On the structure of the affine asymptotic Hecke algebras (Q6063028)

Let \(G\) be a reductive algebraic group over \(\mathbb{C}\), \(W_{f}\) its Weyl group and let \(W\) be the extended affine Weyl group, thus \(W= W_{f} \ltimes \Lambda\) is the semi-direct product of \(W_{f}\) with the coweight lattice \(\Lambda\). Let \(H\) be the affine Hecke algebra, that is \(H\) is an algebra over \(\mathbb{Z}[v,v^{-1}]\) that \(H/(v-1)= \mathbb{Z}[W]\). In his pioneering works, \textit{G. Lusztig} [J. Algebra 109, 536--548 (1987; Zbl 0625.20032); J. Fac. Sci., Univ. Tokyo, Sect. I A 34, 223--243 (1987; Zbl 0631.20028); J. Fac. Sci., Univ. Tokyo, Sect. I A 36, No. 2, 297--328 (1989; Zbl 0688.20020)] has introduced a related algebra \(J\) that can be thought of as a limit of \(H\) as \(v\) tends to \(0\). According to a conjecture of Lusztig, the asymptotic affine Hecke algebra should admit a description in terms of the Grothedieck group of sheaves on the square of a finite set equivariant under the action of the centralizer of a nilpotent element in the reductive group. A weaker form of this statement, allowing for possible central extensions of stabilizers of that action, has been proved by the first author and \textit{V. Ostrik} in [Adv. Stud. Pure Math. 40, 101--119 (2004; Zbl 1078.20045)]. In the paper under review, the authors describe an example showing that nontrivial central extensions do arise, thus the above weaker statement is (in a certain sense) optimal. The authors also show that Lusztig's homomorphism from the affine Hecke algebra to the asymptotic affine Hecke algebra induces an isomorphism on cocenters and discuss the relation of the above central extensions to the structure of the cocenter.