Quantum groups and Lyndon words

Data for quiver Hecke algebras

Arun Ram
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
University of Melbourne
Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
aram@unimelb.edu.au
and

Department of Mathematics
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Madison, WI 53706 USA
ram@math.wisc.edu

Last updates: 10 April 2010

Quantum groups and Lyndon words

In these three talks, I will explore the connections between

  1. Mirkovic-Vilonen polytopes,
  2. the Littelmann path model,
  3. quantum groups,
  4. free Lie algebras,
  5. words.

The lectures will proceed as follows:

  1. Combinatorics
  2. Algebra
  3. Geometry

Let ℐ be an alphabet, and let ℐ* ={words on  ℐ}.

Let 𝒫 be the free associative algebra generated by a set of elements pi, indexed by the elements i∈ℐ.

ℒ is generated by pi,i∈ℐ,  and with a bracket operation []:ℒ× ℒ→ℒ. There are many possible bracket operations:

  1. [u,v]=uv-vu.
  2. [u,v]=uv- q deg(u) deg(v) vu.

Example: Consider the alphabet ℐ={+,-}. A typical word will be ++-+-- ∈ℐ. A typical element of 𝒫 will be p+ p- -2 p- p+ ∈𝒫. If the bracket is [u,v]=uv-vu, then [ p+ , p- ]= p+ p- - p- p+ , and [ p+ , p- ]=-[ p- , p+ ]

𝒫 is the enveloping algebra of ℒ. Choose a total order on ℐ and then use the lexicographic order on ℐ * . L= l∈ ℐ * | l≤ l 2   if  l= l 1 l 2 is the set of Lyndon words. For l∈L define l = l 1 l 2 ,if  l= l 1 l 2   with   l 1 ∈L  of maximum length  ≠l,  and   k =l  if  l∈I.

Example: (cont) There are two possible choices for the ordering: +<- or -<+. If +<- then +-∈L but -+≠L. Then + = p + , - = p - and +- = - + = p - p +

  1. If u∈ I * then u has a unique factorisation u= l 1 l 2 … l n with l 1 ,…, l n ∈L, l 1 ≥…≥ l n .
  2. ℒ has basis l | l∈L and 𝒫 has basis l 1 … l n | l 1 ,…, l n ∈L, l 1 ≥…≥ l n .

The quantum group U -

𝒫 is graded by Q + = ∑ i∈I ℤ ≥0 αi with  deg p i 1 ,…, p i l = α i 1 +…+ α i l .
Example:

  1. (Type A 2 ) ℐ= +- . Then αi αj = 2 -1 -1 2
  2. (Type B n ) ℐ= 12…n , then αi αj = 2 -2 0 -2 4 -2 -2 4 … … … -2 0 -2 4

Fix a symmetric bilinear form , : Q + × Q + →ℤ given by values , α i αj ∈ℤ.

The dual of 𝒫 is ℱ=free algebra generated by   f i ,i∈I with p i f j = δ ij ,if   p i = p i 1 … p i k   and   f j = f j 1 … f j l . The , -shuffle product on ℱ is u·v= ∑ σ∈ S k+l / S k × S l q wt σuv σ uv ,where  k=l u ,l=l v , the sum is over shuffles of u with v, wt σuv = ∑ 1≤i<j≤k+l,σ i >σ j - u i v k-j where u i is the i th letter in u and v k-j is the k-j th letter in v.

U - i the · -subalgebra of ℱ generated by f i ,i∈I.

Good Lyndon words

U - ↪ ℱ f i ↦ f i and 𝒫 ↠ U - p i ↦ f i and the restriction of , :𝒫×ℱ→ℂ to U - , , : U - × U - →ℂ is nondegenerate.

Example (cont) HW: Show that f + ∘ f + ∘ f + - q+ q -1 f + ∘ f - ∘ f + + f - ∘ f + ∘ f + =0 in U - .

The good words and the good Lyndon words are GL=G∩L and G= g∈ I * | g  is the maximal word in an element of   U -

HW: f + ∘ f + ∘ f - = f + ∘ f + f - +q f - f + = f + f + f - + q -2 f + f + f - … The shuffles f + ∘ f + ∘ f - and f + ∘ f - ∘ f + and f - ∘ f + ∘ f + are not independent and we must choose preferred words for a basis of U - . f + ∘ f - = f + f - +q f - f + so f - f + ∈G.

Problem: Describe G for 2 -2 -2 2 .

(Lalonde-Ram, Leclerc)

  1. Assume that α i ∨ α j with α i ∨ = 2 αi αi αi is a symmetrisable Cartan matrix. Let ℛ + be the positive roots of the corresponding Kac-Mody Lie algebra 𝔤. GL → ℛ + l ↦ deg l is a bijection with inverse ℛ + → GL β ↦ l β given by l β =max l β 1 l β2 | β1 , β2 ∈ ℛ + , β1 + β2 ∈β,l β1 <l β2
  2. PBW basis and canonical basis of U -
    U - has basis E g | g∈G , where E g = l 1 l 2 … l k ifg= l 1 … l k   with   l 1 ,…, l k ∈L  and   l 1 ≥…≥ l k .
  3. The ordering on ℛ + induced by lexicographic ordering on GL determines a reduced ecomposition of w 0 , w 0 = s i 1 … s i N ,so that ℛ + = β1 <… βN with β1 = α i 1 , β2 = s i 1 α i 2 ,…, βN = s i N α i N . Let -: U - → U - be the automorphism given by f i - = f i and q - = q -1 . The canonical basis of U - is b g | g∈G given by b g - = b g and b g = E g + ∑ h∈G,h>g c gh E h , with c gh ∈qℤ q .

HW: If +<- then G∩L= +- +- and ℛ + = α+ α- - α+ + α-

Dual PBW and dual canonical bases

The dual PBW basis of U - is E g * | g∈G given by E g E h * = δ gh .

  1. (Lusztig) E h * = const E h .
  2. (Leclerc) b g * | g∈G is characterised by b g * = E g * + ∑ h∈G ,h≠g d gh E h * ,with   d gh ∈qℤ q , and b g * = ∑ h∈ I * a gh h,with   a gh ∈ℤ q+ q -1 . U - has bases PBW basis:: E g | g∈ G → , dual PBW basis:: E g * | g∈ G → , canonical basis:: b g | g∈ G → , dual canonical basis:: b g * | g∈ G → .

References [PLACEHOLDER]

[BG] A. Braverman and D. Gaitsgory, Crystals via the affine Grassmanian, Duke Math. J. 107 no. 3, (2001), 561-575; arXiv:math/9909077v2, MR1828302 (2002e:20083)

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