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In a finite-dimensional short exact sequence $0\to N\to E\to \mathbb{C}\to 0$ of representations of a complex semisimple Lie algebra, the generalized zero eigenspace of the Casimir operator maps onto the trivial quotient. All its irreducible composition factors have zero Casimir eigenvalue, so they are trivial. The action is therefore strictly upper triangular and has solvable image; because a semisimple Lie algebra is a perfect Lie algebra, that image is zero. Every lift in this generalized zero eigenspace is invariant, giving a split short exact sequence.

For a finite-dimensional Irreducible Lie algebra representation of a complex semisimple Lie algebra with highest weight $\lambda$, this recursion computes its weight multiplicities from $m_{\lambda }(\lambda )=1$. Here $\rho$ is the half-sum of positive roots and the inner product is induced by the Killing form. Write the Casimir operator on the weight-$\mu$ space as $(\mu ,\mu +2\rho )I+2{\sum }_{\alpha >0}{F}_{\alpha }{E}_{\alpha }$. The cyclic trace identity between adjacent weight spaces gives $\mathrm{tr}(F_{\alpha }{E}_{\alpha }{|}_{V_{\mu }})={\sum }_{j\ge 1}(\mu +j\alpha ,\alpha )m_{\lambda }(\mu +j\alpha )$. Taking the trace and using the Casimir eigenvalue proves the formula. Only finitely many terms are nonzero.

The Weyl complete reducibility theorem states that every finite-dimensional Lie algebra representation of a finite-dimensional complex semisimple Lie algebra is a direct sum of Irreducible Lie algebra representations. Equivalently, every invariant vector subspace has an invariant complement.

We use the permitted Casimir operator properties in the following precise form. There is a central quadratic operator $C$ commuting with the action on every module; it is zero on the trivial Lie algebra representation, and on every nontrivial finite-dimensional Irreducible Lie algebra representation it is a nonzero scalar $c$. This follows from the Schur lemma and the Casimir eigenvalue $c_{\lambda }=(\lambda ,\lambda +2\rho )$, using the Killing form normalization. We also use the permitted one-dimensional-representation fact: a complex semisimple Lie algebra has only trivial one-dimensional representations. Equivalently, it is a perfect Lie algebra, $[\mathfrak{g},\mathfrak{g}]=\mathfrak{g}$, so a character $\mathfrak{g}\to \mathbb{C}$ annihilating brackets must vanish. Neither fact assumes complete reducibility of the module being proved reducible.

First prove that every finite-dimensional short exact sequencewith trivial quotient splits. If $W$ is nontrivial irreducible, the Casimir operator $C_E$ has image in $W$ and restricts to $c{I}_W$ there. Consequently $\ker C_E$ is a one-dimensional invariant complement to $W$. If $W$ is trivial irreducible, $E$ has a basis in which every action is $\left(\begin{array}{cc}0& a(x)\\ 0& 0\end{array}\right)$. The Lie algebra representation identity makes $a([x,y])=0$, so the one-dimensional-representation fact gives $a=0$ and again the sequence splits.

For general $W$, induct on $\dim W$. Choose an irreducible submodule $W_1\subseteq W$. The induced sequence with kernel $W/W_1$ and middle term $E/W_1$ splits by induction. The inverse image $E_1\subseteq E$ of its invariant complement is a submodule fitting into $0\to W_1\to E_1\to \mathbb{C}\to 0$. The irreducible-kernel case gives an invariant line in $E_1$ mapping isomorphically to the quotient. It is also an invariant complement to $W$ in $E$. The case $W=0$ starts this induction. This proves splitting of a trivial quotient for a semisimple Lie algebra, including kernels that are not assumed completely reducible.

Now let $U\subseteq V$ be any invariant subspace. On the Hom representation $\mathrm{Hom}(V,U)$ the action isLet $E$ consist of the maps whose restriction to $U$ is a scalar multiple of $I_U$. This is a submodule, and restriction givesThe right-hand map is surjective because an ordinary linear projection $V\to U$ exists; its quotient action is trivial because a commutator with $I_U$ is zero. The splitting just proved supplies an invariant $T\in E$ with $T{|}_U=I_U$. Thus $T$ intertwines the actions, $T^2=T$, andThe cases $U=0$ and $U=V$ are immediate. Choosing an irreducible submodule and repeating this complement construction proves the Weyl complete reducibility theorem. This last step is invariant complement from an equivariant projection.

Dropping finite dimensionality gives an example with the complex simple Lie algebra ${\mathfrak{sl}}_2$. Its Verma module of highest weight zero has a basis $v_0,v_1,\dots$ withwhere $e{v}_0=0$. These actions obey $[h,e]=2e$, $[h,f]=-2f$, $[e,f]=h$. The span of $v_1,v_2,\dots$ is a proper submodule and the quotient is trivial. It has no invariant complement: such a complement would be a trivial line, while $f$ is injective on the entire module. Thus a simple Lie algebra can have an infinite-dimensional representation that is not completely reducible, even over $\mathbb{C}$.

