When polarizations generate (Q2468663)

Let \(V\) be a finite dimensional vector space over \(\mathbb C\) and let \(k\) be an integer \(\geq1\). Denote the algebra of polynomial functions on \(V\) by \(\mathbb C[V]\) and the direct sum of \(k\) copies of \(V\) by \(kV\). We have \[ \mathbb C[kV]_d=\bigoplus_{\alpha\in\mathbb N^k,\,|\alpha|=d}\mathbb C[kV]_\alpha. \] Here \(|\alpha|=\sum_{i=1}^ka_i\) for \(\alpha=(a_1,\ldots,a_k)\in\mathbb N^k\), \(\mathbb C[kV]_d\) denotes the space of polynomial functions on \(kV\) that are homogeneous of degree \(d\) and \(\mathbb C[kV]_\alpha\) denotes the space of polynomial functions on \(kV\) that are homogeneous of degree \(a_i\) in the \(i\)th argument for each \(i\in\{1,\ldots,k\}\). Let \(f\in\mathbb C[V]\) be homogeneous of degree \(d\). Then the polarizations \(f_\alpha\in\mathbb C[kV]_\alpha\), \(\alpha\in\mathbb N^k\) with \(|\alpha|=d\), of \(f\) are defined by \[ f(v_1+\cdots+v_k)=\sum_{\alpha\in\mathbb N^k,\,|\alpha|=d}f_\alpha(v_1,\ldots,v_k) \] for all \(v_1,\ldots,v_k\in V\). Now let \(G\) be a reductive algebraic group over \(\mathbb C\) and let \(V\) be a finite-dimensional \(G\)-module. Then \(G\) acts on \(\mathbb C[V]\) by algebra automorphisms and we denote the algebra of invariants by \(\mathbb C[V]^G\). Clearly, the polarizations of a homogeneous \(G\)-invariant are \(G\)-invariants. The \(G\)-module \(V\) is said to have the \(k\)-polarization property if the invariant algebra \(\mathbb C[kV]^G\) is generated by polarizations of homogeneous elements of \(\mathbb C[V]^G\). Now assume that \(G\) is simple. The main result of the paper under review (Thm~4.3 and Cor~4.5) is the classification of the irreducible \(G\)-modules \(V\) and integers \(k\geq2\) such that \(V\) has the \(k\)-polarization property.