Affine and degenerate affine BMW algebras: Actions on tensor space

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

Last update: 15 October 2013

Symplectic and orthogonal higher Casimir elements

Our final goal in this paper will be to connect the central elements appearing naturally as parameters of the affine and degenerate affine BMW algebras (see Theorems 2.2 and 2.5) to higher Casimir elements for orthogonal and symplectic Lie algebras and quantum groups. In the degenerate case, we explain how the generating function for zV(ℓ) derived in Theorem 3.3 can be matched up with the generating functions for central elements given by Perelomov-Popov in [PPo0214703, PPo0205621]. Expositions of the Perelomov-Popov results are also in [Mol2355506, §7.1] and [Zeh1973, §127]. In the affine case we show how the formula for ZV(ℓ) in Corollary 3.6 can be derived as a special case of a remarkable identity for central elements in quantum groups discovered by Baumann [Bau1620662, Thm. 1].

The central elements zV(ℓ) as higher Casimir elements

Returning to the notation developed in the preliminaries of Section 2, let 𝔤=𝔤𝔩r with nondegenerate ad-invariant form ⟨,⟩ as in (2.1) and operator γ=γ𝔤𝔩 as in (2.2). Then (id⊗trV) (γℓ)= ∑i1,i2,…,iℓ Ei1i2 Ei2i3⋯ Eiℓi1 are the central elements of U𝔤𝔩n found, for example, in Gelfand [Gel1950, (3)]. Perelomov-Popov [PPo0214703, PPo0205621] generalized this construction to 𝔤=𝔰𝔬2r+1, 𝔰𝔭2r, and 𝔰𝔬2r, by letting Fij be the natural spanning set for 𝔤 given in (2.7), viewing F=(Fij)i,j∈Vˆ as a matrix with entries in 𝔤, and writing trFk= ∑i1,i2,…,ik∈Vˆ Fi1i2 Fi2i3⋯ Fiki1 for k∈ℤ>0, (4.1) as an element of the enveloping algebra U𝔤 (see [Mol2355506, Thm. 7.1.7]). These elements are central in U𝔤 and Perelomov-Popov gave the following generating function formula for their Harish-Chandra images (see [Zeh1973, §127]). The proof we give below shows that the result of Perelemov-Popov is equivalent to Theorem 3.3 (which we obtained from the degenerate affine BMW algebra and Schur-Weyl duality). A proof of Theorem 4.1 using the theory of twisted Yangians is given in [Mol2355506, §7.1].

(Perelomov-Popov) [Mol2355506, Cor. 7.1.8] Let 𝔤=𝔰𝔬2r+1 or 𝔰𝔭2r or 𝔰𝔬2r, use notations for 𝔥* as in Section 2 and let h1,…,hr be the basis of 𝔥 dual to the orthonormal basis ε1,…,εr of 𝔥*. Let ρr′=12-12y, l0=0 in the case that 𝔤=𝔰𝔬2r+1 and let li=-l-i=hi +ρi,for i =1,2,…,r,where  ρi=12 (y-2i+1). Then π0 ( 1+ x+12 x+12-12ε ( ∑ℓ∈ℤ≥0 (-1)ℓtr(Fk) (x+ρr′)ℓ+1 ) ) =∏i∈Vˆ x+li+1 x+li . (4.2)

Proof.

By (2.11), γ=12 ∑i,j∈Vˆ Fij⊗Fji. Let η:𝔤→End(V) be the defining representation. Since F-j,-i=-θijFij, (id⊗η)(γ) = 12∑i,j∈Vˆ Fij⊗ ( Eji-θji E-i,-j ) =12∑i,j∈Vˆ ( Fij⊗Eji- θjiF-j,-i ⊗Eji ) = 12∑i,j∈Vˆ ( Fij-θji F-j,-i ) ⊗Eji =12∑i,j∈Vˆ (Fij+Fij) ⊗Eji = ∑i,j∈Vˆ Fij⊗Eji= Ft=-θFθ, whereθ= ( εid0 0id ) . Thus (id⊗trV) (γk)= tr((Ft)k) =tr((-θFθ)k) =(-1)ktr (θ2Fk)= (-1)ktr (Fk), (4.3) which provides the connection of the elements z0(ℓ) appearing in Theorems 2.2 and 3.3 to the elements in (4.1).