Use the sl2 Lie algebra relations $[H,X]=2X$, $[H,Y]=-2Y$ and $[X,Y]=H$. A highest-weight vector satisfies $Xv=0$ and $Hv=mv$, and $H{Y}^{j}v=(m-2j)Y^{j}v$. For $k=0$, $XYv=YXv+Hv=mv$. Assuming the formula at $k-1$, one getsThus the sl2 highest-weight lowering formula isIn particular a finite-dimensional Irreducible Lie algebra representation has highest weight $m\in {\mathbb{Z}}_{\ge 0}$ and weight vectors $v,Yv,\dots ,Y^{m}v$, as in the classification of finite-dimensional sl2 representations.

Let $V_{\lambda }$ be a finite-dimensional Irreducible Lie algebra representation of a complex semisimple Lie algebra, with highest weight $\lambda$. Write $m_{\lambda }(\mu )=\dim (V_{\lambda }{)}_{\mu }$, taking it to be zero when $\mu$ is not a weight, and let $\rho$ be the half-sum of positive roots. The Killing form induces an inner product on the real span of weights. Freudenthal multiplicity formula statesThe sums are finite. For a weight $\mu \ne \lambda$, the coefficient on the left is positive: move $\mu$ into the dominant Weyl chamber, use that a weight is below $\lambda$ in dominance order, and note that $(\mu ,\rho )$ does not increase on moving back out of that chamber. The resulting recursion starts from $m_{\lambda }(\lambda )=1$.

Here is a proof using the allowed Casimir operator. Choose root vectors $E_{\alpha },F_{\alpha }$ for positive and negative roots, normalized by $B(E_{\alpha },F_{\alpha })=1$, and let $t_{\alpha }\in \mathfrak{h}$ satisfy $B(t_{\alpha },h)=\alpha (h)$. Invariance of a bilinear form on a Lie algebra gives $[E_{\alpha },F_{\alpha }]=t_{\alpha }$. If $h_i,h^i$ are dual bases of the Cartan subalgebra under $B$, the Casimir operator isOn the weight space of $\mu$, the first sum acts by $(\mu ,\mu )$. Replacing $E_{\alpha }{F}_{\alpha }$ with $F_{\alpha }{E}_{\alpha }+t_{\alpha }$ givesDefine $T_{\alpha }(\mu )=\mathrm{tr}(F_{\alpha }{E}_{\alpha }{|}_{(V_{\lambda }{)}_{\mu }})$. The cyclic trace identity between adjacent weight spaces and the commutator relation yieldIterate upwards until the weight spaces vanish to obtain $T_{\alpha }(\mu )={\sum }_{j\ge 1}(\mu +j\alpha ,\alpha )m_{\lambda }(\mu +j\alpha )$. Finally take the trace of the displayed restriction of $C$. Its Casimir eigenvalue is $(\lambda ,\lambda +2\rho )$, so subtracting $(\mu ,\mu +2\rho )m_{\lambda }(\mu )$ proves the formula. This trace argument handles weight multiplicities greater than one without choosing a separate sl2 Lie algebra string through each vector.

Schur's lemma says that a nonzero intertwiner between irreducible representations is an isomorphism; over $\mathbb{C}$, every endomorphism of a finite-dimensional irreducible representation is scalar. To prove the Schur lemma, let $T:V\to W$ be a intertwining operator between irreducible representations. Its kernel and image of a linear map are invariant. If $T\ne 0$, irreducibility forces $\ker T=0$ and $\mathrm{im}T=W$. This proves the first assertion over any field. In particular the endomorphisms of an irreducible representation form a division ring.

When $V$ is finite-dimensional over an algebraically closed field, an endomorphism $T$ has an eigenvalue $\lambda$. The endomorphism $T-\lambda I$ has nonzero kernel. By the first assertion it must be zero, so $T=\lambda I$. Consequently, for complex finite-dimensional irreducible representations, the space of intertwining operators has dimension zero for nonisomorphic representations and dimension one for isomorphic representations.

Every finite-dimensional representation of a complex semisimple Lie algebra is completely reducible. We prove the Weyl complete reducibility theorem using the allowed Casimir operator facts, without assuming a splitting in advance. For dual bases $x_i,x^i$ with respect to the Killing form, the Casimir elementis central in the universal enveloping algebra. Hence its Casimir operator $C_M={\sum }_i{\rho }_M(x_i){\rho }_M(x^i)$ commutes with the action on every Lie algebra representation $M$ and is compatible with subrepresentations, quotient representations, and intertwining operators. On the trivial Lie algebra representation it acts by zero. On every nontrivial finite-dimensional Irreducible Lie algebra representation it acts by a nonzero scalar.

