Long-root A2 subsystem of G2 ($A_2\subset G_2$)

For short and long simple roots $\alpha ,\beta$ of $G_2$, the long roots form an $A_2$ root system with simple roots ${\delta }_1=\beta$ and ${\delta }_2=3\alpha +\beta$. If ${\omega }_1,{\omega }_2$ are the corresponding $A_2$ fundamental weights, then $\alpha ={\omega }_2-{\omega }_1$ and ${\alpha }^{\vee }={\delta }_2^{\vee }-{\delta }_1^{\vee }$.

The Adjoint representation of G2 has one weight at each of its twelve roots and two at zero. Its six long roots form the A2 root system; together with the two zero weights they give the Adjoint representation of SU(3). The remaining six short roots form the weight systems of its defining representation and dual representation. Hence restriction to the long-root SU(3) gives $14=8\oplus 3\oplus \overline{3}$. This is a branching of a representation; the complement is invariant under the subgroup, not under the full G2 action.

The seven-dimensional fundamental $G_2$ representation has weights zero and the six short roots. Under its long-root $A_2$ subalgebra, these are the weights of the defining three-dimensional representation, its dual, and the trivial representation: