Laguerre polynomials of derivations
arXiv:1211.4432 · doi:10.1007/s11856-014-1116-x
Abstract
We introduce a 'grading switching' for arbitrary nonassociative algebras of prime characteristic p, aimed at producing a new grading of an algebra from a given one. We take inspiration from a fundamental tool in the classification theory of modular Lie algebras known as 'toral switching', which relies on a delicate adaptation of the exponential of a derivation. Our grading switching is achieved by evaluating certain generalized Laguerre polynomials of degree p-1, which play the role of generalized exponentials, on a derivation of the algebra. A crucial part of our argument is establishing a congruence for them which is an appropriate analogue of the functional equation exp(x)*exp(y)=exp(x+y) for the classical exponential. Besides having a wider scope, our treatment provides a more transparent explanation of some aspects of the original toral switching, which can be recovered as a special case.
15 pages; minor changes from the previous version