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A root string of length $\Lambda +1$ gives an irreducible sl2 Lie algebra module $R(\Lambda )$ when restricting the Adjoint representation to the sl2 subalgebra associated with a root. Include also the root's own $R(2)$ and one commuting Cartan direction $R(0)$. For $A_2$ either simple root gives $R(2)\oplus 2R(1)\oplus R(0)$. For $B_2$, the long root gives $R(2)\oplus 2R(1)\oplus 3R(0)$ and the short root gives $3R(2)\oplus R(0)$. For $G_2$, the long root gives $R(2)\oplus 4R(1)\oplus 3R(0)$ and the short root gives $R(2)\oplus 2R(3)\oplus 3R(0)$.

In a complex semisimple Lie algebra whose rank of a semisimple Lie algebra is $\ell$, a root vector $x$ satisfies $\dim Z_{\mathfrak{g}}(x)\ge 3\ell -2$. To see this, select $\ell -1$ roots whose images form a basis of the real root span modulo $\mathbb{R}\alpha$, where $x\in {\mathfrak{g}}_{\alpha }$. Take the highest endpoints of the root strings through both signs of each selected root. Their $2(\ell -1)$ distinct root spaces commute with $x$. Together with $\ker \alpha \subset \mathfrak{t}$ and $\mathbb{C}x$, these give $2(\ell -1)+(\ell -1)+1$ independent vectors in the Lie algebra centralizer.

A Chevalley basis of a complex semisimple Lie algebra consists of suitable coroot elements and one vector $e_{\alpha }$ in each root space, chosen so all Lie bracket structure constants are integers. In particular $[e_{\alpha },e_{\beta }]=N_{\alpha ,\beta }{e}_{\alpha +\beta }$ when the sum is a root, with $N_{\alpha ,\beta }=\pm (p+1)$ where $\beta -p\alpha$ is the last negative-direction root in the root string. For independent roots with no root sum the bracket is zero. The integral lattice makes reduction to other fields possible.

For a Cartan-Weyl basis, the Jacobi identity givesThus the bracket has joint Cartan weight $\alpha +\beta$. If $\beta =-\alpha$, it belongs to the zero-weight space, which is the Cartan subalgebra, and so is a linear combination ${\tilde{\alpha }}_i{H}_i$. If $\alpha +\beta$ is a nonzero root, its root space is one-dimensional and the bracket is proportional to $E_{\alpha +\beta }$. If that nonzero sum is not a root, the bracket vanishes. This proves the asserted forms without assuming every pair of roots has a root sum.

With the stated normalization, put $H_{\alpha }=2{\alpha }_i{H}_i/{\alpha }^2$. The commutators becomeThe adjoint relations make $J_3=H_{\alpha }/2$, $J_{+}=E_{\alpha }$, $J_{-}=E_{-\alpha }$ the usual SU(2) Lie algebra generators. Hence every finite-dimensional SU(2) irreducible component has $J_3$ eigenvalues $m=-j,-j+1,\dots ,j$, with $2j$ an integer. Therefore $H_{\alpha }$ has integer eigenvalues $2m$, including in the finite-dimensional Adjoint representation. Algebraically this is the sl2 subalgebra associated with a root.

If $[H_{\alpha },X_{\lambda }]=\lambda X_{\lambda }$, another use of the Jacobi identity givesThe bracket is therefore zero or lies in the eigenvalue-$\lambda +2$ space. Within one irreducible SU(2) ladder it is proportional to the next chosen vector $X_{\lambda +2}$. If the full eigenspace has multiplicity, the weight statement is the general one; proportionality to one named vector presupposes the ladder choice. Similarly $E_{-\alpha }$ lowers this eigenvalue by two, and the ladder weights run from $-n$ to $n$ in steps of two.

