Vol. 49 (2002) REPORTS ON MATHEMATI CAL PHYSI CS No.

213
ON THE COMPATIBILITY OF Z- AND Z2-GRADATIONS
AT STRANGE LIE SUPERALGEBRAS P(N) POINTED OUT
BY THE J ACOBI IDENTITY
BEATA MEDAK
Institute of Mathematics and Physics, Academy of Siedlce,
3 Maj Str. 54, Siedlce O&110, Poland
(e-mail: bmedakQap.siedlce.pl)
(Received August 28, 2001 - Revised February 1, 2002)
We prove that there exists no maximal BCH-invertible subalgebra of P(n) that
can be imagined as and called skew with respect to Zgradation of P(n).
Keywords: Lie superalgebra, Lie supergroup, Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula,
nilpotency, Jacobi identity.
1. Introduction
Lie superalgebras are &-graded Lie algebras. Linear Lie superalgebras gl(p, q)
can be viewed as double graded algebras since decomposition of block matrices of
odd elements into matrices whose three of four block matrices are zero matrices,
induces &gradation, see [4]. The later gradation may not be inherited by subal-
gebras of gl(p, q); an example is provided by orthosymplectic Lie superalgebras.
This is in contrast to the case of strange Lie superalgebras P(n) which are
clearly Z-graded. I n this work we prove that each maximal invertible subalgebra
of P(n) is Z-graded as well (invertibility means that the exponent of the subal-
gebra in question locally determined via the Baker-Campbell-HausdorfI formula
is invertible though it can be nonassociative), cf. [2].
2. The main notions
A natural way to enrich the theory and domain of Lie algebra is to consider
graded Lie algebras. There are two most popular gradations applied to Lie al-
gebras and their generalizations: lo &-gradation which determines an extension
PO51
306 BEATA MEDAK
allowing us to extend the domain of Lie algebra to that of the so-called Lie super-
algebras, and 2 Z-gradation which provides us with a huge domain of &graded
Lie algebras.
DEFINITION 1. A Lie superalgebra is a pair G = (G, (. , -)), where G = Go @
Gi is a &-graded linear space, real or complex, (Z2 = ((0, l}, 4, a)), with $
denoting addition mod 2, and (e , -) being a bilinear G-valued form such that
(zi, yi) = -(-l)ij (y+i) E Giij, zi E G,
~j E Gj, (1)
and that the J acobi &-identity holds:
(zi7 (Yj7 z>>- ((xi7 Yj) 7 2) - (-ljij (Yj, (xi, z>>= 0.
(2)
We call Go the even part of G and Gi the odd part of G.
I f for all zr, yi E G1 one has (21, yi) = 0, then G is a Lie algebra and a Lie
superalgebra simultaneously. I n such a case we call G a Q-graded Lie algebra if
Gi # 0 and an even Lie algebra if Gr = 0.
A fundamental example is the linear Lie superalgebra G = gl(p, q) whose parts
Go and Gi consist of matrices of the type respectively:
[f !]y [I I ;]y
where
a = aPxp, b = bqxq, c = cpxq, d = dqxp
are matrix blocks and the bracket of elements xi E Gi, yj E Gj is defined by
(Xi, Yj) := XiYj - (-l)ijYjXi.
The above form will be called a supercommutator.
The adjective fundamental that characterizes the present example is well
motivated by a super-generalization of the famous Ado theorem, that is the
Ado-Kac theorem, which states that each finite dimensional complex Lie superal-
gebra can be represented as a subalgebra of gl(p, q) for suitable p, q (this theorem
may fail for real Lie superalgebras, cf. [ll]).
DEFINITION 2. A Z-graded Lie superalgebra is a pair c = (c, (. , - )), where
?!? = C Gx is a Z-graded vector space and the formulae (1) and (2) hold in the
i&Z
sense of the ring Z of integers, so that we have for instance
( >
q, q E G;,?, for z;EG;, QEGT, i,j~Z.
