galaga_matrix

Matrix representations for galaga Clifford algebras.

Status: published to PyPI alongside galaga. Released as part of the monorepo.

For the Galaga 2 beta, opt into prereleases:

python -m pip install --pre "galaga-matrix>=2.0.0b1,<3"

What it does

Every multivector in a Clifford algebra can be represented as a matrix. This package provides to_matrix / from_matrix conversions, spinor-column conversions for supported even subalgebras, quaternion-block output for selected quaternionic signatures, and a MatrixRepr wrapper with LaTeX rendering for use in marimo notebooks and Jupyter.

The canonical spinor-column API is to_spinor_column / from_spinor_column. to_spinor_matrix / from_spinor_matrix are compatibility aliases.

Two modes

Quick start

from galaga import Algebra
from galaga_matrix import to_matrix, from_matrix, MatrixRepr

# Pauli matrices from Cl(3,0)
cl3 = Algebra(3)
e1, e2, e3 = cl3.basis_vectors()

mat = to_matrix(e1, mode="compact")   # returns MatrixRepr (2×2 Pauli σ₁)
mat @ mat                              # MatrixRepr: σ₁² = I
mat.inv()                              # MatrixRepr: σ₁⁻¹ = σ₁
mat.trace()                            # 0 (traceless)
mat.mv                                 # back to Multivector

# Named, tracked MV gets automatic ρ(name) symbolic name
e1, e2, e3 = cl3.basis_vectors(expr=True)
R = (e1 * e2).named("B", latex=r"\hat{B}")
M = to_matrix(R, mode="compact")
M.latex()                              # "\\rho(\\hat{B}) = \\begin{pmatrix}..."
M.expr.latex()                         # "\\rho(\\hat{B})"
M.symbolic_name.latex                  # "\\rho(\\hat{B})"

# from_matrix can infer algebra and mode from MatrixRepr
from_matrix(M)                         # MV named ρ⁻¹(ρ(B̂))
from_matrix(cl3, M.mat, mode="compact")  # unnamed MV (raw array)

# Dirac matrices from Cl(1,3)
sta = Algebra(1, 3)
g0 = sta.basis_vectors()[0]
to_matrix(g0, mode="compact")  # 4×4 Dirac γ⁰

# Left-regular works for everything, including PGA
pga = Algebra(2, 0, 1)
v = pga.basis_vectors()[0]
to_matrix(v)  # 8×8 real matrix

# It also works directly in a nonorthogonal basis
oblique = Algebra(gram=[[2.0, 0.5], [0.5, -1.0]])
x = oblique.multivector([1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0])
from_matrix(to_matrix(x))  # exact coefficient roundtrip in the native basis

# Automatic mode stays left-regular for compatibility; compact is explicit
compact_x = to_matrix(x, mode="compact")  # 2×2 instead of 4×4
from_matrix(compact_x)  # native exterior-basis coefficients are preserved

Executable examples

The repository includes a short Marimo series using the Galaga 2 facade:

• representations and round-trips;
• compact matrices in an oblique basis;
• a basis-independent compact workflow;
• CGA from its native-null Gram matrix;
• CGA objects in complex and quaternion form;
• Pauli and Dirac matrices; and
• spinor columns.

The CGA comparison notebook covers vectors, lifted points, point pairs, lines, circles, spheres, planes, and rotors. It shows their 4×4 compact complex matrices and an expandable 32×32 real left-regular view. Its quaternion examples explicitly map even CGA into the existing Cl(1,3) quaternion mode; native CGA quaternion conversion is still planned. A mixed rotor-plus-point example teaches the pair Q(E), Q(B) in A = E + B J, with a computed central pseudoscalar J satisfying J² = -1. This pair is a notebook construction, not an additional public representation mode.

Each notebook is compiled, dependency-checked, and executed headlessly by the example test ledger.

MatrixRepr

MatrixRepr is a transparent numpy proxy that wraps a matrix with:

• All arithmetic operations — @, +, -, *, /, ** return MatrixRepr
• Linear algebra — .T, .H, .conj(), .trace(), .det(), .inv()
• Numpy interop — np.add(M, N), np.conj(M) etc. return MatrixRepr via __array_ufunc__
• Symbolic naming — .name() assigns an immutable, target-aware symbolic_name
• Immutable provenance — .expr records frozen matrix-domain operations; .as_expression() exposes an operand
• Metadata propagation — algebra, mode, domain, basis, and kind pass through operations
• Indexing — M[i,j] for elements, M[0:2, 0:2] for submatrices
• Rendering — .latex(), ._repr_latex_() for notebooks
• Escape hatch — .mat gives the raw numpy array
• Roundtrip — .mv converts back to a Multivector (requires algebra=)
• Factories — MatrixRepr.identity(k), MatrixRepr.zeros((m,n)), .kron(other)

Auto-naming

to_matrix(named_mv) names the result as ρ(name) and gives it a symbolic representation-map expression. from_matrix(named_matrix) can infer the algebra and mode from MatrixRepr and names the recovered MV as ρ⁻¹(name-or-expression). Raw arrays still need from_matrix(alg, array, mode=...). Unnamed inputs pass through without new names. Quaternion-block mode uses ρ_{\mathbb{H}}(name).

