A brief proof of Lie's classification of solvable algebras of vector fields on the plane is given. The proof uses basic representation theory and PDEs.
Let G be a connected and reductive group over the algebraically closed field K. J-P. Serre has introduced the notion of a G-completely reducible subgroup H of G. In this note, we give a notion of G-complete reducibility -- G-cr for short -- for Lie subalgebras of Lie(G), and we show that if the closed subgroup H < G is G-cr, then Lie(H) is G-cr as well.
In this paper, the main objective is to compare the abelian subalgebras and ideals of maximal dimension for finite-dimensional supersolvable Lie algebras. We characterise the maximal abelian subalgebras of solvable Lie algebras and study solvable Lie algebras containing an abelian subalgebra of codimension 2. Finally, we prove that nilpotent Lie algebras with an abelian subalgebra of codimension 3 contain an abelian ideal with the same dimension, provided that the characteristic of the underlying field is not two. Throughout the paper, we also give several examples to clarify some results.
Let M be a maximal subalgebra of the Lie algebra L. A subalgebra C of L is said to be a completion for M if C is not contained in M but every proper subalgebra of C that is an ideal of L is contained in M. The set I(M) of all completions of M is called the index complex of M in L. We use this concept to investigate the influence of the maximal subalgebras on the structure of a Lie algebra, in particular finding new characterisations of solvable and supersolvable Lie algebras.
Let g be a simple Lie algebra of rank n over C. We show that the n-dimensional abelian ideals of a Borel subalgebra of g are limits of Jordan Lie subalgebras. Combining this with a classical result by Kostant, we show that the g-module spanned by all n-dimensional abelian Lie subalgebras of g is actually spanned by the Jordan Lie subalgebras.
There exist principal $\mathfrak{sl}_2$ subalgebras for hyperbolic Kac-Moody Lie algebras. In the case of rank 2 symmetric hyperbolic Kac-Moody Lie algebras, certain $\mathfrak{sl}_2$ subalgebras are constructed. These subalgebras are generalizations of principal $\mathfrak{sl}_2$ subalgebras. We show that the rank 2 symmetric hyperbolic Kac-Moody Lie algebras themselves are irreducibly decomposed under the action of this $\mathfrak{sl}_2$ subalgebras. Furthermore, we classify irreducible components of the decomposition. In particular, we obtain multiplicities of unitary principal series and c…
In this paper we study the lengths of certain chains of subalgebras of a Lie algebra L: namely, a chief series, a maximal chain of minimal length, a chain of maximal length in which each subalgebra is modular in L, and a chain of maximal length in which each subalgebra is a quasi-ideal of L. In particular we show that, over a field of characteristic zero, a Lie algebra L with radical R has a maximal chain of subalgebras and a chain of subalgebras all of which are modular in L of the same length if and only if L = R, or $\sqrt{F} \not \subseteq F$ and L/R is a direct sum of isomorphic three-dim…
For a Lie algebra $L$ and a subalgebra $M$ of $L$ we say that a subalgebra $U$ of $L$ is a {\em supplement} to $M$ in $L$ if $L = M + U$. We investigate those Lie algebras all of whose maximal subalgebras have abelian supplements, those that have nilpotent supplements, those that have nil supplements, and those that have supplements with the property that their derived algebra is inside the maximal subalgebra being supplemented. For the algebras over an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero in the last three of these classes we find complete descriptions; for those in the first cla…
In this paper we initiate the study of the maximal subalgebras of exceptional simple classical Lie algebras \g over algebraically closed fields k of positive characteristic p, such that the prime characteristic is good for \g. In this paper we deal with what is surely the most unnatural case; that is, where the maximal subalgebra in question is a simple subalgebra of non-classical type. We show that only the first Witt algebra can occur as a subalgebra of \g and give explicit details on when it may be maximal in \g.
We describe all locally semisimple subalgebras and all maximal subalgebras of the finitary Lie algebras $\gl(\infty), \sl(\infty), \so(\infty)$, and $\sp(\infty)$. For simple finite--dimensional Lie algebras these classes of subalgebras have been described in the classical works of A. Malcev and E. Dynkin. Key words (2000 MSC): 17B05 and 17B65.
We determine the Lie subalgebra $\mathfrak{g}_{nil}$ of a Borcherds symmetrizable generalized Kac-Moody Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$ generated by $ad$-locally nilpotent elements and show that it is `essentially' the same as the Levi subalgebra of $\mathfrak{g}$ with its simple roots precisely the real simple roots of $\mathfrak{g}$.
