On the component group of a real reductive group

Abstract

For a connected linear algebraic group $G$ defined over $\mathbb{R}$, we compute the component group $\pi_0G(\mathbb{R})$ of the real Lie group $G(\mathbb{R})$ in terms of a maximal split torus $T_{\text{s}}\subseteq G$. In particular, we recover a theorem of Matsumoto (1964) that each connected component of $G(\mathbb{R})$ intersects $T_{\text{s}}(\mathbb{R})$. We provide explicit elements of $T_{\text{s}}(\mathbb{R})$ which represent all connected components of $G(\mathbb{R})$. The computation is based on structure results for real loci of algebraic groups and on methods of Galois cohomology.