Cyclic elements in semisimple Lie algebras (Q1949285)

The authors develop a theory of cyclic elements in a finite dimensional semisimple Lie algebra, \(\mathfrak g\). In this case any non-zero nilpotent element \(e\) of \(\mathfrak g\) can be embedded in an \(\mathfrak {sl}_2\)-triple, \(\mathfrak s=\{x,e,f\}\). The eigenspace of \(\mathfrak g\) with respect to ad\(x\) gives a \(\mathbb Z\) grading \(\mathfrak g = \sum\limits_{j=-d}^d\mathfrak g_j\), with \(\mathfrak g_{\pm d} \not= 0\). The positive integer \(d\) is called the \textit{depth} of \(e\). A cyclic element of \(\mathfrak g\) associated to \(e\) is of the form \(e + F\) where F is a non-zero element of \(\mathfrak g_{-d}\). The nilpotent \(e\) is of nilpotent (\textit{semisimple, regular semisimple}) type if \(e+F\) is nilpotent (\textit{any generic \(e+F\) is semisimple, regular semisimple}). Otherwise it is of \textit{mixed} type. Maintaining the above notations it is proven in Theorem 1.1 that \(e\) is of nilpotent type if and only if its depth is odd. The case of even depth is settled using the theory of \(\theta\)-groups and reducing subalgebras. In this paper, a semisimple subalagebra, \(\mathfrak q \subset \mathfrak g\), is called a reducing subalgebra for \(e\), if it is normalized by \(e\) and \(\overline{Z(\mathfrak s)\mathfrak q_{-d}} = \mathfrak g_{-d}\). Then \(e\) is of semisimple type if and only if \(e \in \mathfrak q \) and is of semisimple type in \(q\) (Theorem 3.7). Moreover, if \(e\) is of semisimple type then there exists a reducing subalgebra \(\mathfrak q\) for \(e\) such that \(e\) is of regular semisimple type in \(\mathfrak q\) (Theorem 3.14). Indeed a case by case analysis of the classical Lie algebras reveals that when \(d\) is even then \(\mathfrak g^{\mathfrak s}\) is a reducing subalgebra of \(\mathfrak g\) and the projection of \(e\) in \(\mathfrak g^{\mathfrak s}\) is a nilpotent element of regular semisimple type in \(\mathfrak g^{\mathfrak s}\) (Theorem 4.1). Consequently, the authors are able to obtain the Jordan decomposition of the cyclic elements associated to \(e\) in the classical cases. In the case of the exceptional Lie algebras the classification is given via tables. Finally, the previous results are used to obtain an explicit construction of all regular elements in Weyl groups. This paper contains a wealth of information and should be of interest to researchers working in fields that overlap with those mentioned in the introduction.