In order to transform the generating function for the elements (id⊗trV)(γℓ) into the generating function for the elements (id⊗trV)((12y+γ)ℓ), notice ∑ℓ∈ℤ≥0 (id⊗trV) ((12y+γ)ℓ) u-ℓ=(id⊗trV) (11-(12y+γ)u-1) =(id⊗trV) (11-12yu-1-γu-1) =(id⊗trV) ( (11-12yu-1) (11-γu-11-12yu-1) ) =(id⊗trV) ( 11-12yu-1 ∑ℓ∈ℤ≥0 γℓu-ℓ (1-12yu-1)ℓ ) =u ( ∑ℓ∈ℤ≥0 (id⊗trV)(γℓ) (u-12y)ℓ+1 ) = ( ∑ℓ∈ℤ≥0 (id⊗trV)(γℓ) (u-12+ρr′)ℓ+1 ) ,where ρr′= 12-12y. Then Theorem 3.3 is equivalent to π0 ( 1+εuεu-12 ( ∑ℓ∈ℤ≥0 (id⊗trV)(γℓ) (u-12+ρr′)ℓ+1 ) ) =π0 ( 1+εεu-12 ∑ℓ∈ℤ≥0 (id⊗trV) ((12y+γ)ℓ) u-ℓ ) = (εu+12) (εu-12) (u+12y-r) (u-12y+r) σρ ( ∏i=1r (u+hi+12) (u+hi-12) (u-hi+12) (u-hi-12) ) = (εu+12) (εu-12) (u+12y-r) (u-12y+r) ( ∏i=1r (u+hi+ρi+12) (u+hi-ρi+12) (u-hi-ρi+12) (u-hi-ρi-12) ) = (u-12+12ε+12) (u-12-12ε+12) (u-12+12y-r+12) (u-12-12y+r+12) ( ∏i=1r (u-12+hi+ρi+1) (u-12+hi+ρi) (u-12-hi-ρi+1) (u-12-hi-ρi) ) . Replacing x=u-12, π0 ( 1+ x+12 x+12-12ε ( ∑ℓ∈ℤ≥0 (id⊗trV)(γℓ) (x+ρr′)ℓ+1 ) ) = (x+12ε+12) (x-12ε+12) (x+12y-r+12) (x-12y+r+12) ( ∏i=1r (x+hi+ρi+1) (x+hi+ρi) (x-hi-ρi+1) (x-hi-ρi) ) Since (x+12ε+12) (x-12ε+12) (x+12y-r+12) (x-12y+r+12) = { x+l0+1x+l0, if 𝔤=𝔰𝔬2r+1, 1, if 𝔤=𝔰𝔭2r  or 𝔰𝔬2r, it follows that π0 ( 1+ x+12 x+12-12ε ( ∑ℓ∈ℤ≥0 (id⊗trV)(γℓ) (x+ρr′)ℓ+1 ) ) =∏i∈Vˆ x+li+1 x+li . In combination with (4.3), this demonstrates the equivalence of the Perelomov-Popov theorem and Theorem 3.3.

□

Since π0 and ρ=ρ1ε1+⋯+ρnεn are defined via a specific choice of positive roots, each side of (4.2) depends on that choice, though the identity does not. The preferred choice of positive roots in [Mol2355506, p. 139] differs from our preferred choice in (2.12) by the action of the Weyl group element w= (1,-r) (2,-(r-1))⋯ (r-1,-2) (r,-1) , in cycle notation.

The central elements ZV(ℓ) as quantum higher Casimir elements

In this section, we show how the formula for the central elements ZV(ℓ) in Corollary 3.6 is related to an identity for central elements in quantum groups discovered by Baumann in [Bau1620662, Thm. 1]. To do this we rewrite the Baumann identity for 𝔤=𝔰𝔭2r, 𝔰𝔬2r+1 and 𝔰𝔬2r and λ=ε1 in terms of Weyl characters indexed by partitions. Then a theorem of Turaev and Wenzl computing (id⊗qtrL(ν))(ℛ21ℛ) provides a conversion between the expansion in Corollary 3.6 and the expansion obtained from Baumann’s identity.