ON THE COMPATIBILITY OF Z AND &-GRADATIONS 307
A fundamental relation between Lie superalgebras and &graded Lie superal-
gebras is that
lo each linear Lie superalgebra can be transformed into a Z-graded Lie superal-
gebra by putting
c := G, G, := 0, i # -l,O, 1, GC := Go
and letting Gi, Gq be represented by
[: ;]y [: :]I
respectively, and
2O to each Zgraded Lie superalgebra we can subordinate some Lie superalgebra
if we put
G := c, Go := c G;, G1 := c G;.
i is even 7 is odd
The studies of last decade suggest that the theory of &graded Lie algebras
reveals a lot of surprising phenomena, e.g. S. Kaneuki proved that there exist
exactly 34 nonisomorphic exceptional simple real Z-graded Lie algebras L such
2
that L = C Li, Lo # 0, see [5]. We can expect that the studies of Z-graded Lie
i=-2
superalgebras will surprise us many times as well.
We have to recall that certain (but not all) popular subalgebras of G = gl(p, q)
are also Z-graded.
As a superanalogue of the orthogonal algebra o(p) orthosymplectic algebras
osp(p, r) are considered. Elements of such Lie superalgebras are represented by
matrices of the following type:
where
a=apxp, b=b,,,, c=c,.~~, d=drxr, a=-aT, c=cT, d=dr,
x = xpxr, Y = Ypxr-
A novelty that appears in the theory of Lie superalgebras is the existence
of two countable series of Lie superalgebras Q(n) and P(n) which are called
strange and have no analogue in the theory of Lie algebras. Let us consider
the case of P(n) for n > 3.
308 BEATA MEDAK
DEFINITION 3. Let Pe(n) = sl(n) b e understood in the sense of vector spaces
and put PI(~) = gl(n) = s(n) $ ( ), a n w h ere s(n) and a(n) consist of symmetric
and skew-symmetric matrices, respectively. The values of the brackets (. , -) in
P(n) are the following:
(x,x) := xx - xx,
(5, s) := xs + sxT =: -(s, x),
(x, u) := -xTa - ux =: -(a, x),
(s, a) := su =: (a, s),
(SS) = (u,u) := 0,
where x,x E PO(n), a, u E a(n), s, s E s(n).
Remark: The notation Pi(n) := s(n), Px(n) := a(n) will be used by us.
The latter algebra is defined as a &-graded subalgebra of gl(p, 9). Elements
of the Lie superalgebra P(n) are represented by matrices of the type:
[z sT],where trx=O, s=sT, a=-uT, x,s,uarenxnmatrices
(in the complex case this is an explicit realization of the Ado-Kac theorem).
Thus, the above superalgebra
P(n) = PO(n) 63 J?(n) = PO(n) Cl3 e(n) @e(n)
is provided with two gradations, Zz and Z.
DEFINITION 4. We say that a subalgebra S c gl(p, q) is Z-skew if there exists
~l~Srsuchthatxr=xi+x~andxi$!Sorx~$S.
3. BCH-invertible Lie superalgebras
A proper superphenomenon in the theory of Lie superalgebras considered
by J. Czyi is determined by the following third-order equalities
(6 WI)) = 0, ) (3)
(Go, (G, GI)) = 0. (4
) The above equality implies that on G the classical Jacobi identity and the Jacobi &-
identity (2) coincide.
ON THE COMPATIBILITY OF z- AND ~&-GFLADATIONS 309
Lie superalgebras G satisfying (3) are called BCH ones while those for which
(4) holds are called BCH-invertible, cf. [2,3] and [9], p. 128. The above names
reflect group-like properties of Lie superalgebras and their generalized Hausdorff
series which can be defined in a similar way as the Hausdorff series occurring in
the classical BCH-formula (Baker, Campbell, Hausdorff) for Lie groups and Lie
algebras. Namely in any popular analytic expression for the Hausdorff series (like
the formulae due to Baker and Hausdorff, Dynkin, and so on, cf. [3]), with initial
terms
h~~,y~=~+y+~~~,yl+~~~,~~,yl1-~~y,~~,yll+~~~,
x,yE L.
where L is a Lie algebra, we should replace all square Lie algebra brackets [. , -1
by round ones (. , -) of Lie super-algebra G and in this way we get the series
H(x, y) = x + y + $x, Y) + &XT (XT Y>> - &YY (x7 Y>> + . * *
X,YEG
whose convergence domain contains a product of two O-centered balls in G having
a positive (if not infinite) radius.
