Heisenberg group by 90°. The other reflections are "xyx" and "yxy", and rotation by 180° is "xyxy" (="yxyx"). The Lie algebra formula_16 of the Heisenberg group formula_1 (over the real numbers) is the space of formula_18 matrices of the form with formula_20. The following three elements form a basis for formula_16: The basis elements satisfy the commutation relations: The name "Heisenberg group" is motivated by the preceding relations, which have the same form as the canonical commutation relations in quantum mechanics: where formula_25 is the position operator, formula_26 is the momentum operator, and formula_27 is Planck's constant. The Heisenberg group formula_1 has
Heisenberg group connection with the theta functions. If , are integers (in the ring Z) then one has the discrete Heisenberg group H(Z). It is a non-abelian nilpotent group. It has two generators, and relations where is the generator of the center of H. (Note that the inverses of "x", "y", and "z" replace the 1 above the diagonal with −1.) By Bass's theorem, it has a polynomial growth rate of order 4. One can generate any element through If one takes "a, b, c" in Z/"p" Z for an odd prime "p", then one has the Heisenberg group modulo p. It