We say that a finite dimensional Lie algebra is quasi-reductive if it has a linear form whose stabilizer for the coadjoint representation, modulo the center, is a reductive Lie algebra with a center consisting of semisimple elements. Parabolic subalgebras of a semisimple Lie algebra are not always quasi-reductive (except in types A or C by work of Panyushev). The classification of quasi-reductive parabolic subalgebras in the classical case has been recently achieved in unpublished work of Duflo, Khalgui and Torasso. In this paper, we investigate the quasi-reductivity of biparabolic subalgebras…
This paper generalizes the classification in a paper of Dimitrov and Penkov of Borel subalgebras of gl_infty. Root-reductive Lie algebras are direct limits of finite-dimensional reductive Lie algebras along inclusions preserving the root spaces with respect to nested Cartan subalgebras. A Borel subalgebra of a root-reductive Lie algebra is by definition a maximal locally solvable subalgebra. The main general result of this paper is that a Borel subalgebra of an infinite-dimensional indecomposable root-reductive Lie algebra is the simultaneous stabilizer of a certain type of generalized flag in…
In this paper, we study certain ad-nilpotent subalgebras contained in the non-zero graded portion of a simple Z_n-graded Lie algebra. These subalgebras respect the grading on the Lie algebra and are modules for a Borel subalgebra for the grade-zero Lie subalgebra. We show that semisimple elements in such subalgebras lie in the center of the subalgebra, and we provide a classification of these subalgebras whose weight space decompositions have only non-zero weights.
We characterize locally semisimple subalgebras $ł$ of $\sl_\infty$, $\so_\infty$, and $\sp_\infty$ which are Levi components of parabolic subalgebras. Given $ł$, we characterize the parabolic subalgebras $\p$ such that $ł$ is a Levi component of $\p$. When the set of such self-normalizing parabolic subalgebras $\p$ is finite, we prove an estimate on its cardinality. We consider various examples which highlight the differences from the case of parabolic subalgebras of finite-dimensional simple Lie algebras.
In this article, we give a simple explicit construction of an affine slice for the coadjoint action of a certain class of biparabolic (also called seaweed) subalgebras of a semisimple Lie algebra over an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero. In particular, this class includes all Borel subalgebras.
This is a continuation of arXiv:0903.0398 [math.RT]. Let g be a simple Lie algebra. In this note, we provide simple formulae for the index of sl(2)-subalgebras in the classical Lie algebras and a new formula for the index of the principal sl(2). We also compute the difference, D, of the indices of principal and subregular sl(2)-subalgebras. Our formula for D involves some data related to the McKay correspondence for g. Using the index of sl(2)-subalgebras of classical Lie algebras, we also obtain three series of interesting combinatorial identities parameterised by partitions.
Let g=g_0+ g_1 be a simple Z_2-graded Lie algebra and let b_0 be a fixed Borel subalgebra of g_0. We describe and enumerate the abelian b_0-stable subalgebras of g_1.
Dynkin's classification of maximal subalgebras of simple finite dimensional complex Lie algebras is generalized to linear Lie superalgebras. Namely, the maximal non-simple irreducible subalgebras of $\mathfrak{gl}(p|q), \mathfrak{q}(n), \mathfrak{sl}(p|q), \mathfrak{osp}(m|2n), \mathfrak{pe}(n)$, and $\mathfrak{spe}(n)$ are classified.
Let $\g$ be a locally reductive complex Lie algebra which admits a faithful countable-dimensional finitary representation $V$. Such a Lie algebra is a split extension of an abelian Lie algebra by a direct sum of copies of $\sl_\infty$, $\so_\infty$, $\sp_\infty$, and finite-dimensional simple Lie algebras. A parabolic subalgebra of $\g$ is any subalgebra which contains a maximal locally solvable (that is, Borel) subalgebra. Building upon work by Dimitrov and the authors of the present paper, we give a general description of parabolic subalgebras of $\g$ in terms of joint stabilizers of taut co…
Let $ W(n) $ be Jacobson-Witt algebra over algebraic closed field $ \mathbb{K} $ with positive characteristic $ p>2. $ It is difficult to classify all Borel subalgebras of $ W(n) $ or non-classical restricted simple Lie algebras. The present paper and \cite{S7} study two kinds of subalgebras which are easily to understand and highly related to Borel subalgebras. In \cite{S7}, the last author investigates a class of special Borel subalgebras of $W(n)$ which is called homogeneous Borel subalgebras. The present paper focuses on subalgebras of $ W(n) $ which are related to Borel subalgebras such t…
New commutative subalgebras of the maximal Gel'fand-Kirillov dimension in the universal enveloping algebras of classical Lie algebras gl(n) and so(n) are constructed. In the case of sp(n) Gel'fand-Tsetlin algebra is extended to a maximally commutative one.
