Toward a Jacobson--Morozov theorem for Kac--Moody Lie algebras

Abstract

For a finite-dimensional semisimple Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$, the Jacobson--Morozov theorem gives a construction of subalgebras ${\mathfrak{sl}}_2\subset \mathfrak{g}$ corresponding to nilpotent elements of $\mathfrak{g}$. In this note, we propose an extension of the Jacobson--Morozov theorem to the symmetrizable Kac--Moody setting and give a proof of this generalization in the case of rank two hyperbolic Kac--Moody algebras. We also give a proof for an arbitrary symmetrizable Kac--Moody algebra under some stronger restrictions.

10 pages