In view of the Ado-Kac theorem we can consider a matrix representation of
G and then define the socalled BCH-product * by putting
ex * eY := eHtx?Y)
where ex :=
O 1
7
c
n=O
ax.
The above definition depends on a particular choice of the summation bracket-
polynomial formula generating the Hausdorff series. And so if we take into ac-
count the formula with terms maximally symmetric with respect to x, y and [. , -1
for which we have
fi(x,y) = x+y+~[s,Y1-~~Y,~l+~~~r~~~Yll
- -&x,[Y,xll+ -$Y7Xl,21 - ~IkhY144 +***
then the corresponding BCH-product is locally isomorphic to the group multi-
plication of the group-exponent exp G of a Lie algebra G whose set of elements
coincides with G and the Lie bracket is defined by
b,YIN := (X,Y> - hY1) *
(5)
On the other hand, if we take into account any of the formulae used in litera-
ture to define the Hausdorff series (four such definitions are quoted in [3]) then the
310 BEATA MEDAK
corresponding BCH-product is locally isomorphic to the multiplication in expG
if (3) holds or otherwise is not associative for some 2, y, z E G. What is more,
the BCH-product in question is locally invertible and defines the same left and
right inverse elements if and only if the equality (4) holds (which is weaker than
(3)). This is why any Lie superalgebra with (4) has been called BCH-invertible,
cf. [2,3,8].
We should distinguish proper BCH-invertible Lie superalgebras which satisfy
(4) but fail (3). Then the corresponding BCH-product is locally invertible but
not associative (it is associative in terms of the first and the second but not of the
third order). Lie superalgebras of this type are called we& BCH, cf. [2,3]. D.
Burta proved in [l] that the domain of all weak BCH Lie superalgebras consists
of three nonempty components according to
Q := (a, (~O,Yl>> = 0,
P := (w (%Yl>> = 0,
a#0 and /3#0.
(6)
for all zc,zr, yr. Burta analysed the G-valued operation of Ottomar Loos,
p (e, eg) := (ex * (eY)-> * e,
cf. [6], where 2, y are suitably bounded and checked Looss axioms of locally
symmetric space in the context of p. He showed that the difference between ,X
and the Loos function ji corresponding to the Lie algebra G given in (5) takes
even values if the first equation in (6) holds and takes odd ones if the second one
is true. Hence weak BCH Lie superalgebras determined by a) and the second
equation in (6) are called even and odd symmetric, resp.; in the case of c) we
call them &-asymmetric. Thus the first two equations together with (4) define
a kind of partial graded symmetry.
The Looss axiom turns out to be useful when proving that the antipodal
(duality) map e H e- on any weak BCH Lie superalgebra G is not a local
isomorphism, i.e. there exist z, y E G such that (zy)- = ~-y-~ is not true, see
111.
4. A sort of parallelism between Zs- and Z-gradation of P(n)
Fact: All nontrivial (i.e. noneven and proper) subalgebras of orthosymplec-
tic subalgebras are Z-skew.
ON THE COMPATIBILITY OF z AND &-GI-L~DATIoNS 311
To explain the above property let us observe that if zr # 0, then zr = ~i+~~
and xi $ ort (p, r) and zq # ort (p, r), because zr is a sum of
[*I E ort(z4 4, [+] E @P,$,
and the above elements cannot be decomposed into xi + 27 in ort (p, r). Thus
the above fact is true.
The above case is opposite to that of strange Lie superalgebras P(n) which
are clearly Z-graded. We will prove that some subalgebras of P(n) are &graded
as well.
STATEMENT. Each maximal BCH-invertible subalgebra of P(n) is a Z-graded
subspace of P(n) ( in other words, there is no mtimal BCH-invertible subalgebra
of P(n) that would be skew with respect to Z-gradation of P(n), i.e. Z-skew).
Proof:
a) At the beginning we prove that no maximal Z-skew, &-graded Lie algebras
exist in P(n). So assume that a superalgebra G = Gc C?J G1 of this kind exists.
