No label defined (Q4945284)

Let \(G\) be a semisimple (connected, finite-dimensional, real) Lie group, \(K\) a maximal compact subgroup of \(G\), and let \(\pi\) be an irreducible unitary representation of \(G\) on a (complex) Hilbert space \(V\). The character \(\Theta_\pi\) of \(\pi\) [\textit{G. Warner}: Harmonic analysis on semisimple Lie groups. I (New York 1972; Zbl 0265.22020)] is a locally \(L^1\)-function on \(G\) such that \(\text{tr }\pi(f)= \int_G \Theta_\pi(g) f(g) dg\) for all \(f\in C^\infty_c(G)\), where \(\pi(f)\in \text{End}(V)\) is defined by \(\pi(f)v= \int_G f(g) \pi(g) vdg\) and \(dg\) is a Haar measure on \(G\). In this paper, the author reviews results by him and by others showing that, whenever a representation of a semisimple Lie group \(G\) has a character or a formal \(K\)-character [\textit{D. R. King}, Pac. J. Math. 70, 161-202 (1995; Zbl 0853.22008)], ``evaluation'' of this character at the identity of the group provides useful information about the representation. In particular, the unitarity of \(\pi\) is strongly connected with the Goldie rank of a primitive quotient \(\text{Im}(\pi)\) (a subalgebra of the endomorphism ring of the associated Harish-Chandra module) and can be computed from \(\Theta_\pi\) [\textit{D. R. King}, Am. J. Math. 103, 1195-1240 (1981; Zbl 0486.17003)]. The Goldie rank of an associative algebra is the maximum number of summands in a direct sum of left ideals. Moreover, the formal \(K\)-character (lifted to the Lie algebra \({\mathfrak k}\) of \(K\)) of the coordinate ring of the closure of a nilpotent orbit in the complex symmetric space associated to \(G\) may be ``evaluated'' at zero. The paper ends with two examples that support Vogan's conjecture [\textit{D. R. King}, Pac. J. Math. (op. cit.)]. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0930.00030].