Combinatorial models for Weyl characters (Q696835)

An ``admissible system'' as a set-with-operators satisfying a list of axioms is defined, with a view towards showing that these axioms give a minimal set of properties for understanding the combinatorics of the Weyl character formula for representations of semisimple Lie groups (or algebras), and for symmetrizable Kac-Moody algebras. It is proved that (1) every admissible system has a generating series (``character'') that is a nonnegative sum of Weyl characters, and (2) there is a simple product decomposition rule for multiplying the character by any Weyl character. Two solutions are given to the existence problem of an admissible system whose character is a given Weyl character. ``Thin'' admissible systems are studied. The irreducible systems (called ``tangled'') whose characters are the sums of more than one Weyl character are considered. It is proved that products of minuscule and quasi-minuscule systems suffer no entanglements. It is shown that Littelmann's path model fits the axioms for an admissible system.