Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2008/iii/paper-3/2/iv/solution

Let be a highest-weight vector of weight . For a simple root , choose its sl2 subalgebra associated with a root, with operators satisfying , , and . We have and .
Since decreases the weight by and there are only finitely many weights of a representation, let be maximal with . Induction using the two bracket relations gives the sl2 highest-weight lowering formula
Applying this at , the left side vanishes, and the nonzero vector on the right forces . This holds for every simple root, so
Thus the highest weight is a dominant integral weight, in particular an element of the Closed dominant Weyl chamber.

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