On symmetric closed subsets of real affine root systems (Q6038504)

The paper mainly studies the closed subsets of real affine root systems, motivated by their close relation to the Cartan invariant subalgebras of the corresponding affine Kac-Moody algebras. A subset \(\Psi\) of a real affine root system \(\Phi\) is called closed if \(\alpha,\beta\in\Psi\) and \(\alpha+\beta\in\Phi\) implies that \(\alpha+\beta\in\Psi\). A closed subset \(\Psi\) can be written as a union of its symmetric part \(\Psi^r=\Psi\cap-\Psi\) and special part \(\Psi^s=\Psi\setminus\Psi^r\). Both symmetric and special parts of \(\Psi\) are closed in \(\Phi\). So the classification of closed subsets of \(\Phi\) reduces to the classification of symmetric and special closed subsets of \(\Phi\). The paper determines when a given symmetric closed subset of a real affine root system is a closed subroot system, and gives an explicit description of symmetric closed subsets of real affine root systems. It also studies the correspondence between symmetric closed subsets of real affine root systems and the regular subalgebras generated by them.