\(\text{Spin}(7)\)-subgroups of \(\text{SO}(8)\) and \(\text{Spin}(8)\) (Q5939213)

The basic properties and the main representations of the group Spin(8) defined as the universal covering group of the orthogonal group SO(8) are studied in the framework of a purely group theoretical approach (1984, Varadarajan; 1999, Deligne). The imbeddings of Spin(7) in SO(8) and Spin(8) are discussed. In particular, the conjugacy classes and the intersection properties of Spin(7)-subgroups in SO(8) and Spin(8) are considered in detail. The investigations made in the paper are prompted by the previously given exposition ``On Spin(8) and triality: a topological approach'' (De Sapio, in press), where the principle of triality and related topics are treated in the context of the Cayley octonion algebra.