Positive Systems of Kostant Roots

Abstract

Let $\mathfrak{g}$ be a simple complex Lie algebra and let $\mathfrak{t}\subset \mathfrak{g}$ be a toral subalgebra of $\mathfrak{g}$. As a $\mathfrak{t}$-module $\mathfrak{g}$ decomposes as \[\mathfrak{g} = \mathfrak{s} \oplus \big(\oplus_{ν\in \mathcal{R}} \mathfrak{g}^ν\big)\] where $\mathfrak{s}\subset \mathfrak{g}$ is the reductive part of a parabolic subalgebra of $\mathfrak{g}$ and $\mathcal{R}$ is the Kostant root system associated to $\mathfrak{t}$. When $\mathfrak{t}$ is a Cartan subalgebra of $\mathfrak{g}$ the decomposition above is nothing but the root decomposition of $\mathfrak{g}$ with respect to $\mathfrak{t}$; in general the properties of $\mathcal{R}$ resemble the properties of usual root systems. In this note we study the following problem: "Given a subset $\mathcal{S}\subset \mathcal{R}$, is there a parabolic subalgebra $\mathfrak{p}$ of $\mathfrak{g}$ containing $\mathcal{M}={\oplus }_{\nu \in \mathcal{S}}{\mathfrak{g}}^{\nu }$ and whose reductive part equals $\mathfrak{s}$?". Our main results is that, for a classical simple Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$ and a saturated $\mathcal{S}\subset \mathcal{R}$, the condition $({\mathrm{Sym}}^{\cdot }(\mathcal{M}){)}^{\mathfrak{s}}=\mathbf{C}$ is necessary and sufficient for the existence of such a $\mathfrak{p}$. In contrast, we show that this statement is no longer true for the exceptional Lie algebras ${\mathrm{F}}_4,{\mathrm{E}}_6,{\mathrm{E}}_7$, and ${\mathrm{E}}_8$. Finally, we discuss the problem in the case when $\mathcal{S}$ is not saturated.

A previous version of this note appears as appendix A in arXiv:0909.2280. The original file will be updated at a later date to remove this appendix. Version 2: minor revisions