For a root vector $E_{\beta }$, its $H_{\alpha }$ weight isThe adjoint SU(2) ladder therefore provesFor nonparallel $\alpha ,\beta$, raising and lowering $E_{\beta }$ move its joint Cartan weight through the root string $\beta +k\alpha$. The finite irreducible ladder has weights symmetric about zero. Starting at $m_{\alpha \beta }$, reaching its partner $-m_{\alpha \beta }$ requires $k=-m_{\alpha \beta }$. The corresponding nonzero vector lies in the root space of $\beta -m_{\alpha \beta }\alpha$, proving the Weyl reflection property:There is no zero joint root in this string when $\alpha ,\beta$ are nonparallel. Its one-dimensional root spaces prevent two irreducible ladders with the same weight parity from overlapping, so the ladder argument applies to the entire string. For $\beta =\pm \alpha$, reflection simply interchanges the two opposite roots, which already exist by the adjoint relation.

For angle and length restrictions, set $p=2\alpha \cdot \beta /{\alpha }^2$ and $q=2\alpha \cdot \beta /{\beta }^2$. These Cartan integers have the same sign when nonzero and obeyFor nonparallel, nonorthogonal roots, $pq$ is an integer strictly between zero and four. The possibilities are consequently:

Orthogonal roots have $p=q=0$ and $\theta =\pi /2$. Parallel roots have $pq=4$; the integer pairs would allow only length multiples $1,2,1/2$. The stated reducedness condition excludes the latter two, so parallel roots are equal or opposite, with angles zero or $\pi$ and equal lengths. ThusNot every root system realizes every listed angle.

The orthogonal pair alone gives no ratio through $q/p$. To finish the length restriction for a simple Lie algebra, use irreducibility of its root system. Let $U$ span the Weyl group orbit of $\alpha$. Both $U$ and $U^{\perp }$ are invariant under the orthogonal root reflections. If a root had nonzero projections in both, reflection of its projection in $U$ would have a nonzero $U^{\perp }$ component, violating invariance. Hence every root is entirely in one of these subspaces. A proper nonzero $U$ would split the root system into two orthogonal parts, contradicting irreducibility. This proves that the Weyl orbit spans an irreducible root space.

In particular, some orbit root $\gamma$ is nonorthogonal to any chosen $\beta$, and ${\gamma }^2={\alpha }^2$. Applying the previous integer-pair restriction to $\gamma ,\beta$ therefore also handles orthogonal $\alpha ,\beta$:There can be at most two different root lengths: three lengths would have ratios two and three relative to the shortest, but then the longest-to-middle squared-length ratio would be $3/2$, which is forbidden. A reducible collection of orthogonal rank-one factors could have independently chosen scales; the simple-algebra assumption excludes that exception.

Choose a generic linear functional to define positive roots. The simple roots are those positive roots which cannot be written as sums of two positive roots; they form a basis in which all root coefficients are integers of one sign. Distinct simple roots have nonpositive inner product: if their inner product were positive, their root string would contain their difference, and whichever difference is positive would decompose one of them. In rank two, irreducibility excludes the orthogonal case. The allowed simple-root angles are therefore $120^{\circ },135^{\circ },150^{\circ }$, giving the three irreducible diagrams in the classification of rank-two root systems: A2 root system, B2 root system and G2 root system. Reflections in the two simple roots generate their respective six, eight and twelve roots.

Here are explicit simple-root choices and positive roots; adding their negatives gives each complete diagram.

The nonnegative coefficients in each positive-root list verify the chosen simple roots explicitly. The orthogonal four-root system $A_1\times A_1$ is rank two but reducible, so it is not a diagram for the simple algebra assumed here.

Define the Cartan matrix in the column-coroot convention:Using the ordered roots above givesThe alternative row-coroot convention transposes these matrices. Stating the convention and root ordering avoids a spurious disagreement in the unequal-length cases.

