The minimal basis for the centre of an Iwahori-Hecke algebra (Q1818824)

Let \(W\) be a Weyl group with a set of generators \(S\) and let \(H_q\) be its Iwahori-Hecke \(Z[q^{1/2},q^{-1/2}]\)-algebra generated by the set \(\{T_s\}_{s\in S}\) with relations: \(T^2_s=qT_1+(q-1)T_s\) and if \(w=s_1s_2\cdots s_i\) is a reduced expression for \(w\) then \(T_w=T_{s_1}\cdots T_{s_i}\). \(H_q\) can be regarded as an algebra over the subring \(\mathbb{Z}[\xi]\) of \(\mathbb{Z}[q^{1/2},q^{-1/2}]\) where \(\xi=q^{1/2}-q^{-1/2}\). Denote by \(H\) the \(\mathbb{Z}[\xi]\)-subalgebra of \(H_q\) generated by \(\{\widetilde T_s\}_{s\in S}\), where \(\widetilde T_s=q^{-1/2}T_s\) for all \(s\in S\). Then \(H_q\cong\mathbb{Z}[q^{1/2},q^{-1/2}]\otimes_{\mathbb{Z}[\xi]}H\), consequently the centre of \(H\) embeds in the centre of \(H_q\). In this paper the author uses a natural definition of positivity in \(H\) to describe a ``minimal'' \(\mathbb{Z}[\xi]\)-basis for \(Z(H)\) in terms of a partial order on the positive part of \(H\). It is shown that for any Weyl group \(W\) this minimal basis is the set of ``primitive'' minimal elements of the positive part of the centre. In addition the primitive minimal positive central elements can be characterized as exactly those positive central elements which specialize, when setting \(\xi=0\), to the sum of elements in a conjugacy class and which apart from the shortest elements from that conjugacy class sum contain no other terms corresponding to shortest elements of any conjugacy class. A construction algorithm is provided for obtaining the minimal basis. Towards the end of the paper the case of non-crystallographic types of Coxeter groups is discussed.