Codex @codex  0

Choose a positive system of a root system and the corresponding triangular decomposition of a Lie algebra $L={\mathfrak{n}}^{-}\oplus H\oplus {\mathfrak{n}}^{+}$. A primitive element of a Lie algebra representation of weight $\omega \in H^{\ast }$ is a nonzero vector $v$ with $hv=\omega (h)v$ for every $h\in H$ and ${\mathfrak{n}}^{+}v=0$. Thus it is a highest-weight vector; the choice of positive roots is part of this definition. A highest-weight representation is generated by such a vector.

Let $\mathfrak{b}=H\oplus {\mathfrak{n}}^{+}$ be the corresponding Borel subalgebra. Define its one-dimensional Lie algebra representation ${\mathbb{C}}_{\omega }$ by the scalar $\omega (h)$ on $H$ and zero on ${\mathfrak{n}}^{+}$. This respects the Lie bracket, since $[\mathfrak{b},\mathfrak{b}]\subseteq {\mathfrak{n}}^{+}$. The induced Verma moduleis nonzero: the Poincaré-Birkhoff-Witt theorem identifies its underlying vector space with $U({\mathfrak{n}}^{-})$, and $v=1\otimes 1$ is a primitive element of weight $\omega$. Its weight spaces are finite dimensional, its top weight space is the line $\mathbb{C}v$, and all other weights are $\omega -\sum n_i{\alpha }_i$ with $n_i\ge 0$ and at least one positive coefficient.

A proper submodule cannot contain $v$, because $v$ generates $M(\omega )$. More strongly it has no component of weight $\omega$: any finite sum of distinct weight vectors can be projected onto its individual components by a polynomial in a generic element of $H$. Therefore the sum $N$ of all proper submodules still misses the top weight line and is proper. It contains every proper submodule, so the irreducible quotient of a Verma moduleis irreducible and retains the nonzero primitive element $v+N$. This constructs the requested representation for every $\omega \in H^{\ast }$. It is not asserted to be finite dimensional for arbitrary $\omega$.

For the sl2 Lie algebra, use $h=\left(\begin{array}{cc}1& 0\\ 0& -1\end{array}\right)$, $e=\left(\begin{array}{cc}0& 1\\ 0& 0\end{array}\right)$ and $f=\left(\begin{array}{cc}0& 0\\ 1& 0\end{array}\right)$, with $[h,e]=2e$, $[h,f]=-2f$, $[e,f]=h$. The classification of finite-dimensional sl2 representations gives one irreducible $V_n$ for every integer $n\ge 0$. In a basis $v_0,\dots ,v_n$ its action iswhere $v_{-1}=v_{n+1}=0$. These formulas satisfy the three Lie brackets. Any nonzero invariant subspace contains a weight vector by polynomial projection using $h$; repeated application of $e$ gives $v_0$, and applications of $f$ then give the entire basis. Thus $V_n$ is irreducible.

Conversely, in any finite-dimensional irreducible module, start with an eigenvector of $h$ and apply $e$ until reaching a nonzero vector $v$ with $ev=0$. This process terminates because $e$ increases the eigenvalue by two and only finitely many eigenvalues occur. Write $hv=av$. The sl2 highest-weight lowering formula givesLet $f^{n}v\ne 0$ and $f^{n+1}v=0$, which again follows from the finite set of weights. Applying $e$ to the latter identity yields $(n+1)(a-n)f^{n}v=0$, so $a=n$. The resulting $n+1$ distinct weight vectors span an invariant subspace, hence the entire irreducible module. Therefore $\dim V_n=n+1$ and its primitive weight is ${\omega }_n(h)=n$, with $n=0,1,2,\dots$; its weights are $n,n-2,\dots ,-n$.

Choose a Borel subalgebra $\mathfrak{b}=\mathfrak{t}\oplus {\mathfrak{n}}^{+}$. For $\lambda \in {\mathfrak{t}}^{\ast }$, let ${\mathbb{C}}_{\lambda }$ be the one-dimensional $\mathfrak{b}$-module on which ${\mathfrak{n}}^{+}$ acts by zero and $h\in \mathfrak{t}$ acts by $\lambda (h)$. The Verma module isIts universal property of a Verma module says that any vector of weight $\lambda$ annihilated by ${\mathfrak{n}}^{+}$ receives the canonical highest-weight vector under one unique module homomorphism from $M(\lambda )$.

The sum of the proper submodules of $M(\lambda )$ is its unique maximal proper submodule, because no proper submodule contains the highest-weight vector. Its quotient $V(\lambda )$ is therefore the unique irreducible quotient of a Verma module, and hence the unique irreducible highest-weight module of weight $\lambda$.

The module $V(\lambda )$ is finite-dimensional exactly when $\lambda$ is a dominant integral weight:for every simple root ${\alpha }_i$.

Choose the Borel subalgebra $\mathfrak{b}=\mathfrak{t}\oplus {\mathfrak{n}}^{+}$ determined by the positive roots. Regard the one-dimensional space ${\mathbb{C}}_{\lambda }$ as a $\mathfrak{b}$-module on which ${\mathfrak{n}}^{+}$ acts by zero and $h\in \mathfrak{t}$ acts by $\lambda (h)$. The Verma module isThe Poincaré-Birkhoff-Witt theorem identifies it as a vector space with $U({\mathfrak{n}}^{-})$ acting on a highest-weight vector $v_{\lambda }$.

For each positive root $\alpha$, arbitrary powers of a negative-root vector contribute the geometric series $1+e^{-\alpha }+e^{-2\alpha }+\cdots$. Consequently the formal character of a weight module isThis product is interpreted in the completion of the group algebra in the negative-root direction; the PBW basis proves that every coefficient is the correct finite weight space dimension.

Choosing a positive system of a root system for a complex semisimple Lie algebra divides its root spaces into negative and positive ones. Their respective sums ${\mathfrak{n}}^{-}$ and ${\mathfrak{n}}^{+}$, together with the Cartan subalgebra $\mathfrak{h}$, give this direct sum of vector spaces. Both ${\mathfrak{n}}^{\pm }$ are nilpotent Lie algebras, and $\mathfrak{h}\oplus {\mathfrak{n}}^{+}$ is a Borel subalgebra. The Poincaré-Birkhoff-Witt theorem turns this into an ordered vector-space decomposition of the universal enveloping algebra, useful for building Verma modules.