Hyperbolic Weyl groups and the four normed division algebras (Q731922): Difference between revisions

The authors study the Weyl groups of hyperbolic Kac-Moody algebras of ``over-extended'' type and ranks \(3\), \(4\), \(6\) and \(10\), which are intimately linked with the four normed division algebras \(\mathbb K = \mathbb R\), \({\mathbb C}\), \({\mathbb H}\), \({\mathbb O}\), respectively. More precisely, they show that the Weyl groups of all hyperbolic algebras of ranks \(4\), \(6\) and \(10\) which can be obtained by the process of double extension, admit realizations in terms of generalized modular groups over the complex numbers \({\mathbb C}\), the quaternions \({\mathbb H}\), and the octonions \({\mathbb O}\), respectively. For \({\mathbb K} ={\mathbb C}\), the present work on these hyperbolic Weyl groups is a natural extension of [\textit{A. J. Feingold} and \textit{I. B. Frenkel}, Math. Ann. 263, 87--144 (1983; Zbl 0489.17008)], showing in particular that the rank 4 hyperbolics \(A^{++}_2\), \(C^{++}_2\) and \(G^{++}_2\) are naturally connected with certain subrings in the normed division algebra \(\mathbb C\). Analogous results are obtained for all the over-extended rank \(6\) hyperbolics \(A^{++}_4\), \(B^{++}_4\), \(C^{++}_4\), \(D^{++}_4\) and \(F^{++}_4\), whose (even) Weyl groups can be described in terms of quaternionic modular groups. Finally, \({\mathbb K} ={\mathbb O}\), the largest and nonassociative division algebra of octonions, is associated with rank \(10\) hyperbolics, and in particular, the maximally extended hyperbolic Kac-Moody algebra \(E_{10}\). The other two hyperbolic over-extended algebras \(B^{++}_8\) and \(D^{++}_8\) can also be described using octonions. In this work, a crucial role is played by integral lattices of the division algebras and associated discrete matrix groups. The findings can be summarized by saying that the even subgroups of the Kac-Moody Weyl groups are isomorphic to generalized modular groups over \({\mathbb K}\) for the simply laced algebras, and to certain finite extensions thereof for the non-simply laced algebras. This hints at an extended theory of modular forms and functions.