For λ∈𝔥* define the Weyl character sλ=aλ+ρaρ ,whereaμ= ∑w∈W0det(w) ewμ. The expressions sλ and aμ are elements of the group algebra of 𝔥*, ℂ[𝔥*]=ℂ-span{eν | ν∈𝔥*} with eμeν=eμ+ν. If w∈W0 then awμ=det(w) aμand sw∘μ=det (w)sμ, (4.4) where the dot action of W0 on 𝔥* is given by w∘μ=w(μ+ρ) -ρ,for w∈ W0,μ∈𝔥*. (4.5) The W0-invariants in ℂ[𝔥*] are ℂ[𝔥*]W0=ℂ-span{sλ | λ dominant integral}. For ℓ∈ℤ≥0 let Ψℓ: ℂ[𝔥*]W0 ⟶ Z(Uh𝔤) sν ⟼ (id⊗qtrL(ν))((ℛ21ℛ)ℓ) . (4.6) By [Dri1990, Prop. 1.2], the map Ψℓ is a vector space isomorphism.

[Bau1620662, Thm. 1] For ℓ∈ℤ≥0 define mλ(ℓ)= ∑w∈W0 q2ℓ⟨wλ,ρ⟩ swλ.Then Ψℓ (mλ(ℓ))= Ψ1 (mℓλ(1/ℓ)) .

In the same setting as in Theorem 3.5, let y= { 2r, if 𝔤= 𝔰𝔬2r+1, 2r+1, if 𝔤=𝔰𝔭2r , 2r-1, if g=𝔰𝔬2r, ε= { 1, if 𝔤= 𝔰𝔬2r+1, -1, if 𝔤=𝔰𝔭2r , 1, if g=𝔰𝔬2r, V=L(ε1), z=εqy, and let ZV(ℓ) be the central elements in the Drinfeld-Jimbo quantum group Uh𝔤 which are given by ZV(ℓ)=ε(id⊗qtrL(ε1))((zℛ21ℛ)ℓ). Then, for ℓ≥1, ZV(ℓ)=εℓΨ1 ( c+z∑m=max(ℓ-r+1,1)ℓ (-1)ℓ-m q-(ℓ-2m+1) s(m,1ℓ=m+1-1) +z∑m=max(y-ℓ+1,1)ℓ-y+r q-(ℓ-2m+1) (-1)m-ℓ+y s(m,1m-ℓ+y-1) ) , where c is given by c= { 1 if ℓ  is even and ℓ<y, or ℓ≥y  and 𝔤= 𝔰𝔬2r+1, 0 otherwise.

Proof.

The Weyl group W0 for 𝔤=𝔰𝔬2r+1 or 𝔤=𝔰𝔭2r is the group of signed permutations. With positive roots as in (2.12), the simple reflections are si=(i,i+1) (the transposition switching εi and εi+1, for i=1,2,…,r-1) and sr=(r,-r) (the transposition switching the sign of εr). For 𝔤=𝔰𝔬2r, the Weyl group W0 consists of signed permutations with an even number of signs, with simple reflections si=(i,i+1) for i=1,2,…,r-1, and sr=(r-1,-r)(r,-(r-1)).

