Enumeration of ad-nilpotent \({\mathfrak b}\)-ideals for simple Lie algebras (Q696818)

Let \(\mathfrak g\) be a complex simple Lie algebra with a Borel subalgebra \(\mathfrak b\). From work of Peterson, it is known that there are exactly \(2^n\) Abelian ideals in \(\mathfrak b\) where \(n\) is the rank of \(\mathfrak g\). Previous work of the authors and Andrews calculated the number or ad-nilpotent ideals in \(\mathfrak b\) of any class of nilpotence in case \(\mathfrak g\) is of type \(A\). Here the class of nilpotence of an ad-nilpotent ideal is the smallest number \(m\) so that the \(m\)-fold bracketing of the ideal with itself is zero. In this paper, the authors calculate the number of ad-nilpotent ideals in \(\mathfrak b\) of any class of nilpotence in all remaining cases. In types \(B\), \(C\), and \(D\), the authors encode the answers in a generating function that is expressed in terms of Chebyshev polynomials. Exceptional types are explicitly tabled by use of a computer program. In type \(C\), the authors are also able to express the answer in terms of a bijection to a certain class of paths, though in contrast to the case of type \(A\), this approach does not yield an explicit map. No relationship to paths is known in the case of types \(B\) and \(D\), though the authors express hope that a relationship may be found in examining non-crossing partitions.