No label defined (Q3972941)

[For the entire collection see Zbl 0719.00018.] Let \(U_ q\) denote the quantized enveloping algebra associated to a complex simple finite dimensional Lie algebra \({\mathfrak g}\). The quantum parameter \(q\) is in this paper a complex number. When \(q\) is generic, i.e. not a root of unity, then the theory of finite dimensional representations of \(U_ q\) resembles the classical theory of finite dimensional representations of \({\mathfrak g}\) (see \textit{G. Lusztig} [Adv. Math. 70, 237--249 (1989; Zbl 0651.17007)]). The present authors give a formula for the determinant of the contravariant form on the Verma modules for \(U_ q\) (using the classical Shapovalov formula for \(q=1)\). Then they study the center \(Z_ q\) of \(U_ q\). When \(q\) is generic, they obtain a Harish-Chandra-type theorem (compare also the Joseph-Letzter preprint, ``Local finiteness of the adjoint action for quantized enveloping algebras'', published in [J. Algebra 153, No. 2, 289--318 (1992; Zbl 0779.17012)]) whereas the situation is quite different when \(q\) is a root of unity. In the latter case they exhibit a nice large subalgebra \(Z_ 0\) of \(Z_ q\), and in the spirit of \textit{V. Kac} and \textit{B. Weisfeiler} [Indagationes Math. 38, 136--151 (1976; Zbl 0324.17001)] they study the various fibers of the map \(\text{Rep}(U_ q)\to\text{Spec} Z_ q\to\text{Spec} Z_ 0\). They raise several natural questions concerning the associated ``quantized coadjoint orbits'' (most of which they have recently answered in their subsequent joint work with \textit{C. Procesi} [J. Am. Math. Soc. 5, No. 1, 151--189 (1992; Zbl 0747.17018)]).