To prove the desired identity, we will use the second identity in (4.4) to relabel the Weyl characters swλ appearing in mε1(ℓ) =∑w∈W0 q2ℓ⟨wε1,ρ⟩ swε1and mℓε1(1/ℓ) =∑w∈W0 q2⟨wε1,ρ⟩ swℓε1 by dominant integral weights. By (2.13), ρi+1=ρi-1 and ρr=12(y-2r+1). So if μ=μ1ε1+⋯+μrεr then si∘μ=μ1+⋯+ μi-1εi-1+ (μi+1-1)εi +(μi+1)εi+1 +μi+2εi+2 +⋯+μrεr for i=1,2,…,r-1, and sr∘μ=μ1ε1 +⋯μr-1 εr-1+ (-μr-(y-2r+1)) εr,if 𝔤= 𝔰𝔬2r+1 or  𝔰𝔭2r, and sr∘μ=μ1ε1+ ⋯μr-1εr-2+ (-μr-1)εr-1 +(-μr-1-1) εr,if 𝔤= 𝔰𝔬2r. In particular, sℓεi=0 if 0<ℓ<i, and sℓεi= ss1s2⋯si-1∘ℓεi =(-1)i-1 s(ℓ-i+1)ε1+ε2+⋯+εi =(-1)i-1 s(ℓ-i+1,1i-1) if 0<i≤ℓ. (4.7) Furthermore, if 𝔤=𝔰𝔬2r+1 or 𝔰𝔭2r, then si⋯sr-1 srsr-1⋯ si∘(-ℓεi) =si⋯sr-1 sr∘ ( -(εi+⋯+εr-1) -(ℓ-(r-i))εr ) = si⋯sr-1∘ ( -(εi+⋯+εr-1) +(ℓ-(r-i)-(y-2r+1)) εr ) = ( ℓ-(r-i)- (y-2r+1)- (r-i) ) εi= (ℓ+2i-y-1)εi. (4.8) Similarly, if 𝔤=𝔰𝔬2r, then si⋯sr-2 srsr-1⋯ si∘(-ℓεi) =si⋯sr-2 sr∘ ( -(εi+⋯+εr-1) -(ℓ-(r-i))εr ) = si⋯sr-2∘ ( -(εi+⋯+εr-2) +(ℓ-(r-i)-1) εr-1 ) = ( ℓ-(r-i)- 1- (r-i-1) ) εi= (ℓ+2i-y-1)εi. (4.9) So, letting Wε1 be the stabilizer of ε1, |Wε1|=2r-1(r-1)!, and combining (4.7) and (4.8) gives 1|Wε1| mε1(ℓ) = ∑i=1r q2ℓ⟨εi,ρ⟩ sεi+ q2ℓ⟨-εi,ρ⟩ s-εi= { q2ℓ⟨ε1,ρ⟩ sε1+q-2eλ⟨εr,ρ⟩ sε-r if 𝔤=𝔰𝔬2r+1, q2ℓ⟨ε1,ρ⟩ sε1 if 𝔤=𝔰𝔭2r  or 𝔤=𝔰𝔬2r. = qℓ(y-1) sε1-awhere  a= { q-ℓs0 if 𝔤=𝔰𝔬2r+1 0 otherwise, (4.10) since 1+2i-y-1=0 has a solution exactly if i=r and 𝔤=𝔰𝔬2r+1. If ℓ>0 then using det ( si⋯sr-1sr sr-1⋯si ) =-1=-det ( si⋯sr-2 srsr-1⋯si ) , ℓ+2i-y-1-(i-1)=ℓ-y+i, and (4.7), equations (4.8) and (4.9) give q2⟨-εi,ρ⟩ s-ℓεi= { -q-ℓs0, if ℓ=y+1-2i  and 𝔤= 𝔰𝔬2r+1  or 𝔰𝔭2r, q-ℓs0, if ℓ=y+1-2i  and 𝔤=𝔰𝔬2r, (-1)i q-(y-2i+1) s(ℓ-y+i,1i-1), if ℓ-y+i≥1, 0, otherwise. Since ℓ-y+i≥1 when i≥y-ℓ+1, 1|Wε1| mℓε1(1/ℓ) = ∑i=1r q2⟨εi,ρ⟩ sℓεi+ q2⟨-εi,ρ⟩ s-ℓεi = ( ∑i=1min(ℓ,r) qy-2i+1 (-1)i-1 s(ℓ-i+1,1i-1) ) -b+ ( ∑i=max(y-ℓ+1,1)r q-(y-2i+1) (-1)i s(ℓ-y+u,1i-1) ) where b=0 if ℓ ≥y, and if ℓ<y  then b is given by ℓ is odd ℓ is even 𝔤=𝔰𝔬2r+1 q-ℓs0 0 𝔤=𝔰𝔭2r 0 q-ℓs0 𝔤=𝔰𝔬2r 0 -q-ℓs0 (so that b is nonzero exactly when ℓ=y+1-2i has a solution with 1≤i≤r). Then reindexing (with m=ℓ-i+1 in the first sum and m=ℓ-y+i in the second sum) gives 1|Wε1| mℓε1(1/ℓ) = -b+ ∑m=max(ℓ-r+1,1)ℓ (-1)ℓ-m qy-2(ℓ-m)-1 s(m,1ℓ-m+1-1) + ∑m=max(y-ℓ+1,1)ℓ-y+r qy-2(ℓ-m)-1 (-1)m-ℓ+y s(m,1m-ℓ+y-1). Notice that the last sum appears only if ℓ>y-r.