We establish the conjugacy of Cartan subalgebras for generic Lie tori "of type A". This is the only conjugacy problem of Lie tori related to Extended Affine Lie Algebras that remained open.
Root-reductive Lie algebras are direct limits of finite-dimensional reductive Lie algebras under injections which preserve the root spaces. It is known that a root-reductive Lie algebra is a split extension of an abelian Lie algebra by a direct sum of copies of finite-dimensional simple Lie algebras as well as copies of the three simple infinite-dimensional root-reductive Lie algebras sl_infty, so_infty, and sp_infty. As part of a structure theory program for root-reductive Lie algebras, Cartan subalgebras of the Lie algebra gl_infty were introduced and studied in a paper of Neeb and Penkov. I…
Let p be a maximal truncated parabolic subalgebra of a simple Lie Algebra. It was shown in many cases that the Poisson centre Y(p) is a polynomial algebra. We construct a slice for the coadjoint action of p, thus extending a theorem of Kostant. The role of the principal sl_2-triple is played by an adapted pair.
In his paper "A Construction for Coisotropic Subalgebras of Lie Bialgebras", Marco Zambon gave a way to use a long root of a complex semisimple Lie biaglebra $\mathfrak{g}$ to construct a coisotropic subalgebra of $\mathfrak{g}$. In this paper, we generalize Zambon's construction. Our construction is based on the theory of Lagrangian subalgebras of the double $\mathfrak{g}\oplus\mathfrak{g}$ of $\mathfrak{g}$, and our coisotropic subalgebras correspond to torus fixed points in the variety $\mathcal{L}(\mathfrak{g}\oplus\mathfrak{g})$ of Lagrangian subalgebras of $\mathfrak{g}\oplus\mathfrak{g}…
This paper gives a classification of parabolic subalgebras of simple Lie algebras over $\CC$ that are complexifications of parabolic subalgebras of real forms for which Lynch's vanishing theorem for generalized Whittaker modules is non-vacuous. The paper also describes normal forms for the admissible characters in the sense of Lynch (at least in the quasi-split cases) and analyzes the important special case when the parabolic is defined by an even embedded TDS (three dimensional simple Lie algebra).
Let $\Lie{g}$ be a simple complex Lie algebra and $\Lie{h}$ a Cartan subalgebra. In this article we explain how to obtain the principal basis of $\Lie{h}$ starting form a set of generators $\{p_1,...,p_r\}$,$r=\rank(\Lie{g})$, of the invariants polynomials $\Sgg$. For each invariant polynomial $p$, we define a $G$-equivariant map $Dp$ form $\Lie{g}$ to $\Lie{g}$. We show that the Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization of the elements $\{Dp_1(ρ^\vee), ... Dp_r(ρ^\vee) \}$ gives the principal basis of $\Lie{h}$. Similarly the orthogonalization of the elements $\{Dp_1(ρ), >... Dp_r(ρ) \}$ produces the pr…
It is shown that the fixed point subalgebra of an EALA under a finite order automorphism (satisfying certain properties) is a sum of EALA's, an abelian subalgebra, and a subspace which is contained in the centralizer of the core.
Let $G$ be an exceptional simple algebraic group over an algebraically closed field $k$ and suppose that the characteristic $p$ of $k$ is a good prime for $G$. In this paper we classify the maximal Lie subalgebras $\mathfrak{m}$ of the Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}={\rm Lie}(G)$. Specifically, we show that one of the following holds: $\mathfrak{m}={\rm Lie}(M)$ for some maximal connected subgroup $M$ of $G$, or $\mathfrak{m}$ is a maximal Witt subalgebra of $\mathfrak{g}$, or $\mathfrak{m}$ is a maximal $\it{\mbox{exotic semidirect product}}$. The conjugacy classes of maximal connected subgroups o…
Motivated by questions in modular representation theory, Carlson, Friedlander, and the first author introduced the varieties E(r, g) of r-dimensional abelian p-nilpotent subalgebras of a p-restricted Lie algebra g. In this paper, we identify the varieties E(r, g) for a reductive restricted Lie algebra g and r the maximal dimension of an abelian p-nilpotent subalgebra of g.
Let g be a complex simple Lie algebra and b a fixed Borel subalgebra of g. We shall describe the abelian ideals of b in a uniform way, that is, independent of the classification of complex simple Lie algebras.
