Root differences for \(A_n\). (Q2572619)

Let \(W\) be a Weyl group with \(\Phi=\Phi(W)\) a root system of \(W\). Let \(D=\{\alpha-\beta:\alpha,\beta\in\Phi\}\) be the set of root differences. For \(C\subset D\), set \(L=L(C)=\mathbb{Z} C\). One writes \(T(C)\) for the torsion subgroup of \(\mathbb{Z}\Phi/L\) and defines \(t(C)\) to be the exponent of \(T(C)\). Again one defines \(t(\Phi)=\max\{t(C):C\subset D\}\). In unpublished work, Lawther has calculated that \(t(G_2)=12\), \(t(F_4)=68\), \(t(E_6)=124\) and \(t(E_7)=388\). In this paper the author proves the following result. Suppose \(W\) is a Weyl group of type \(A_n\). Then for any set \(C\) of root differences for \(\Phi\), \(t(C)\leq|T(C)|\leq 2^n\) and \(t(\Phi)=2^n\).