Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2003 / iii / Paper 1 / 1 / b / i / Solution

Let $e_1=x,e_2=y,e_3=z$, and let ${ϵ}_i$ be the weight of a representation defined by ${ϵ}_i(\mathrm{diag}(h_1,h_2,h_3))=h_i$. Since the trace is zero, ${ϵ}_1+{ϵ}_2+{ϵ}_3=0$. The dual representation gives weight $-{ϵ}_i$ to $e_i^{\ast }$. PutTaking $j\le k$ gives an eighteen-vector tensor product basis. Its weight is ${ϵ}_j+{ϵ}_k-{ϵ}_i$.

For explicit coordinates use the usual simple coroots $H_1=\mathrm{diag}(1,-1,0)$ and $H_2=\mathrm{diag}(0,1,-1)$, and write each weight as $(\mu (H_1),\mu (H_2))$. Then ${ϵ}_1=(1,0)$, ${ϵ}_2=(-1,1)$ and ${ϵ}_3=(0,-1)$. Collecting equal weights gives every weight space:The first six weights are $2{ϵ}_j-{ϵ}_i$ with $i\ne j$; the next three are $-2{ϵ}_i$; the last three are the defining weights ${ϵ}_i$. Thus there are nine multiplicity-one weights and three multiplicity-three weights, giving total dimension $9+9=18$.

The planar coordinates are $a{\omega }_1+b{\omega }_2$ with ${\omega }_1=(1,0)$ and ${\omega }_2=(1/2,\sqrt{3}/2)$, so the weight diagram uses an equilateral root geometry rather than orthogonal Dynkin-coordinate axes. Every point is labelled with its complete weight-space basis.