
Example
Let G = Z/nZ with the discrete topology. Recall we identified
∼
Gb →{ζ ∈ C | ζ n = 1} via χ 7→ χ(1). By choosing a primitive n-th
∼ b
root of unity, we see that Z/nZ → Gb under this identification via
k 7→ (ζ 7→ ζ k ). As χ(1)k = χ(k), this shows ev is an isomorphism of
groups. Since Gb is discrete, it’s a homeomorphism.
b
∼
Let G = Z with the discrete topology. Similarly, we have Gb → S 1 via
∼ b
χ 7→ χ(1). Recalling also that Z → Gb via k 7→ (z 7→ z k ), the
observation χ(1)k = χ(k) shows that ev is an isomorphism of
topological groups here too.
We use ev to identify Gb with G . Thus m yields a Haar measure on Gb.

b b
5 / 10
Theorem (Fourier inversion)
Let f be in L2 (G ). Then f (x) = fb(x −1 ) almost everywhere on G .

b
Example
Let G = S 1 with the usual measure m, and let f be in L2 (G ). Since m
b is a
Haar measure on G = Z, it equals c times the counting measure for some
b
c > 0. Taking f = 1 in the Fourier inversion formula yields
X∞
1=c fb(k)(z −1 )−k = c,
k=−∞
since fb equals the indicator function on 0. Thus mb equals the counting

measure. For general f in L2 (G ), Fourier inversion then becomes
X∞ X∞
−1 −k
f (ϕ(x)) = f (z) = f (k)(z ) =
b fb(k)e 2πkix ,
k=−∞ k=−∞
where we set z = ϕ(x). This is precisely the Fourier expansion of f ◦ ϕ.

6 / 10
Next, let’s discuss Pontryagin duality relates to closed subgroups.
Proposition
Let H be a closed subgroup of G .
1 H is an abelian locally compact topological group.
2 G /H is an abelian locally compact topological group.
Proof.
1 Now H is immediately an abelian Hausdorff topological group. For
any open subset U of G with compact closure, W = U ∩ H is open in

H, and clH W = clG U ∩ H is a closed subset of clG U, thus compact.
2 Since H is closed, we see G /H is an abelian Hausdorff topological
group. Let U be a neighborhood of 1 in G with compact closure.
Because the quotient map π : G → G /H is open, we see π(U) is a
neighborhood of 1 in G /H. Now π(U) is compact and hence closed,
as G /H is Hausdorff. Thus π(U) ⊆ π(U) is also compact.
[
Note that we can identify G /H with {χ ∈ Gb | χ(H) = 1} as groups.
7 / 10
Proposition
[
This identifies G /H as a closed subgroup of Gb, and we have a short exact
sequence of topological groups 1 → G[ /H → Gb → Hb → 1, where Gb → Hb is
given by restriction.
Example
Let G = F be a local field, and let ψ : G → S 1 be a nontrivial continuous
homomorphism. For any a in G , the homomorphism ψa : G → S 1 given by
x 7→ ψ(ax) is continuous, since multiplication by a is continuous. I claim
this yields an isomorphism ψ· : G → Gb of topological groups.
It is injective because if ψ(ax) = 1 for all x in G , the nontriviality of ψ
implies that a = 0. Next, consider the closed subgroup H = ψ· (G ) of Gb.
[
We can identify Gb/H with the group {χ ∈ Gb | χ(H) = 1}. This group is
b
trivial, since H ⊇ ψ· (G ), and if ψ(ax) = 1 for all a in G , then x = 0 as
b ∼ b
before. Thus the proposition shows Gb → H, and Pontryagin duality gives
H = Gb.
8 / 10
Example (continued)
If we could show ψ· is a homeomorphism onto its image, we’d be done,
because ψ· (G ) would be locally compact and hence closed. For √ continuity,
let a be in G , and consider the neighborhood W (Bc (0, r ), 1, 3)ψa of ψa .
As ψ is continuous, we see ψ(VBc (0, r )) lies in N(1) for √a small enough
neighborhood V of 1. Thus ψ· (V ) lies√ in W (Bc (0, r ), 1, 3), implying
that ψ· sends V + a to W (Bc (0, r ), 1, 3)ψa .
For openness, let x0 6= 0 in G satisfy ψ(x0 ) 6= 1, and consider the
neighborhood Bo (a, ) of a. Any ψb in W (Bc (0, |x0 |/), 1, |ψ(x0 ) − 1|)
must not have x0 in bBc (0, |x0 |/). Therefore |x0 | > |b|(|x0 |/) and hence
> |b|, implying that ψ·−1 sends W (Bc (0, |x0 |/), 1, |ψ(x0 ) − 1|) to
Bo (a, ).
Our flexibility in choosing ψ for this isomorphism is convenient for making

calculations.
9 / 10
Example
Let G = R, and let m be the Lebesgue measure on G . Choose ψ = ϕ, and
let f be in L1 (G ). Under the above identification, the Fourier transform of
f is given by
Z Z ∞
−1
f (a) =
b dx f (x)ψa (x) = dx f (x)e −2πaix ,
R −∞
b is a Haar measure on Gb ∼
i.e. it’s the usual Fourier transform. Since m = G,
2
it equals c times m for some c > 0. Taking f (x) = e −πx in the above
2
yields fb(a) = e −πa . Thus c = 1, i.e. the Lebesgue measure on R is
self-dual with respect to this choice of ψ.
Suppose now that f lies in L1 (G ) ∩ L2 (G ). Fourier inversion then becomes
Z Z ∞
−1
f (x) = da f (a)ψa (−x) =
b da fb(a)e 2πaix ,
R −∞
i.e. it’s the classic Fourier inversion formula.

10 / 10

Pontryagin Duality: (And Fourier Inversion and The Plancherel Theorem, Oh My!)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Pontryagin Duality: (And Fourier Inversion and The Plancherel Theorem, Oh My!)

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Pontryagin Duality: (And Fourier Inversion and The Plancherel Theorem, Oh My!)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Pontryagin Duality

(and Fourier inversion and the Plancherel theorem, oh my!)

Siyan Daniel Li-Huerta

This gives Cc (G ) the structure of a pre-Banach space over C.

Let G = Z with the discrete topology, and let m be the P counting

i.e. fb(k) is the k-th Fourier coefficient of the periodic function f ◦ ϕ.

Hence we get a map ev : G → Gb, which we see is a group homomorphism.

We use ev to identify Gb with G . Thus m yields a Haar measure on Gb.

Let f be in L2 (G ). Then f (x) = fb(x −1 ) almost everywhere on G .

since fb equals the indicator function on 0. Thus mb equals the counting

where we set z = ϕ(x). This is precisely the Fourier expansion of f ◦ ϕ.

any open subset U of G with compact closure, W = U ∩ H is open in

Our flexibility in choosing ψ for this isomorphism is convenient for making

i.e. it’s the classic Fourier inversion formula.

You might also like