Differential equations in vertex algebras and simple modules for the Lie algebra of vector fields on a torus (Q936540)

The authors study a class of irreducible representations for the Lie algebra of vector fields on a two-dimensional torus. This algebra has a natural \(\mathbb{Z}^2\)-grading by the eigenvalues of the adjoint action of two special elements. This allows one to define and study simple quotients of generalized Verma modules, associated with various ``triangular decompositions'' of the algebra. There are infinitely many such decompositions, which are not equivalent. The decomposition mostly studied in the paper under review is the one for which the zero part is isomorphic to the semidirect product of the Lie algebra of vector fields on a circle with the abelian Lie algebra of functions on a circle. Despite of the fact that the generalized Verma modules, appearing in this way, have many infinite-dimensional weight spaces, their simple quotients turn out to have only finite-dimensional weight spaces. Under some conditions the authors give an explicit realization and a character formula for these simple modules. Moreover, the authors also show that under the same conditions the simple module remains simple, when restricted to a loop subalgebra in the Levi algebra of vector fields. This is proved by studying vertex algebras, associated with the Lie algebra of vector fields on a torus and solving non-commutative differential equations, which are obtained using the vertex algebra technique. In the appendix the authors describe the determinant of the Shapovalov form on generalized Verma modules for the loop Lie algebra.