\({\mathcal W}_{1+\infty}\) and \({\mathcal W}(gl_ N)\) with central charge \(N\) (Q1894883)

The authors study representations of the unique nontrivial central extension \(\widehat {\mathcal D}\) of the algebra of differential operators on the circle. This algebra is sometimes also referred to as \({\mathcal W}_{1 + \infty}\) algebra. In [\textit{V. Kac}, and \textit{A. Radul}, Commun. Math. Phys. 157, No. 3, 429-457 (1993; Zbl 0826.17027)] quasifinite highest weight representations (i.e. representations for which the homogeneous parts are finite-dimensional) were classified. In this article character formulas for primitive representations of \(\widehat {\mathcal D}\) are obtained. A primitive representation is an ``analytic continuation'' of a quasifinite irreducible unitary representation. It is shown that any primitive representation with central charge \(N\) has a canonical structure of an irreducible representation of the \({\mathcal W}\)-algebras (vertex operator algebra) \({\mathcal W} (gl_N)\) with the same central charge and that all irreducible representations of \({\mathcal W} (gl_N)\) arise in this way. A duality between ``integral'' representations and irreducible representations of \(GL_N (\mathbb{C})\) is given. The authors conjecture that the fusion algebra of integral representations of \({\mathcal W} (gl_N)\) is isomorphic to the representation algebra of \(GL_N (\mathbb{C})\). Vertex operator algebra methods are widely used in the article.