Nonclassical simple Lie algebras and strong degeneration (Q2265492)

This short note completes a result of \textit{A. I. Kostrikin} [Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Ser. Mat. 31, 445--487 (1967; Zbl 0177.05503)]. Let \(L\) be a simple finite-dimensional Lie algebra and \(L=L_{-1}\supset L_0\supset\cdots\supset L_r\supset (0)\) a filtration ``of length \(r\)'' and let \(\delta(L)\) denote the maximum number of \(r\) over all filtrations. The result is: Let \(L\) be a simple Lie algebra over an algebraically closed field of characteristic \(>5\). Then \(L\) is of classical type if and only if \(\delta(L)=1\) holds. Using some results of \textit{N. Jacobson} about the representation of three-dimensional Lie algebras [J. Math. Mech. 7, 823--831 (1958; Zbl 0198.05404)], a Cartan decomposition is constructed so that an \(H\)-uniform element exists which has degree of nilpotence 3. By Kostrikin's theorem and an extension of \textit{J. B. Jacobs} [J. Algebra 19, 31--50 (1971; Zbl 0251.17005)] the result follows.