English

Lie structure of the Heisenberg-Weyl algebra

Rings and Algebras 2024-01-10 v1

Abstract

As an associative algebra, the Heisenberg-Weyl algebra H\mathcal{H} is generated by two elements AA, BB subject to the relation ABBA=1AB-BA=1. As a Lie algebra, however, where the usual commutator serves as Lie bracket, the elements AA and BB are not able to generate the whole space H\mathcal{H}. We identify a non-nilpotent but solvable Lie subalgebra g\mathfrak{g} of H\mathcal{H}, for which, using some facts from the theory of bases for free Lie algebras, we give a presentation by generators and relations. Under this presentation, we show that, for some algebra isomorphism φ:HH\varphi:\mathcal{H}\longrightarrow\mathcal{H}, the Lie algebra H\mathcal{H} is generated by the generators of g\mathfrak{g}, together with their images under φ\varphi, and that H\mathcal{H} is the sum of g\mathfrak{g}, φ(g)\varphi(\mathfrak{g}) and [g,φ(g)]\left[ \mathfrak{g},\varphi(\mathfrak{g})\right].

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2207.11930,
  title  = {Lie structure of the Heisenberg-Weyl algebra},
  author = {Rafael Reno S. Cantuba},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2207.11930},
  year   = {2024}
}