Fall 2011

Matthias Strauch

M 507 Lie Algebras - Homework 13

If not stated otherwise, F denotes an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero.
(1) Let L be a semisimple Lie algebra over F , H L a Cartan subalgebra,  pL, H q the root system
of L with respect to H, a base, the set of positive roots determined by and
B

 B p q  H `

the Borel subalgebra attached to .

(a) Show
that B
: H ` P L
is the Borel subalgebra of L corresponding to

N
 P L
is nilpotent, and that L  N
` B, as F -vector spaces.

,

that

Remark. B
is often called the opposite Borel subalgebra, or Borel subalgebra opposite to B.
(b) Deduce that the multiplication map U pN
q
isomorphism of F -vector spaces.

bF U pB q U pLq,

i ai

b bi

(2) Verma modules. Let the notation be as in problem 1, and consider an element P H 
(a) Show that there is a unique homomorphism U pH q
, which agrees with on the subspace H U pH q.

i ai bi ,

is an

 HomF pH, F q.

of F -algebras, again to be denoted by

(b) Prove that there is a unique extension of : U pH q F to a homomorphism

of F -algebras
B : U pB q F . Show that B necessarily maps N B U pB q to t0u, where N  P L .

Hint. Use that for every P there is h P H z kerpq, and hx
xh  rh, xs in U pB q, for all x P L .

(b) Denote by F the one-dimensional U pB q-module whose underlying vector space is F , and on
which U pB q acts by b.1  B pbq, for all b P U pB q. Put M pq  U pLq bU pB q F , and consider this as
a U pLq-module by left multiplication. Show that the canonical map U pN
q M pq, n n b 1, is
an isomorphism of F -vector spaces.
Remark. M pq is called a Verma module.1 M pq has a unique irreducible quotient V pq, and the
Jordan-Holder series of the M pq have been the subject of intensive research, culminating in the
Kazhdan-Lusztig conjectures, beautiful solutions of which have been given by Beilinson-Bernstein
and Brylinsky-Kashiwara in the early 1980s. See S. L. Kleiman, The Development of Intersection
Homology Theory2, for a historical account. The methods employed in these works continue to play
a vital role in representation theory (cf. R. Hotta, K. Takeuchi, T. Tanisaki, D-modules, Perverse
Sheaves, and Representation Theory).

problem 3

Comments, corrections and queries can be sent to me at mstrauch@indiana.edu

1M pq is denoted by Z pq in Humphreys, Introduction to Lie Algebras and Representation Theory, but the notation M pq

is more common and is used in, e.g., Humphreys, Representations of Semisimple Lie Algebras in the BGG Category O.
2http://www.intlpress.com/JPAMQ/p/2007/225-282.pdf

1 0
(3) Let m be a non-negative integer. Put L  sl2 pCq, H  Ch with h 
, and define m P H 
0
1
by m phq  m. Let Pm CrS, T s be the subspace of homogeneous polynomials of
 degree
m (the zero
a b
polynomial is considered to be homogeneous of degree m for any m). For g 
P SL2pCq
c d
and f pS, T q P Pm define
3

pg.f qpS, T q  f paS

and for z

P L put
pz.f qpS, T q  dtd

Put fm pS, T q

Sm.

Show that the map L

cT, bS

etz .f

dT q ,

pS, T q|t0 .

Pm, z z.fm, maps N  C

extends to a homomorphism of U pLq-modules

M pm q  U pLq bU pB q Cm
where B

0 1
0 0

to zero and

Pm , z b 1 z.fm ,

 H ` N is the Borel subalgebra of upper triangular matrices.

Remark. Results about the irreducible representations of sl2 tell us that Pm is an irreducible sl2 representation (in fact, the unique irreducible sl2 -representation of dimension m 1), and we can
hence conclude that Pm is the unique irreducible quotient of the Verma module M pm q.

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