Adapted pairs in type $A$ and regular nilpotent elements

Abstract

Let $\mathfrak g$ be a simple Lie algebra over an algebraically closed field $\bf k$ of characteristic zero and $\bf G$ its adjoint group. Let $\mathfrak q$ be a biparabolic subalgebra of $\mathfrak g$. The algebra $Sy(\mathfrak q)$ of semi-invariants on $\mathfrak q^*$ is polynomial in most cases, in particular when $\mathfrak g$ is simple of type $A$ or $C$. On the other hand $\mathfrak q$ admits a canonical truncation $\mathfrak q_{\Lambda}$ such that $Sy(\mathfrak q)=Sy(\mathfrak q_{\Lambda})=Y(\mathfrak q_{\Lambda})$ where $Y(\mathfrak q_{\Lambda})$ denotes the algebra of invariant functions on $\mathfrak q_{\Lambda}^*$. An adapted pair for $\mathfrak q_{\Lambda}$ is a pair $(h,\,\eta)\in \mathfrak q_{\Lambda}\times\mathfrak q_{\Lambda}^*$ such that $\eta$ is regular and $(ad\,h)\eta=-\eta$. In a previous paper of A. Joseph (2008) adapted pairs for every truncated biparabolic subalgebra $\mathfrak q_{\Lambda}$ of a simple Lie algebra $\mathfrak g$ of type $A$ were constructed and then provide Weierstrass sections for $Y(\mathfrak q_{\Lambda})$ in $\mathfrak q_{\Lambda}^*$. These latter are linear subvarieties $\eta+V$ of $\mathfrak q_{\Lambda}^*$ such that the restriction map induces an algebra isomorphism of $Y(\mathfrak q_{\Lambda})$ onto the algebra of regular functions on $\eta+V$. Here we show that for each of the adapted pairs $(h,\,\eta)$ constructed in the paper mentioned above one can express $\eta$ as the image of a regular nilpotent element $y$ of $\mathfrak g^*$ under the restriction to $\mathfrak q$. Since $y$ must be a $\bf G$ translate of the standard regular nilpotent element defined in terms of the already chosen set $\pi$ of simple roots, one may attach to $y$ a unique element of the Weyl group. Ultimately one can then hope to be able to describe adapted pairs (in general) through the Weyl group.