Combinatorics of free vertex algebras.

DOI10.1016/S0021-8693(02)00155-2MaRDI QIDQ1858192zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Michael Roitman

Publication date 12 February 2003

Published in Journal of Algebra (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/math/0103173

zbMATH Keywords

conformal algebrasfree vertex algebraslattice vertex algebras

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Vertex operators; vertex operator algebras and related structures (17B69)

Abstract: This paper illustrates the combinatorial approach to vertex algebra - study of vertex algebras presented by generators and relations. A necessary ingredient of this method is the notion of free vertex algebra. Borcherds cite{bor} was the first to note that free vertex algebras do not exist in general. The reason for this is that vertex algebras do not form a variety of algebras, because the locality axiom (see sec 2 below) is not an identity. However, a certain subcategory of vertex algebras, obtained by restricting the order of locality of generators, has a universal object, which we call the free vertex algebra corresponding to the given locality bound. In [J. of Algebra, 217(2):496-527] some free vertex algebras were constructed and in certain special cases their linear bases were found. In this paper we generalize this construction and find linear bases of an arbitrary free vertex algebra. It turns out that free vertex algebras are closely related to the vertex algebras corresponding to integer lattices. The latter algebras play a very important role in different areas of mathematics and physics. Here we explore the relation between free vertex algebras and lattice vertex algebras in much detail. These results comply with the use of the word "free" in physical literature refering to some elements of lattice vertex algebras, like in "free field", "free bozon" or "free fermion". Among other things, we find a nice presentation of lattice vertex algebras in terms of generators and relations, thus giving an alternative construction of these algebras without using vertex operators. We remark that our construction works in a very general setting; we do not assume the lattice to be positive definite, neither non-degenerate, nor of a finite rank.

Review text

A necessary ingredient for studying universal algebraic structures by means of generators and relations is the notion of free algebraic structure of the required type. As already pointed out by \textit{R. Borcherds} [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84, 3068--3071 (1986; Zbl 0613.17012)] free vertex algebras do not exist in general. The reason for that is that vertex algebras do not form a variety of algebras because their main defining axiom, namely the locality axiom, is not an identity. This accounts for many of the difficulties encountered in the combinatorial study of vertex algebras. In an earlier paper [\textit{M. Roitman}, J. Algebra 217, 496--527 (1999; Zbl 0951.17013)] the author constructed some free vertex algebras and found linear bases for these in certain special cases. In the paper under review the author generalizes his construction and finds linear bases of arbitrary free vertex algebras. The key observation is that free vertex algebras are closely related to lattice vertex algebras. The author studies this relationship in detail and finds a nice presentation of lattice vertex algebras in terms of generators and relations. In particular, this gives an alternative construction of these algebras without using vertex operators.

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Cites work

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Cited in

(14)

• Freely generated vertex algebras and nonlinear Lie conformal algebras
• Vertex operator realizations of conformal superalgebras
• Invariant bilinear forms on a vertex algebra
• A question of Joseph Ritt from the point of view of vertex algebras
• Simple associative conformal algebras of linear growth
• Genus of vertex algebras and mass formula
• Loop Virasoro Lie conformal superalgebra
• Combinatorics and linear algebra of Freiman's isomorphism
• A universal approach to vertex algebras
• On the commutant of the principal subalgebra in the A₁ lattice vertex algebra
• Dt invariants from vertex algebras
• Classical Yang-Baxter equation for vertex operator algebras and its operator forms
• The free generalized vertex algebras and generalized principal subspaces
• On associative conformal algebras of linear growth. II.

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