Lie algebras with triality (Q1406768)

The author introduces the notion of a Lie algebra with triality in analogy with the notion of a group with triality defined by \textit{S. Doro} [Math. Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 83, 377-392 (1978; Zbl 0381.20054)]. A Lie algebra \(L\) over a field of characteristic not 2 or 3 is said to have triality if the dihedral group \(S_3\) generated by \(\sigma,\rho\) with \(\sigma^2= \rho^3= \text{id}\) and \(\sigma\rho \sigma=\sigma^2\) acts by automorphisms on \(L\) such that \((x^\sigma-x) +(x^\sigma- x)^\rho+ (x^\sigma-x)^{\rho^2} =0\) for \(x\) in \(L\). The simple Lie algebra \(D_4\) has triality as well as a Lie algebra of an algebraic or Lie group with triality. For any Lie algebra \(L\), the Lie algebra \(T(L)=L_1 \oplus L_2\oplus L_3\), where \(L_1\), \(L_2\) and \(L_3\) are isomorphic to \(L\) has triality where \(\sigma\) interchanges \(L_1\) and \(L_2\) and fixes \(L_3\), while \(\rho\) acts cyclicly. A Lie algebra with triality is called standard if it is isomorphic to some \(T(L)\) or its invariant subalgebra. A main theorem of the paper says that a perfect finite-dimensional Lie algebra over an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero which has triality is an extension of a Lie algebra with triality of type \(D_4\) by a standard Lie algebra with triality. The condition for a Lie algebra \(L\) to have triality is shown to be equivalent to \(L=L_0\oplus L_2\), where \(L_0\) is the \(S_3\)-invariants, and \(L_2\) is a sum of irreducible 2-dimensional \(S_3\)-modules. After a digression studying a generalization of this situation to a variety of algebras, this study is applied to Lie algebras with triality. The result is the construction of two functors, one from Lie algebras with triality to a certain category \(T\) of graded algebras, and the other from \(T\) to Malcev algebras. These functors enable one to obtain the main results about finite-dimensional Malcev algebras over fields of characteristic zero as corollaries of analogous results about Lie algebras. The paper finishes by applying deep results about Malcev algebras to Lie algebras with triality. In particular, he proves that a simple Lie algebra (not necessarily finite-dimensional) with triality is of type \(D_4\).