The root system of the Lie algebra sl3 (C)

November 2, 2017

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Overview

1 Lie algebra sl3 (C)

2 Root system of sl3 (C)

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Lie algebra sl3 (C)

Definition
The special linear Lie algebra of order 3 (denoted sl3 (C)) is the Lie algebra
of 3 × 3 complex matrices with trace zero and with the Lie bracket
[X , Y ] := XY − YX .

Ex.
 
a b c
d e f  ∈ sl3 (C)
g h −a − e

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Lie algebra sl3 (C)

Basis of sl3 (C)

   
1 0 0 0 1 0
H 1 = 0 0 0  , X1 = 0
 0 0 ,
0 0 −1 0 0 0
   
0 0 0 0 0 1
X2 = 0 0 1 , X3 = 0 0 0 ,
0 0 0 0 0 0
   
0 0 0 0 0 0
H 2 = 0 1 0  , Y1 = 1 0 0 ,
0 0 −1 0 0 0
   
0 0 0 0 0 0
Y2 = 0 0 0 , Y3 = 0 0 0 .
0 1 0 1 0 0

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Lie algebra sl3 (C)

[H1 , X1 ] = H1 X1 − X1 H1
     
1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0
= 0 0 0
  0 0 0 − 0 0 0 0 0 0 
0 0 −1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 −1
   
0 1 0 0 0 0
= 0 0 0 − 0
   0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0
 
0 1 0
= 0 0 0 = X1
0 0 0

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Lie algebra sl3 (C)

Table: Lie bracket multiplication table

[·, ·] H1 X1 X2 X3 H2 Y1 Y2 Y3
H1 0 X1 X2 2X3 0 −Y1 −Y2 −2Y3
X1 −X1 0 X3 0 X1 H 1 − H2 0 −Y2
X2 −X2 −X3 0 0 −2X2 0 H2 Y1
X3 −2X3 0 0 0 −X3 −X2 X1 H1
H2 0 −X1 2X2 X3 0 Y1 −2Y2 −Y3
Y1 Y1 H2 − H1 0 X2 −Y1 0 −Y3 0
Y2 Y2 0 −H2 −X1 2Y2 Y3 0 0
Y3 2Y3 Y2 −Y1 −H1 Y3 0 0 0

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Lie algebra sl3 (C)

Definition
    
 1 0 0 0 0 0 
h := spanC H1 = 0 0 0  , H2 = 0 1 0 
0 0 −1 0 0 −1
 
  
 a 0 0 
=  0 e 0  : a, e ∈ C
0 0 −a − e
 

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Lie algebra sl3 (C)

[·, ·] H1 X1 X2 X3 H2 Y1 Y2 Y3
H1 0 X1 X2 2X3 0 −Y1 −Y2 −2Y3
X1 −X1 0 X3 0 X1 H 1 − H2 0 −Y2
X2 −X2 −X3 0 0 −2X2 0 H2 Y1
X3 −2X3 0 0 0 −X3 −X2 X1 H1
H2 0 −X1 2X2 X3 0 Y1 −2Y2 −Y3
Y1 Y1 H2 − H1 0 X2 −Y1 0 −Y3 0
Y2 Y2 0 −H2 −X1 2Y2 Y3 0 0
Y3 2Y3 Y2 −Y1 −H1 Y3 0 0 0

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Lie algebra sl3 (C)

[·, ·] H1 X1 X2 X3 H2 Y1 Y2 Y3
H1 0 X1 X2 2X3 0 −Y1 −Y2 −2Y3
X1 −X1 0 X3 0 X1 H 1 − H2 0 −Y2
X2 −X2 −X3 0 0 −2X2 0 H2 Y1
X3 −2X3 0 0 0 −X3 −X2 X1 H1
H2 0 −X1 2X2 X3 0 Y1 −2Y2 −Y3
Y1 Y1 H2 − H1 0 X2 −Y1 0 −Y3 0
Y2 Y2 0 −H2 −X1 2Y2 Y3 0 0
Y3 2Y3 Y2 −Y1 −H1 Y3 0 0 0

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Lie algebra sl3 (C)

[H1 , X1 ] = 1 · X1 , [H2 , X1 ] = −1 · X1 ;
[H1 , X2 ] = 1 · X2 , [H2 , X2 ] = 2 · X2 ;
[H1 , X3 ] = 2 · X3 , [H2 , X3 ] = 1 · X3 ;

[H1 , Y1 ] = −Y1 , [H2 , Y1 ] = Y1 ;

[H1 , Y2 ] = −Y2 , [H2 , Y2 ] = −2Y2 ;
[H1 , Y3 ] = −2Y3 , [H2 , Y3 ] = −Y3 .

Definition
Define β1 , β2 , β3 ∈ h∗ as

β1 : h → C β2 : h → C β3 := (β1 + β2 ) : h →C
H1 7→ 1 H1 7→ 1 H1 7→ 2
H2 7→ −1 H2 7→ 2 H2 7→ 1

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Lie algebra sl3 (C)

[H1 , X1 ] = β1 (H1 )X1 , [H2 , X1 ] = β1 (H2 )X1 ;

[H1 , X2 ] = β2 (H1 )X2 , [H2 , X2 ] = β2 (H2 )X2 ;
[H1 , X3 ] = β3 (H1 )X3 , [H2 , X3 ] = β3 (H2 )X3 ;

[H1 , Y1 ] = −β1 (H1 )Y1 , [H2 , Y1 ] = −β1 (H2 )Y1 ;

[H1 , Y2 ] = −β2 (H1 )Y2 , [H2 , Y2 ] = −β2 (H2 )Y2 ;
[H1 , Y3 ] = −β3 (H1 )Y3 , [H2 , Y3 ] = −β3 (H2 )Y3 .

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Lie algebra sl3 (C)

Definition
A linear map adX : sl3 (C) → sl3 (C) by

adX (Y ) = [X , Y ].

The map X 7→ adX is the adjoint map.

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Root system of sl3 (C)

claim
R = {±β1 , ±β2 , ±β3 } becomes a root system A2

A2

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Root system of sl3 (C)

Definition
(βi , βj ) := trace(adHβi ◦ adHβj )

Table: Inner product of h∗

(·, ·) β1 −β1 β2 −β2 β3 −β3
β1 1/3 −1/3 −1/6 1/6 1/6 −1/6
−β1 1/3 1/6 −1/6 −1/6 1/6
β2 1/3 −1/3 1/6 −1/6
−β2 1/3 −1/6 1/6
β3 1/3 −1/3
−β3 1/3

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Root system of sl3 (C)

β2 β3

β1
R

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References

Karin Erdmann and Mark J. Wildon (2006)

Introduction to Lie algebra

Brian Hall (2015)

Lie Groups, Lie Algebras, and Representations. Socond Edition

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The End

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