Finite dimensional modules over quantum toroidal algebras (Q777103)

Quantum toroidal algebras are central objects in representation theory. They appear as \textit{quantum affinization} of quantum affine algebras. Recall that the latter, as in the case of affine Lie algebras, are characterized by two complementary presentations: the standard presentation à la Kac-Moody and the \textit{Drinfeld presentation}, which allows to think of a quantum affine algebras as the affinization of a Drinfeld-Jimbo quantum group associated to simple Lie algebras. Quantum toroidal algebras are obtained in a similar way, by adapting Drinfeld relations to the setting of an affine Lie algebra. The representation theory of quantum toroidal algebras has been extensively studied and proved to be very rich, yet it remains quite mysterious(see e.g. [\textit{D. Hernandez}, Sel. Math., New Ser. 14, No. 3--4, 701--725 (2009; Zbl 1222.17017)]). In this short note, the author gives a direct proof that, for generic values of the quantum parameter, in particular outside roots of unity, quantum toroidal algebras (of rank at least 2) admit no non-trivial finite-dimensional representations. Note that in type A the statement appeared as an immediate consequence of the toroidal Schur-Weyl duality constructed by \textit{M. Varagnolo} and \textit{E. Vasserot} [Commun. Math. Phys. 182, No. 2, 469--483 (1996; Zbl 0879.17007)].