Superintegrability in two dimensions and the Racah-Wilson algebra (Q405629)

In the paper [\textit{E. G. Kalnins} et al., J. Phys. A, Math. Theor. 40, No. 38, 11525--11538 (2007; Zbl 1121.37052)] is shown that the symmetry algebra of the superintegrable generic 3-parameter quantum eigenvalue problem on the 2-sphere with Schrödinger operator \[ H=J_1^2+J_2^2+J_3^2+\frac{k_1^2-\frac14}{x_1^2}+\frac{k_2^2-\frac14}{x_2^2}+\frac{k_3^2-\frac14}{x_3^2} \] is isomorphic to the Racah-Wilson algebra generated by difference operators acting on the Racah and Wilson polynomials and that this action corresponded to finite and infinite dimensional bounded below irreducible representations of the algebra, respectively. There, \(x_1^2+x_2^2+x_3^2=1\), \(J_1=i(x_2\partial_{x_3}-x_3\partial_{x_2})\) and cyclic permutations. A basis of generators for the symmetry algebra is \(L_1,L_2,L_3\) where \(L_1=J_1^2+\frac{a_2x_3^2}{x_2^2}+\frac{a_3x_2^2}{x_3^2}\) and cyclic permutations. They showed that the action of \(L_2\) on an eigenbasis of \(L_1\) yields the 3-term recurrence formula for Racah/Wilson polynomials and characterized these polynomials as expansion coefficients for \(L_2\) basis functions in terms of the \(L_1\) eigenbasis. In the present paper the authors present an alternate construction of these results based on the historic treatment of Racah coefficients for tensor triple products of irreducible representations for the Lie algebras \(\mathfrak{su}(2)\) and \(\mathfrak{su}(1,1)\). They give an alternate derivation of irreducible representations of the Racah-Wilson algebra, utilizing ladder operators, and describe the connection of Racah and Wilson polynomials with these representations, as described above. Then they consider the triple tensor product of irreducible representations of either \(su(2)\) or \(su(1,1)\) on the space \(V^{(\lambda_1)}\oplus V^{(\lambda_2)}\oplus V^{(\lambda_3)}\). As is well known this product can be expressed as a direct sum of irreducible representations of the algebra in two distinct ways. One can decompose the tensor product \(V^{(\lambda_1)}\oplus V^{(\lambda_2)}\) as a direct sum and then decompose the tensor product of each irreducible summand with \(V^{(\lambda_3)}\), or one can decompose the tensor product \(V^{(\lambda_2)}\oplus V^{(\lambda_3)}\) as a direct sum and then decompose the tensor product of each irreducible summand with \(V^{(\lambda_1)}\). The Racah coefficients are the expansion coefficients of an eigenbasis adapted to the first decomposition in terms of an eigenbasis adapted to the second. The authors choose a basis \(K_1,K_2,K_3\) for the Lie algebra and with associated Casimir operator C, so that the tensor product action is given by \(K^{(4)}_j= K^{(1)}_j+K^{(2)}_j+K^{(3)}_j\). Then the Casimir operator \(C^{(4)}\) for the total tensor product can be expanded as \(C^{(4)}=C^{(12)}+C^{(23)}+C^{(31)}-C^{(1)}+C^{(2)}+C^{(3)}\) where the \(C^{(j)}\) are the individual Casimir operators and the \(C^{(jl)}\) are intermediate Casimirs. It turns out that the Racah coefficients are the expansion coefficients for the \(C^{(12)}\) eigenbasis in terms of the \(C^{(23)}\) eigenbasis and that \(C^{(12)}, C^{(23)}\) generate the Racah-Wilson algebra, so the the Racah coefficients can in fact be interpreted as Racah-Wilson polynomials. The authors make this explicit by choosing the realization \[ J_0^{(j)}=\frac14\left(-\partial_{x_j}+x_j^2+\frac{k_j^2-\frac14}{x_j^2}\right), \] \[ J_\pm^{(j)}=\frac14\left(\partial_{x_j}\mp2x_j\partial_{x_j}+(x_j^2\mp 1)-\frac14{x_j^2}\right). \] In this realization it turns out that \(C^{(4)}\sim H\), \(C^{(12)}\sim L_3\), \(C^{(31)}\sim L_2\), \(C^{(23)}\sim L_1\), so the results for the superintegrable quantum system are completely equivalent to the tensor product results obtained by the authors. The exposition is very clear and the results are impressive.