Let $Γ$ be a finite group and $V$ a finite-dimensional $Γ$-graded space over an algebraically closed field of characteristic not equal to 2. In the sense of conjugation, we classify all the so-called pre-nil or nil maximal abelian subalgebras for the general linear Lie color algebra $\frak{gl}(V,Γ)$. In the situation of $Γ$ being a cyclic group, we determine the minimal dimensions of pre-nil or nil faithful representations for any finite-dimensional abelian Lie color algebra.
This paper is a continued investigation of the structure of Lie algebras in relation to their chief factors, using concepts that are analogous to corresponding ones in group theory. The first section investigates the structure of Lie algebras with a core-free maximal subalgebra. The results obtained are then used in section two to consider the relationship of two chief factors of L being L-connected, a weaker equivalence relation on the set of chief factors than that of being isomorphic as L-modules. A strengthened form of the Jordan-Holder Theorem in which Frattini chief factors correspond i…
Reductive (or semisimple) algebraic groups, Lie groups and Lie algebras have a rich geometry determined by their parabolic subgroups and subalgebras, which carry the structure of a building in the sense of J. Tits. We present herein an elementary approach to the geometry of parabolic subalgebras, over an arbitrary field of characteristic zero, which does not rely upon the structure theory of semisimple Lie algebras. Indeed we derive such structure theory, from root systems to the Bruhat decomposition, from the properties of parabolic subalgebras. As well as constructing the Tits building of a …
In this thesis we consider the maximal subalgebras of the exceptional Lie algebras in algebraically closed fields of positive characteristic. This begins with a quick recap of the article by Herpel and Stewart which considered the Cartan type maximal subalgebras in the exceptional Lie algebras for good characteristic, and then the article by Premet considering non-semisimple maximal subalgebras in good characteristic. For $p=5$ we give an example of what appears to be a new maximal subalgebra in the exceptional Lie algebra of type $E_8$. We show that this maximal subalgebra is isomorphic to th…
Let K be an algebraically closed field of characteristic 0. It is well known that any quasi-reductive Lie algebra is stable. However, there are stable Lie algebras which are not quasi-reductive. This raises the question, if for some particular class of non-reductive Lie algebras, there is equivalence between stability and quasi-reductivity. In particular, it was conjectured by Panyushev that these two notions are equivalent for biparabolic subalgebras of a reductive Lie algebra. In this paper, we give a positive answer to this conjecture.
We provide results on the smoothness of normalisers in connected reductive algebraic groups $G$ over fields $k$ of positive characteristic $p$. Specifically we we give bounds on $p$ which guarantee that normalisers of subalgebras of $\mathfrak{g}$ in $G$ are smooth, i.e.\ so that the Lie algebras of these normalisers coincide with the infinitesimal normalisers. One of our main tools is to exploit cohomology vanishing of small dimensional modules. Along the way, we obtain complete reducibility results for small dimensional modules in the spirit of similar results due to Jantzen, Guralnick, Serr…
We give a complete description of the anti-involutions that preserve the principal gradation of the algebra of matrix quantum pseudodifferential operators and we describe the Lie subalgebras of its minus fixed points.
Let $\mathfrak g$ be a simple Lie algebra and $\mathfrak{Ab}$ the poset of all abelian ideals of a fixed Borel subalgebra of $\mathfrak g$. If $\mathfrak a\in\mathfrak{Ab}$, then the normaliser of $\mathfrak a$ is a standard parabolic subalgebra of $\mathfrak g$. We give an explicit description of the normaliser for a class of abelian ideals that includes all maximal abelian ideals. We also elaborate on a relationship between abelian ideals and $\mathbb Z$-gradings of $\mathfrak g$ associated with their normalisers.
