When is a reductive group \(*\)-invariant? (Q1314913)

Let \(G\) be a reductive Lie group, i.e., a Lie group with reductive Lie algebra \(\mathfrak g\) and \(G_ 0\) the connected component of the identity. Suppose that \(\Phi : G \to Gl(V)\) is a finite dimensional representation of \(G\) on the complex vector space \(V\). The question considered in this paper is whether there exists a scalar product on \(V\) such that the group \(\Phi(G)\) is \(*\)-invariant. Under the assumption that \(G\) has finitely many connected components, it is shown that this holds if and only if it holds for the connected component of the center \(\mathfrak z\) of \(\mathfrak g\) on \(V\). The author also derives a condition on the representation of \(\mathfrak z\) which characterizes the cases where \(\Phi(G)\) is a closed subgroup of \(Gl(V)\). The emphasis of the paper lies on the non-connected groups. Via a reduction to the abelian case, it is shown that whenever the group \(G/G_ 0\) is finite, there exists a finite subgroup \(H \subseteq G\) such that \(G = HG_ 0\). Thus \(G\) has a finite covering which is a semidirect product.