Structure of \(n\)-Lie algebras with involutive derivations (Q1729001)

Summary: We study the structure of \(n\)-Lie algebras with involutive derivations for \(n \geq 2\). We obtain that a 3-Lie algebra \(A\) is a two-dimensional extension of Lie algebras if and only if there is an involutive derivation \(D\) on \(A = A_1 \dotplus A_{-1}\) such that \(\dim A_1 = 2\) or \(\dim A_{-1} = 2\), where \(A_1\) and \(A_{-1}\) are subspaces of \(A\) with eigenvalues \(1\) and \(-1\), respectively. We show that there does not exist involutive derivations on nonabelian \(n\)-Lie algebras with \(n=2s\) for \(s \geq 1\). We also prove that if \(A\) is a \((2s+2)\)-dimensional \((2s+1)\)-Lie algebra with \(\dim A^1 = r\), then there are involutive derivations on \(A\) if and only if \(r\) is even, or \(r\) satisfies \(1 \leq r \leq s+2\). We discuss also the existence of involutive derivations on \((2s+3)\)-dimensional \((2s+1)\)-Lie algebras.