Hilbert's fourteenth problem for non-reductive groups

The main results of this paper are concerned with a modern version of Hilbert's fourteenth problem. The setting is as follows. Let G be an affine algebraic group over an algebraically closed field k. Let X be an affine variety over k on which G acts regularly and let k[X] be the algebra of regular functions on X. The action of G on X gives rise to an action on k[X]. Let \(k[X]^ G\) denote the subalgebra of k[X] consisting of those functions which are fixed by G. We ask: is \(k[X]^ G\) a finitely generated k-algebra? For algebraic groups which are not reductive, the only affirmative answer known until recently was Weitzenböck's theorem [cf. \textit{R. Weitzenböck}, Acta Math. 58, 231-293 (1932; Zbl 0004.24301)]. He proved that if the additive group \({\mathbb{C}}\) acts on a vector space, then the algebra of invariant functions is finitely generated. Seshadri's proof of this theorem shows that finite generation for \({\mathbb{C}}\) is inherited from the finite generation for the reductive group \(SL_ 0({\mathbb{C}}).\) The present paper is concerned with a class of subgroups of (arbitrary) reductive groups which also inherit finite generation. An affine algebraic group G operates on itself by right multiplication and this gives an action of G on k[G]. When G is reductive and H is a closed subgroup of G, the following conditions on H are equivalent: (i) k[G]\({}^ H\) is a finitely generated k-algebra; (ii) if X is any affine variety on which G acts, then \(k[X]^ H\) is a finitely generated k- algebra. In this paper, two theorems are proved concerning condition (i). These theorems provide a framework for many of the known examples and lead to large classes of new examples. In stating them, we denote \(k[G]^ H\) by H'. Theorem. Let k be an algebraically closed field, let G be a connected reductive algebraic group over k, and let H be a connected observable subgroup of G. Let L be a connected algebraic subgroup of G such that H is normal in L and \(S=L/H\) is semi-simple. Let \(U_ L\) be any maximal unipotent subgroup of L. Then H' is a finitely generated k-algebra if and only if \((U_ LH)'\) is. - Theorem. Let G be a simply connected semi- simple algebraic group and let \(B=TU\) be a Borel subgroup of G. Let H be a connected subgroup of U which is normalized by T and let \(\alpha_ 1,...,\alpha_ r\) be roots such that \(U=HU_{\alpha_ 1}...U_{\alpha_ r}.\) If \(\{\alpha_ 1,...,\alpha_ r\}\) is linearly independent over \({\mathbb{Q}}\), then H' is a finitely generated k-algebra.

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