Counting representations of quivers over finite fields (Q1977557)

Let \(\mathbb{F}_q\) be a finite field with \(q\) elements. For a quiver \(\vec\Gamma\) with \(n\) vertices, and a fixed dimension vector \(\alpha\in\mathbb{N}^n\), let \(M(q)\) (resp. \(I(q)\); \(A(q)\)) denote the number of isomorphism classes of (indecomposable; abolutely indecomposable) representations of \(\Gamma\) over \(\mathbb{F}_q\) with dimension vector \(\alpha\). Kac proved that \(M(q)\) and \(I(q)\) are rational polynomials, whereas \(A(q)\in\mathbb{Z}[q]\). Furthermore, he showed that all three polynomials merely depend on the underlying graph \(\Gamma\) of \(\vec\Gamma\). If \(\vec\Gamma\) has no edge loops, then \(\Gamma\) defines a Kac-Moody algebra. Then one of Kac's conjectures states that \(A(0)\) is equal to the dimension of the root space of \(\alpha\). The author establishes a formula for \(A(q)\), and proves a multi-variable formal identity which yields a characterization of Kac's conjecture in terms of a combinatorial identity [cf. \textit{B. Sevenhant, M. Van den Bergh}, J. Algebra 221, No. 1, 29-49 (1999; Zbl 0965.16007)].