Theorem 4.3 applied in the case that λ=ε1 gives ZV(ℓ) = ε(id⊗qtrV) ((zℛ21ℛ)ℓ) =εzℓΨℓ (sε1)=ε (εqy)ℓ Ψℓ ( q-ℓ(y-1) ( 1|Wε1| mε1(ℓ)+a ) ) = εℓ+1aℓ ( 1|Wε1| Ψℓ (mε1(ℓ))+a ) =εℓ+1qℓ ( 1|Wε1| Ψ1 (mℓε1(1/ℓ)) +a ) = εℓΨ1 ( εqℓ ( mℓε1(1/ℓ) |Wε1| +a ) ) = εℓΨ1 ( εqℓ(a-b)+z ∑m=max(ℓ-r+1,1)ℓ (-1)ℓ-m q-(ℓ-2m+1) s(m,1ℓ-m+1-1) +z∑m=max(ℓ-r+1,1)ℓ-y+r q-(ℓ-2m+1) (-1)m-ℓ+y s(m,1m-ℓ+y-1) ) , since z=εqy. The result follows since c=εqℓ(a-b).

□

We would like to connect Corollary 4.4 to the Harish-Chandra images of the parameters ZV(ℓ) computed in Corollary 3.6. In order to do so, we will use the following result from [TWe1217386, Lemma 3.5.1] (also see [Dri1990, Prop. 5.3]).

Let 𝔤 be a finite-dimensional complex Lie algebra with a symmetric nondegenerate ad-invariant bilinear form and let U=Uh𝔤 be the corresponding Drinfeld-Jimbo quantum group with R-matrix ℛ. Let ν be a dominant integral weight so that the irreducible module L(ν) of highest weight ν is finite-dimensional and let sν be the Weyl character of L(ν). Then (id⊗qtrL(ν)) (ℛ21ℛ)acts on  L(μ) by ev2(μ+ρ) (sν)idL(μ), where evγ:ℂ[𝔥*]→ℂ are the algebra homomorphisms given by evγ(eτ)=q⟨γ,τ⟩ for γ,τ∈𝔥*.

For 𝔤=𝔰𝔬2r+1, 𝔰𝔭2r or 𝔰𝔬2r the Turaev-Wenzl identity almost provides an inverse to the Harish-Chandra homomorphism. With ε1,…,εr as in (2.9), converting variable alphabets from Y=∑i∈Vˆ eεito X=∑i∈Vˆ Li2,then ev2λ(sμ(Y)) =evλ(sμ(X)). Thus, Theorem 4.5 in combination with the Harish-Chandra isomorphism in Theorem 3.1 says that evμ(π0(Ψ1(sν)))= ev2(μ+ρ)sν(Y)= evμ+ρsν(X)= evμ(σρ(sν(X))). Hence π0(Ψ1(sν))= σρ(sν(X)). (4.11) The modification rules of [KTe1987, §2.4] are used to convert the universal Weyl characters appearing in Corollary 3.6 to actual Weyl characters sλ. In general, either spλ(X)=0 or there is a unique dominant weight μ and a uniquely determined sign such that spλ(X)=±sμ, and similarly for the orthogonal cases. In particular, if ℓ(λ)<r then spλ(X)=sλ in the symplectic case and soλ(X)=sλ in the orthogonal case [KTe1987, Prop. 2.2.1]. In view of (4.11), the conversion from universal Weyl characters to actual Weyl characters provides the equivalence between Corollary 4.4 and Corollary 3.6.

Notes and references

This is a typed exert of the paper Affine and degenerate affine BMW algebras: Actions on tensor space by Zajj Daugherty, Arun Ram and Rahbar Virk.

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