We show that there are exactly two anti-involution $σ_{\pm}$ of the algebra of differential operators on the circle that are a multiple of $p(t\partial_t)$ preserving the principal gradation ($p\in\CC[x]$ non-constant). We classify the irreducible quasifinite highest weight representations of the central extension $\hat{\D}_p^{\pm}$ of the Lie subalgebra fixed by $-σ_{\pm}$. The most important cases are the subalgebras $\hat{\D}_x^{\pm}$ of $W_{\infty}$, that are obtained when $p(x)=x$. In these cases we realize the irreducible quasifinite highest weight modules in terms of highest weight repr…
That finite-dimensional simple Lie algebras over the complex numbers can be classified by means of purely combinatorial and geometric objects such as Coxeter-Dynkin diagrams and indecomposable irreducible root systems, is arguably one of the most elegant results in mathematics. The definition of the root system is done by fixing a Cartan subalgebra of the given Lie algebra. The remarkable fact is that (up to isomorphism) this construction is independent of the choice of the Cartan subalgebra. The modern way of establishing this fact is by showing that all Cartan subalgebras are conjugate. For …
For a semisimple Lie algebra over the complex numbers, Dynkin (1952) developed an algorithm to classify the regular semisimple subalgebras, up to conjugacy by the inner automorphism group. For a graded semisimple Lie algebra over the complex numbers, Vinberg (1979) showed that a classification of a certain type of regular subalgebras (called carrier algebras) yields a classification of the nilpotent orbits in a homogeneous component of that Lie algebra. Here we consider these problems for (graded) semisimple Lie algebras over the real numbers. First, we describe an algorithm to classify the re…
We study ad-nilpotent ideals of a parabolic subalgebra of a simple Lie algebra. Any such ideal determines an antichain in a set of positive roots of the simple Lie algebra. We give a necessary and sufficient condition for an antichain to determine an ad-nilpotent ideal of the parabolic. We write down all such antichains for the classical simple Lie algebras and in particular recover the results of D. Peterson. In section 2 of the paper we study the unique ideal in a parabolic which is irreducible as a module for the reductive part and give several equivalent statements that are satisfied by th…
We discuss and compare two different approaches to the notion of Mishchenko--Fomenko subalgebras in Poisson-Lie algebras of finite-dimensional Lie algebras. One of them, commonly accepted by the algebraic community, uses polynomial $\Ad^*$-invariants. The other is based on formal $\Ad^*$-invariants and allows one to deal with arbitrary Lie algebras, not necessarily algebraic. In this sense, the latter is more universal.
In this paper we determine the precise extent to which the classical sl_2-theory of complex semisimple finite-dimensional Lie algebras due to Jacobson--Morozov and Kostant can be extended to positive characteristic. This builds on work of Pommerening and improves significantly upon previous attempts due to Springer--Steinberg and Carter/Spaltenstein. Our main advance arises by investigating quite fully the extent to which subalgebras of the Lie algebras of semisimple algebraic groups over algebraically closed fields k are G-completely reducible, a notion essentially due to Serre. For example i…
We investigate the finite-dimensional Lie groups whose points are separated by the continuous homomorphisms into groups of invertible elements of locally convex algebras with continuous inversion that satisfy an appropriate completeness condition. We find that these are precisely the linear Lie groups, that is, the Lie groups which can be faithfully represented as matrix groups. Our method relies on proving that certain finite-dimensional Lie subalgebras of algebras with continuous inversion commute modulo the Jacobson radical.
The main goal of this paper is to prove the following theorem: Let $\frak k$ be an $\frak {sl}_2$-subalgebra of a semisimple Lie algebra $\frak g$, none of whose simple factors is of type $A1$. Then there exists a positive integer $b(\frak k, \frak g)$, such that for every irreducible finite dimensional $\frak g$-module $V$, there exists an injection of $\frak k$-modules $W \to V$, where $W$ is an irreducible $\frak k$-module of dimension less than $b(\frak k, \frak g)$. This result was announced in math.RT/0310140.
Let g be a finite dimensional Lie algebra over an algebraically closed field k of characteristic zero. We collect some general results on the Poisson center of S(g), including some simple criteria regarding its polynomiality, and also on certain Poisson commutative subalgebras of S(g). These facts are then used to finish our earlier work on this subject, i.e. to give an explicit description for the Poisson center of all indecomposable, nilpotent Lie algebras of dimension at most seven. Among other things, we also provide a polynomial, maximal Poisson commutative subalgebra of S(g), enjoying ad…
In this paper we develop algorithms of finding homogeneous spaces of semisimple non-compact Lie groups which do not admit compact Clifford-Klein forms. We propose a computer program which checks if the given homogeneous space has a non-vanishing cohomological obstruction (found by Tholozan) to compact Clifford-Klein forms. By a numerical experiment we show that there is a large class of homogeneous spaces satisfying Tholozan's condition.
We consider a Borel subalgebra $\fg$ of the general linear algebra and its subalgebra $\BB$ which is a Borel subalgebra of the special linear algebra, over arbitrary field. Let $\cL\in\{\fg, \BB\}$. We establish here explicit realizations of the center $Z(\cL)$ and semi-center $Sz(\cL)$ of the enveloping algebra, the Poisson center $S(\cL)^{\cL}$ and Poisson semi-center $S(\cL)^{\cL}_{\si}$ of the symmetric algebra. We describe their structure as commutative rings and establish isomorphisms $Z(\cL)\cong S(\cL)^{\cL}$, $Sz(\cL)\cong S(\cL)^{\cL}_{\si}$