For clarity, the last fact can be expressed by the Casimir eigenvalue formula: on an irreducible with dominant integral weight $\lambda$, the scalar is $(\lambda ,\lambda +2\rho )$, with the inner product induced by the Killing form and $\rho$ the half-sum of positive roots. On the real span of the weights this inner product is positive definite, and the scalar is positive for $\lambda \ne 0$. For a semisimple Lie algebra with several simple factors the scalars add, so a nontrivial representation still gives a nonzero scalar. These are properties of the Casimir operator being used here.

First establish Casimir splitting of a trivial quotient. Supposeis a short exact sequence of finite-dimensional Lie algebra representations, with trivial quotient. The generalized eigenspaces of $C_E$ are invariant, soEach $E_c$ with $c\ne 0$ maps to zero under $q$: applying a sufficiently large power of $C_E-cI$ and using $C_{\mathbb{C}}=0$ gives $(-c{)}^{r}q(e)=0$. Thus $q(E_0)=\mathbb{C}$.

Take a composition series of a module of $E_0$. The Casimir operator is nilpotent on $E_0$, so its scalar on every irreducible composition factor is zero. The stated Casimir operator property makes every such factor trivial. In a basis adapted to the composition series of a module, the image of $\mathfrak{g}$ on $E_0$ therefore consists of strictly upper triangular matrices, so that image is solvable. The allowed fact that a semisimple Lie algebra acts trivially on every one-dimensional representation implies that $\mathfrak{g}$ is a perfect Lie algebra: otherwise a nonzero linear functional on $\mathfrak{g}/[\mathfrak{g},\mathfrak{g}]$ would define a nontrivial one-dimensional Lie algebra representation. Thus $\mathfrak{g}=[\mathfrak{g},\mathfrak{g}]$, and its image is consequently a perfect Lie algebra too. A perfect Lie algebra that is also a Solvable Lie algebra is zero, since its derived series of a Lie algebra is constant until it vanishes. Hence $\mathfrak{g}$ acts trivially on $E_0$. Choose $e\in E_0$ with $q(e)=1$. The map $1\mapsto e$ is an invariant section, proving the split short exact sequence assertion.

Now let $W\subseteq V$ be any nonzero subrepresentation. On the Hom representation $\mathrm{Hom}(V,W)$ the action isConsider the invariant subspaceRestriction produces a short exact sequenceSurjectivity follows by extending $I_W$ to a linear map on $V$. The quotient is trivial, because $I_W$ commutes with the action on $W$. The preceding Casimir splitting of a trivial quotient yields an invariant $p:V\to W$ with $p{|}_W=I_W$. Thusand $\ker p$ is invariant. The zero subrepresentation also has a complement. Repeatedly splitting off an irreducible subrepresentation now gives a direct sum of irreducibles, proving the Weyl complete reducibility theorem.

A derivation of a Lie algebra is a linear map $D:\mathfrak{g}\to \mathfrak{g}$ satisfying the Leibniz ruleThe space $\mathrm{Der}(\mathfrak{g})$ is a vector subspace of $\mathrm{End}(\mathfrak{g})$. Equip it with the commutator $[D,E]=DE-ED$. Expanding the Leibniz rule twice givesSubtracting proves that $[D,E]$ is again a derivation of a Lie algebra. Antisymmetry and the Jacobi identity hold for the commutator in every associative endomorphism algebra, so this defines the derivation Lie algebra.

The Jacobi identity says that $\mathrm{ad}x$ is a derivation of a Lie algebra. Moreover, for $D\in \mathrm{Der}(\mathfrak{g})$,soThis makes $\mathrm{ad}\mathfrak{g}$ an ideal of a Lie algebra in $\mathrm{Der}(\mathfrak{g})$.

Finally suppose $\mathfrak{g}$ is semisimple. Let $\mathfrak{g}$ act on $\mathrm{Der}(\mathfrak{g})$ by $x\cdot D=[\mathrm{ad}x,D]$. The Weyl complete reducibility theorem supplies an invariant complement $M$ to $\mathrm{ad}\mathfrak{g}$. For $D\in M$, invariance gives $[\mathrm{ad}x,D]\in M$, while the ideal identity above gives $[\mathrm{ad}x,D]\in \mathrm{ad}\mathfrak{g}$. Their intersection is zero, so $\mathrm{ad}(Dx)=0$ for every $x$. The center of a Lie algebra of a semisimple Lie algebra is zero, hence $Dx=0$ for every $x$, and $M=0$. ThereforeEvery derivation of a Lie algebra is inner, and the element giving it is unique because the center of a Lie algebra vanishes.