PBW-type filtration on quantum groups of type \(A_{n}\) (Q907343)

Let \(\mathfrak{n}^{-}\) denote the negative part of a simple Lie algebra in a Cartan decomposition and \(U(\mathfrak{n}^{-})\) its enveloping algebra. Assigning degree 1 to the elements of \(\mathfrak{n}^{-}\) considered in \(U(\mathfrak{n}^{-})\), we have an induced filtration on \(U(\mathfrak{n}^{-})\) whose associated graded algebra is isomorphic to a polynomial ring (specifically realised as the symmetric algebra \(S(\mathfrak{n}^{-})\)) as a consequence of the PBW theorem. Furthermore all simple finite-dimensional modules \(V(\lambda)\), \(\lambda\) the highest weight, have an induced filtration with an associated graded \(S(\mathfrak{n}^{-})\)-module. These PBW filtrations have been studied by a number of authors in a variety of contexts -- the present work gives a detailed list with references. The principal aim of this paper is to provide a quantum version of this, namely an \(\mathbb{N}\)-filtration on the negative part \(U_{q}^{-}\) of a quantized enveloping algebra of type \(A_{n}\) such that the associated graded algebra is a quantum polynomial algebra (that is, is generated by elements pairwise commuting up to a power of \(q\)). An analogous statement to that above for (type 1) simple finite-dimensional modules in the quantum setting is proved, showing that the associated graded module is a quotient of the quantum polynomial algebra by a monomial ideal. While this construction is motivated by and valuable for a deeper understanding of the structure of quantum groups, the most notable feature of this work is, in the reviewer's view, the use of representation-theoretic techniques. The required filtration is defined using the Hall algebra construction of the negative part of the quantized enveloping algebra, \(U_{q}^{-}\cong H(Q)\) for \(Q\) an orientation of the corresponding Dynkin diagram, and the authors characterise the degree functions leading to PBW-type filtrations with the required properties wholly in representation-theoretic terms. Specifically it is shown that a degree function on isoclasses of finite-dimensional representations of \(Q\) induces a filtration of the required type if and only if it is of the form \(\deg [M]=\dim \text{Hom}(V,M)\) for \(V\) a representation of \(Q\) containing all non-projective and all simple projective indecomposable representations of \(Q\) as a direct summand (Theorem B, page 323). The paper is very clearly written and includes a number of very helpful explicit examples.