The branching rules of conformal embeddings (Q921102)

Let \(\mathfrak g\) be a complex semisimple Lie algebra and \(\hat{\mathfrak g}\) the associated affine Lie algebra. If \(V\) is an integrable highest weight representation of \(\hat{\mathfrak g}\) then, by a construction of Sugawara, there is a representation of the Virasoro algebra on \(V\) which intertwines with that of \(\hat{\mathfrak g}\). An embedding \(\mathfrak p\subset\mathfrak g\) of semisimple Lie algebras is called conformal if the central charges of the Virasoro representations associated to the representations of \(\hat{\mathfrak p}\) and \(\hat{\mathfrak g}\) on \(V\) are the same. The branching rules are the decomposition of \(V\) under \(\hat{\mathfrak p}\). The authors study the case \(\mathfrak{sl}(m)\oplus\mathfrak{sl}(n)\subset\mathfrak{sl}(mn)\), with \(V\) being a level 1 representation, which is conformal for \(m,n>1\). Applications are given to the construction of modular invariant partition functions.