On visual representations of Lie algebras: the type \(A_l\) between the old and the new (Q1949996)

The aim of the paper is, by way of elementary examples, to give an indication of the intriguing relationship between the representation theory of a path algebra \(\Gamma\) over a quiver of finite Dynkin type, \(X\) say, and certain finite-dimensional representations of the semisimple complex Lie algebra \(L\) of type \(X\). This is achieved by a combinatorial tool: As soon as the quiver \(X\) has been given an orientation, the indecomposable modules of \(\Gamma\) can be viewed as labelling the vertices of the associated Auslander-Reiten (AR) quiver. Now, Gabriel's Theorem says that, by virtue of dimension vectors, the vertices of the AR quiver are in bijection with the positive roots in the root system associated with \(X\). Hence the question arises whether also the oriented edges of the AR quiver can be given a Lie theoretic interpretation. At least for linearly oriented quivers of type \(A\) this indeed is the case: The AR quiver coincides with the weight graph of the adjoint representation of \(L\) on its positive nilpotent part. The distinguishing feature here is that the representation of \(L\) in question only has one-dimensional weight spaces. Two more examples of this phenomenon are discussed for linearly and non-linearly oriented quivers of type~\(A\).