Representation Theory of Superconformal Algebras and the Kac-Roan-Wakimoto Conjecture

Abstract

We study the representation theory of the superconformal algebra $W_k(g,f_{\theta })$ associated with a minimal gradation of $g$. Here, $g$ is a simple finite-dimensional Lie superalgebra with a non-degenerate, even supersymmetric invariant bilinear form. Thus, $W_k(g,f_{\theta })$ can be one of the well-known superconformal algebras including the Virasoro algebra, the Bershadsky-Polyakov algebra, the Neveu-Schwarz algebra, the Bershadsky-Knizhnik algebras, the N=2 superconformal algebra, the N=4 superconformal algebra, the N=3 superconformal algebra and the big N=4 superconformal algebra. We prove the conjecture of V. G. Kac, S.-S. Roan and M. Wakimoto for $W_k(g,f_{\theta })$. In fact, we show that any irreducible highest weight character of $W_k(g,f_{\theta })$ at any level $k\in C$ is determined by the corresponding irreducible highest weight character of the Kac-Moody affinization of $g$.

Revised; to appear in Duke Math. J

References in corpus (3)

• Vertex Algebras and Algebraic Curves
• Characters of irreducible modules with non-critical highest weights over affine Lie algebras
• Vanishing of cohomology associated to quantized Drinfeld-Sokolov reduction

Cited by in corpus (3)

• Two-sided BGG resolutions of admissible representations
• Subregular W-algebras of type A
• Simplicity of vacuum modules and associated varieties