Hyperbolic Kac-Moody algebras of rank 2 (Q1892817)

The structure of the hyperbolic Kac-Moody algebras \(L(A)\) of rank 2 is described. They are defined by the Cartan matrix \(A = (a_{ij})^2_{i,j = 1}\) with elements \(a_{ii} = 2\), \(a_{12} = - a\), \(a_{21} = - b\), where \(a\), \(b \in \mathbb{N}\), \(ab > 4\). For a positive root \(\alpha\) let \(L_\alpha\) denote the subalgebra generated by root vectors \(e_\alpha\), \(e_{- \alpha}\), \(h_\alpha\), where \([e_\alpha, e_{- \alpha}] = h_\alpha \neq 0\). The algebra \(L_\alpha\) is isomorphic to \(sl_2\). The main result of this article is a theorem giving the structure of \(L(A)\) as a module under \(L_\alpha\). The author describes \(L(A)\) as a direct sum of standard modules over \(sl_2\).