Classification of left octonionic modules (Q2226217)

The article is devoted to left \(\mathbb{O}\)-modules, where \(\mathbb{O}\) denotes the classical octonion (Cayley) algebra over the real field \(\mathbb{R}\). This is a particular case of modules over alternative algebras. A review of some previous publications is given. The octonion algebra contains the classical quaternion skew field \(\mathbb{H}\) of Hamilton. The octonion algebra considered as the vector space over \(\mathbb{R}\) has the basis \(i_0\), \(i_1,\ldots,i_7\) such that \(i_0=1\), \(i_k^2=-1\) for each \(k=1,\ldots,7\), \(i_ki_l=-i_li_k\) for each \(k\ne l\) such that \(k\ge 1\) and \(l\ge 1\). The subsequent doubling procedures are: \(i_1\) is the doubling generator of the complex field \(\mathbb{C}\) over the real field \(\mathbb{R}\), \(i_2\) is the doubling generator of \(\mathbb{H}\) generated from \(\mathbb{C}\) and \(\mathbb{C}i_2\) such that \(i_3=i_1i_2\), then \(i_4\) denotes the doubling generator of \(\mathbf{O}\) generated from \(\mathbb{H}\) and \(\mathbb{H}i_4\) by the smashed product, where \(i_5\), \(i_6\), \(i_7\) are obtained by multiplication of \(i_1\), \(i_2\), \(i_3\) respectively on \(i_4\) with the corresponding order up to a notation choice and an automorphism of \(\mathbb{O}\). It is nonassociative, for example, \((i_1i_2)i_4=-i_1(i_2i_4)\). The commutator \((i_k,i_j)\) and the associator \((i_k,i_j,i_l)\) belong to \(\mathbb{Z}_2\) for each \(k\), \(j\), \(l\), where \(ab=(ba)(a,b)\) and \((ab)c=(a(bc))(a,b,c)\) for each \(a\), \(b\), \(c\) in \(\mathbf{O}\setminus \{ 0 \} \), \(\mathbb{Z}_2= \{ -1, 1 \} \). There is an involution \(\mathbb{O}\ni z\mapsto \bar{z}\in \mathbb{O}\) such that \(\overline{ab}=\bar{b} \bar{a}\) for each \(a\), \(b\) in \(\mathbb{O}\), \(|b|^2=b\bar{b}\). The octonion division algebra is nonassociative alternative with center \(\mathbb{ R}\) and the multiplicative norm. It is shown in the article that left \(\mathbb{O}\)-modules are of the type \(M=\mathbb{O}^n\bigoplus \bar{\mathbb{O}}^m\). This induces the algebra structure on \(\mathbb{O}^n\). This matter is also described in: \([1]\) [\textit{N. Bourbaki}, Éléments de mathématique. Algèbre. Chapitres 1 à 3. Reprint of the 1970 original. Berlin: Springer (2007; Zbl 1111.00001)]. \([2]\) [\textit{R. D. Schafer}, An introduction to nonassociative algebras. New York and London: Academic Press (1966; Zbl 0145.25601)]. \([3]\) [\textit{R. H. Bruck}, A survey of binary systems. Berlin: Springer-Verlag (1958; Zbl 0081.01704)]. Using the opposite algebra \(\mathbb{O}_o\), or \(\overline{\mathbb{O}}\) obtained by the involution from \(\mathbb{O}\), one gets the standard correspondence between left and right modules, the left module over the enveloping algebra \(\mathbb{O}_e\) also corresponds to the two-sided \(\mathbb{O}\)-module as in [\textit{N. Bourbaki}, (loc. cit.); \textit{R. D. Schafer}, (loc. cit.)]. The algebra \(L(\mathbb{O})\) generated by left multipliers \(L_b\) on \(\mathbb{O}\), \(b\in \mathbb{O}\), with the associative composition obtained by the set-theoretic composition of maps, is isomorphic to the proper subalgebra of the matrix algebra \(Mat_{8\times 8}(\mathbb{R})\) (see [\textit{R. D. Schafer}, (loc. cit.)]) satisfying relations \((5.14)\)-\((5.20)\) in [\textit{R. H. Bruck}, (loc. cit.)] implying particularly that \(i_lL_{i_j}L_{i_k}\mathbb{Z}_2=i_lL_{i_ki_j}\mathbb{Z}_2\) for each \(l\), \(j\), \(k\) in \(\{ 0,...,7 \} \). On the other hand, \(\mathbb{Z}_2\) is the normal subgroup in the Moufang multiplicative loop \(G= \{ \pm i_k: k=0,...,7 \} \) such that its quotient by \(\mathbb{Z}_2\) is the commutative group \(G/\mathbb{Z}_2\) by Theorem IV.1.1 in [loc. cit.]. It is proposed in the article to use the Clifford algebra \(Cl_7=Cl(0,7,\mathbb{R})\) over \(\mathbb{R}\) for studying the octonion modules by using \(\hat{e}_1, ...,\hat{e_7}\) as generators of \(Cl_7\) with Clifford multiplication \(\hat{e}_{k_1}\cdot ... \cdot \hat{e}_{k_m}\) instead of \(L_{i_1},...,L_{i_7}\). The Clifford algebra is associative semisimple and isomorphic to \(Mat_{8\times 8}(\mathbb{R})\bigoplus Mat_{8\times 8}(\mathbb{R})\). The octonion algebra is simple. There is no any nontrivial homomorphism from \(Cl_7\) to \(L(\mathbb{O})\), or from \(Cl_7\) to \(\mathbf{O}\). For comparison \(L(\mathbb{H})=\mathbb{H}\), since \(\mathbb{H}\) is associative. Then Theorem 4.1 of Huo, Li, Ren contradicts to [\textit{N. Bourbaki}, (loc. cit.)] and the Cartan-Jacobson Theorem 3.28 and Corollary 3.29 in [\textit{R. D. Schafer}, (loc. cit.)]. In the article under review there is wrongly cited reference \([12]\) in Russian. It is available also in English translation: [\textit{S. V. Ludkovsky}, J. Math. Sci., New York 144, No. 4, 4301--4366 (2007; Zbl 1178.47057); translation from Sovrem. Mat. Prilozh. 35 (2005)]. In the latter paper were considered vector spaces \(X\) over \(\mathbb{O}\), which also have the structure of the two-sided octonion modules, such that \(X=X_0i_0\oplus X_1i_1\oplus ... \oplus X_7i_7\), where \(X_0\), ...,\(X_7\) are real vector spaces such that \(X_l\) is isomorphic to \(X_k\) for each \(l\), \(k\), \((ab)x_k=a(bx_k)\), \(bx_k=x_kb\), \(x_k(ab)=(x_ka)b\) for each \(a\),\( b\) in \(\mathbb{O}\), \(x_k\in X_k\), \(k\), \(l\) in \(\{ 0,...,7 \} \). It has properties: \((bb)x=b(bx)\), \(x(bb)=(xb)b\), \([a,b,x_ki_k]=[a,b,i_k]x_k\) for each \(x_k\in X_k\), \(k\in \{ 0,...,7 \} \), \(a\), \(b\) in \(\mathbb{O}\), implying by the \(\mathbb{R}\)-linearity in \(X\) and the corresponding identities in \(\mathbb{O}\) that \([a,b,x]=[b,x,a]=[x,a,b]\) for each \(x\in X\), \(a\), \(b\) in \(\mathbb{O}\), where \([a,b,x]=(ab)x-a(bx)\).