Finite-dimensional simple Lie algebras with a nonsingular derivation (Q1346119)

Let \(L\) be a finite-dimensional Lie algebra over an algebraically closed field \(K\) of characteristic \(p > 0\). A derivation \(D\) of \(L\) is said to be nonsingular if \(Dx \neq 0\) for every nonzero \(x \in L\). It was proved by N. Jacobson in 1955 that if \(L\) is restricted and admits a nonsingular derivation, then \(L\) is nilpotent. In recent studies on pro-\(p\)-groups of finite coclass, Shalev and Zelmanov encountered some nonnilpotent finite- dimensional Lie algebras of prime characteristic admitting nonsingular derivations. Clearly, such Lie algebras cannot be restricted. The paper under review is devoted to classifying all known finite- dimensional simple Lie algebras of characteristic \(p > 3\) admitting a nonsingular derivation. It is proved in the paper that if \(L\) is a finite-dimensional simple Lie algebra of Cartan type or a Melikyan algebra and \(L\) has a nonsingular derivation, then \(L\) is isomorphic to a special Lie algebra \(S(m; {\mathbf n}, \omega)\), where \[ \omega = (1 + x_ 1^{(p^{n_ 1} -1)} \cdots x_ m^{(p^{n_ m} - 1)}) dx_ 1 \wedge \cdots \wedge dx_ m, \] or to a Hamiltonian Lie algebra \(H(m; {\mathbf n}, \omega)\), where \(m = 2s\) and \[ \omega = \sum \limits_{i=1}^ s dx_ i \wedge dx_{i+s} + \sum \limits_{i,j = 1}^ m \alpha_{ij} x_ i^{(p^{n_ i} - 1)} x_ j^{(p^{n_ j}-1)} dx_ i dx_ j, \qquad \alpha_{i,j} \in K, \det(\alpha_{i,j}) \neq 0. \] The authors show how to distinguish between the special and Hamiltonian Lie algebras by the behavior of their nonsingular derivations.