Local finiteness of the adjoint action for quantized enveloping algebras (Q1204458)

This paper is concerned with the quantum enveloping algebra \(U:=U_ q({\mathfrak g})\) of a Kac-Moody Lie algebra \(\mathfrak g\) with symmetrizable Cartan matrix. More precisely, it is known that the adjoint action on \(U\) is not locally finite unless (\(\mathfrak g\) is finite-dimensional and) \(q\) is an odd root of unity; this paper measures this lack of local finiteness precisely by showing that \(U\) is free of finite rank over an appropriate localization of the subalgebra \(F\) of \(U\) on which the adjoint action is locally finite. If \(\mathfrak g\) is infinite-dimensional, a similar result holds with \(F\) replaced by the largest integrable submodule \(I\) of \(U\). The authors also study the most important subalgebra of \(F\), namely the center \(Z\) of \(U\). They construct an analogue of the Harish-Chandra isomorphism together with an explicit inverse which leads to a presentation of \(Z\) in specific examples. A surprise is that \(Z\) need not be a polynomial algebra. Throughout the authors seek to make the applications as wide as possible by working in three settings: over the field of rational functions in one variable, over the ring of Laurent polynomials, and over the latter of these specialized at a root of unity.