Expression ownership

galaga_matrix.expr owns matrix multiplication, transpose, adjoint, inverse, basis-change, Kronecker-product, representation-map, and spinor-column nodes. They are frozen and their matrix leaves hold read-only NumPy snapshots. Representation-map provenance records the source coefficient domain: "full" for ordinary matrix conversion and "even" for spinor columns.

Galaga's public expression tree remains a geometric-algebra operation tree. When a facade value carries provenance, conversion wraps it in a matrix adapter with the active presentation. Rendering continues to honor context-local presentation overrides on the facade algebra. galaga_matrix does not import galaga.symbolic_core or inspect private multivector fields. This keeps the optional package independent without losing evaluable provenance.

Works in galaga_marimo t-strings (Python 3.14+, with that optional package installed; continuing the quick start above):

import galaga_marimo as gm

gm.md(t"""
The Pauli matrix: {to_matrix(e1, mode="compact"):block}
""")

Named special cases

The compact representation produces the standard textbook matrices:

• Cl(3,0): 2×2 Pauli matrices (σ₁, σ₂, σ₃)
• Cl(0,3): 2×2 with iσ₁, iσ₂, iσ₃
• Cl(1,3): 4×4 Dirac matrices (γ⁰, γ¹, γ², γ³) in the Dirac representation
• Cl(3,1): 4×4 Dirac matrices in the mostly-plus convention

All other nondegenerate signatures are handled by the general periodicity recursion. For a nonnormalized or nonorthogonal native basis, compact derives a metric congruence and lifts it to exterior blades. The named pauli, dirac, and quaternion modes remain restricted to their normalized orthogonal conventions.

Limitations

• Degenerate algebras (r > 0): only left-regular mode works. compact raises NotImplementedError.
• General Gram automatic dispatch: left-regular works in the stored basis and remains the automatic choice for nonorthogonal and nonnormalized metrics. Request mode="compact" explicitly to use the congruence-based representation.
• Generic compact convention: eigendecomposition determines an equivalent compact basis for a dense Gram matrix. Algebraic behavior is stable, but individual entries are not a named textbook convention and should not be pinned across numerical-library changes.
• Numerical recovery: full rank establishes injectivity, not a uniform coefficient-accuracy guarantee. Extreme metric scaling separates blade magnitudes across grades; column-normalizing the inverse solve cannot undo information lost when those contributions were added in floating point. Rescale units where practical, or use the native left-regular representation when coefficient recovery is the priority.
• Double algebras (Cl(p,q) where (q−p) mod 8 ∈ {3, 7}): to_matrix compact works, but from_matrix compact raises if the selected compact representation is not injective. Use left-regular for exact inverse conversion. See Double Clifford Algebras.
• Quaternion output: to_quaternion_matrix and quaternion spinor conversions use explicit quaternion-block bases. They currently support Cl(0,2) and Cl(1,3), and reject double algebras such as Cl(0,3).
• Spinor roundtrip: spinor-column conversions retain their normalized orthogonal native-basis requirement and are rank-checked for the actual reference-column map. Signatures whose even subalgebra is not injective under that map raise TypeError.
• Bounded plan cache: repeated conversions reuse immutable generator, blade, rank, and reconstruction-system data. The cache key uses numeric algebra identity plus the mode, source domain, basis convention, and dtype; presentation state and multivector values never enter it.

Architecture decisions

See the matrix ADR index.

For the mathematical relationship between primitive idempotents, reciprocal frames, and compact real, complex, or quaternionic matrix representations, see Spectral-Sandwich Matrix Representations.

For an interactive lesson connecting ideals, columns, even representatives, reflections and real-GA chiral projections with Dirac/Weyl spinor roundtrips, see One spinor, three representations.

For the proposed faithful 4×4 complex representation of native-null 3D CGA, its Vahlen/Möbius block interpretation, and the 2×2 quaternion representation of the even conformal algebra, see Native-Null CGA Matrix Representations.

Tests

PYTHONPATH=.:packages/galaga_matrix uv run pytest packages/galaga_matrix/tests/