English

Module structure of the Lie algebra $W_n(K)$ over $sl_n(K)$

Rings and Algebras 2025-05-29 v1

Abstract

Let K\mathbb K be an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero, A=K[x1,,xn]A = \mathbb K[x_1,\dots,x_n] the polynomial ring, and let Wn(K)W_n(\mathbb K) denote the Lie algebra of all K\mathbb K-derivations on AA. The Lie algebra Wn:=Wn(K)W_n := W_n(\mathbb K) admits a natural grading Wn=i1Wn[i]W_n = \bigoplus_{i \ge -1} W^{[i]}_n, where Wn[i]W^{[i]}_n consists of all homogeneous derivations whose coefficients are homogeneous polynomials of degree i+1i+1 or zero. The component Wn[0]W^{[0]}_n is a subalgebra of WnW_n and is isomorphic to gln(K).\mathfrak{gl}_n(\mathbb K). Moreover, each Wn[i]W_n^{[i]} for i1i \ge -1 is a finite-dimensional module over Wn[0]W_n^{[0]}. We prove that Wn[i],  i0W^{[i]}_n,\; i \ge 0 is a sum of two irreducible submodules Wn[i]=MiNiW^{[i]}_n = M_i \oplus N_i, where MiM_i consists of all divergence-free derivations, and NiN_i consists of derivations that are polynomial multiples of the Euler derivation En=i=1nxixiE_n = \sum_{i=1}^n x_i \frac{\partial}{\partial x_i}. As a consequence, we show that the standard grading is exact in certain sense, namely: [Wn[i],Wn[j]]=Wn[i+j][W^{[i]}_n, W^{[j]}_n] = W^{[i+j]}_n for all i,j,i,j, except when i=j=0i = j = 0. We also address the question of when the subalgebra of WnW_n generated by Wn[1]Wn[0],W_n^{[-1]} \oplus W_n^{[0]}, together with an additional element from Wn,W_n, equals the entire Lie algebra WnW_n.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2505.21709,
  title  = {Module structure of the Lie algebra $W_n(K)$ over $sl_n(K)$},
  author = {Y. Chapovskyi and A. Petravchuk},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2505.21709},
  year   = {2025}
}