A2 root system ($A_2$)

The $A_2$ root system has equal-length simple roots ${\alpha }_1,{\alpha }_2$ with angle $2\pi /3$, and roots $\pm {\alpha }_1$, $\pm {\alpha }_2$, $\pm ({\alpha }_1+{\alpha }_2)$. Its Cartan matrix is $\left(\begin{array}{cc}2& -1\\ -1& 2\end{array}\right)$. The corresponding complex simple Lie algebra is ${\mathfrak{sl}}_3(\mathbb{C})$, of dimension eight.

For the A2 root system, ${\omega }_1=(2{\alpha }_1+{\alpha }_2)/3$ and ${\omega }_2=({\alpha }_1+2{\alpha }_2)/3$. The weight lattice $P=\mathbb{Z}{\omega }_1+\mathbb{Z}{\omega }_2$ contains the root lattice $Q$ with index three. In fundamental coordinates $(a,b)$, root-lattice membership is $a-b\equiv 0(\mathrm{mod}3)$.