The Virasoro algebra and some exceptional Lie and finite groups

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Publication:2473399



Abstract: We describe a number of relationships between properties of the vacuum Verma module of a Virasoro algebra and the automorphism group of certain vertex operator algebras. These groups include the Deligne exceptional series of simple Lie groups and some exceptional finite simple groups including the Monster and Baby Monster.


Quadratic Casimir elements of a vertex operator algebra were first introduced by \textit{A. Matsuo} [Commun. Math. Phys. 224, No. 3, 565--591 (2001; Zbl 1103.17014)] in order to derive Norton's trace formula on the Griess algebra of the moonshine module \(V^\natural\) from general properties of a vertex operator algebra. Some constraint on the central charge and the dimension of the Griess algebra of a vertex operator algebra was obtained under certain assumptions. In the paper under review, the author extends Matsuo's idea by considering a certain correlation function. Let \(V = \bigoplus_{n \geq 0} V_{(n)}\) be a simple vertex operator algebra with \(V_{(0)} = {\mathbb C}{\mathbf 1}\). Let \(\omega\) be its conformal vector with central charge \(c\). Assume that \(L_1 V_{(1)} = 0\), where \(L_n = \omega_{n+1}\). Then \(V\) has a unique nondegenerate symmetric invariant bilinear form \(\langle\, \cdot\,,\cdot\, \rangle\) with normalization \(\langle {\mathbf 1}, {\mathbf 1} \rangle = 1\). Set \(d = \dim V_{(1)} > 0\). Take a basis \(u_\alpha\), \(1 \leq \alpha \leq d\) of \(V_{(1)}\) and its dual basis \(u^\alpha\), \(1 \leq \alpha \leq d\), that is, \(\langle u^\alpha, u_\beta \rangle = \delta_{\alpha\beta}\). For \(n \geq 0\), a Casimir element is defined by \(\lambda^{(n)} = \sum_{\alpha = 1}^d u^\alpha_{-n+1}u_\alpha \in V_{(n)}\). The author studies the expansion of a correlation function \(\langle a, \sum_{\alpha = 1}^d Y(u^\alpha,x)Y(u_\alpha,y)b \rangle\) for \(a,b \in V_{(1)}\) in various domains. Under a certain assumption, it is shown that \(V_{(1)}\) is isomorphic to one of the simple Lie algebras of type \(A_1\), \(A_2\), \(G_2\), \(D_4\), \(F_4\), \(E_6\), \(E_7\) and \(E_8\). In the case \(V_{(1)} = 0\) and \(V_{(2)} \neq 0\), the author uses an analogous argument for a basis of \(V_{(2)}\) and obtains a constraint on \(c\) and the dimension of \(V_{(2)}\), which was previously proved by Matsuo under stronger assumptions.











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