Then we have
and
V(O#Z~ EGO) x~=xT+z~=s+~, Zi#O, CC~#O
(21, ~1) = sa = 0,
where s is a symmetric n x n matrix, while a is a skew-symmetric n x n matrix.
The above equality determines a basis which diagonalizes s and a. For this basis
we have
s=[: i], a=[: i].
Then elements belonging to Gr are of the form
3 0
[ 3
0 E
and we have
(GI , GI ) = 0, (Go, GI ) c Gr.
Now we have to construct a I &graded subalgebra c c P(n) such that G c ??
and ?? is not Z-skew. Let us define
&=Go@&
El := prq(,)Gl@ pr+(,)Gr ,
with pr denoting projection.
312 BEATA MEDAK
Then the following relations are satisfied:
This means that the subalgebra G, which is a &-graded Lie algebra, is not
maximal.
b) We prove that no maximal I&skew &-graded BCH-invertible subalgebras
exist in P(n).
bl) Assume that a maximal Z-skew &-graded BCH-invertible subalgebra G =
Go @ Gr exists and it is such that Gr = {S + a}, s # 0, a # 0 ({c} means a
real line passing through 0 and c). Then sa E Go and we can define a subspace
Gb := (Gr, Gr) = {su}. Assume moreover that Go = Gb.
Let us define two sets:
c=Go$& where Er = {s} @ {u}
and
z. := (&cr) = {su} = (GI,Gl) = G; = Go
sothatGCc,G#c.
We have to prove that
(Go&) c cr.
This is a consequence of the equality
(Go&) = 0,
which follows from
(su, s) = sus + s(su)T = sus - sus = 0,
(su, u) = -(su)% - usa = usu - usu = 0.
The condition of BCH-invertibility for c holds as well, since
(Go, (&Cl)) = (Go&) = (Go&) = 0.
(7)
(8)
Thus G is not maximal.
ON THE COMPATIBILITY OF Z AND &-GRADATIONS 313
b2) I n the general case, when {s + o} c GI , we put
and
Then
s+a~Gl, S E CT, ad-q
({s + a}, {SI + c {m} (~1) =$ (%CI) = (Gl, G) = Gb c Go
and the inclusion (7) can be proved as follows. I n view of (Go, Gr ) c G1, we have
s+a~Gl, XEG~=S
(x, s + a) = (x, s) + (x, u) = fs iyx; \xTa_- UJ E G1.
EC& ECq
Therefore
and hence
(z, s) 6 pre(n)Gr and (x, a) E p+-+)Gr,
({x1, is) @W) c a.
This implies (7). I t is clear that G C G and G # E. A proof of BCH-invertibility
is similar as was in (8) and so the statement has been proved. El
The property of P(n) and its subalgebras described in our statement can be
viewed as the lack of some abstract rigidity or fragility of the studied spaces.
There is a vast family of BCH-invertible subalgebras of P(n) with n = 3,4,. . .
to which belong some weak BCH ones if n = 4,5,. . . . Two types of the latter
subalgebras have been pointed out in [8]: the first ones > (2m), m = 2, . . ., are
called even-diagonal and the even part of them is composed of traceless diagonal
matrices while the matrices s and a occurring in Definition 3 are quasi-diagonal
and have as nonzero blocks
314 BEATA MEDAK
respectively, the second ones $ (41c), k = 1,. . ., are called quadrate-nilpotent
and their even elements z and blocks s and a of odd elements are given by
0 A
2= 0 0 s=
[ 1
B
x 0
0 0
-+
XT0 o
0 0
1. .I,,+
_l
1
7
where the matrices X, C are k x k, A, B, C are 2k x 2k, B = BT, D = -DT and
7 denotes transposition.
Burta proved that $ (4), which is of (3,4)-dimension is odd-symmetric and
the (16,24)-dimensional subalgebra .? (8) is Z2-asymmetric. We do not know
whether or not any even-symmetric weak BCH subalgebra of P(n) exists.
Acknowledgement
I would like to thank J . Czyi who has consulted my work. Furthermore, I
thank D. Burta, K. Napi6rkowski and S. Woronowicz for constructive remarks.
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