The root-space decomposition gives $[L_r,L_s]\subseteq L_{r+s}$ when $r+s\ne 0$. The two roots are independent, so $r+s\ne 0$, and the missing root sum means that this weight space is zero. Hence $[e_r,e_s]=0$. These adjoint root operators are nilpotent: successive brackets shift root weights by the same root, so finite root strings force eventual vanishing; on the Cartan subalgebra the first bracket lies in its root space and the next is zero. By part (iv), the nilpotent operators $A=t\mathrm{ad}{e}_r$ and $B=u\mathrm{ad}{e}_s$ commute. Every power of $A$ therefore commutes with every power of $B$, so their finite matrix exponentials commute too. Using the inverses proved in part (ii),

Let ${\alpha }_1,{\alpha }_2$ be distinct simple roots. Their difference is not a root, since its simple-root coefficients have opposite signs. The root string through ${\alpha }_2$ in the direction ${\alpha }_1$ therefore starts at ${\alpha }_2$ and has the formHere we use the root-string theorem: if the full string runs from $\beta -p\alpha$ through $\beta +q\alpha$, then $p-q=⟨\beta ,{\alpha }^{\vee }⟩$; in this case $p=0$. Thus ${\alpha }_1+{\alpha }_2$ is a root exactly when $A_{12}<0$, equivalently when the corresponding Dynkin diagram nodes are connected.

The root-space bracket facts are $[{\mathfrak{g}}_{\alpha },{\mathfrak{g}}_{\beta }]\subseteq {\mathfrak{g}}_{\alpha +\beta }$, with a zero space when the sum is not a root, and $[{\mathfrak{g}}_{\alpha },{\mathfrak{g}}_{\beta }]={\mathfrak{g}}_{\alpha +\beta }\ne 0$ when the sum is a root and $\beta \ne -\alpha$. Applying these stated structural facts proves

If the two names denote the same simple root, its one-dimensional root space has zero bracket with itself, and a Dynkin diagram has no self-edge. Thus the equivalence also holds in that case.

The triple bond in the original Dynkin diagram gives the Cartan integerswhere $\alpha$ is the long root and $\beta$ the short root. Their product is $4{\cos }^2\theta =3$, and the inner product of distinct simple roots is nonpositive. The ratio of the two integers gives the squared-length ratio. ThereforeIt is convenient to normalize $(\alpha ,\alpha )=6$, $(\beta ,\beta )=2$ and $(\alpha ,\beta )=-3$. Scaling the inner product does not affect the root system or the fundamental-weight relations.

For nonproportional roots $\gamma ,\delta$, the root-string theorem states that the root string is consecutive:The endpoints are maximal, and reflection in $\gamma$ reverses the string. The Cartan integer determines $p-q$, not in general the total $p+q+1$ by itself. This result follows by restricting the Adjoint representation to the sl2 subalgebra associated with a root. If the roots are distinct simple roots, $\delta -\gamma$ cannot be a root: its simple-root coefficients have opposite signs. Thus $p=0$ andHere length means number of roots; the number of intervals between them is one less. Distinctness matters. If $\gamma =\delta$, a reduced root system gives the set $\{\gamma ,-\gamma \}$, with a missing zero between them, so the consecutive-string theorem and the displayed simple-root formula do not apply.

In the G2 root system, the initial strings areFor $\delta =\alpha +3\beta$, $⟨\delta ,{\alpha }^{\vee }⟩=-1$. Since $\delta -\alpha =3\beta$ is not a root in a reduced root system, $p=0$ and $q=1$: this generates $2\alpha +3\beta$. The remaining strings explain why the construction stops. The $\alpha$-strings through $\beta$ and $\alpha +\beta$ are the same two-element string; the one through $\alpha +2\beta$ is a singleton since subtracting $\alpha$ gives $2\beta$, and its Cartan integer is zero; the one through $2\alpha +3\beta$ is the string $\{\alpha +3\beta ,2\alpha +3\beta \}$. The $\beta$-strings through $\alpha$, $\alpha +\beta$, $\alpha +2\beta$ and $\alpha +3\beta$ are the initial four-element string. Finally, $2\alpha +3\beta$ is orthogonal to $\beta$; its $\beta$-string is a singleton because $2\alpha +2\beta =2(\alpha +\beta )$ is not a root. Apply the same reasoning to negatives. Using the permitted completeness of this procedure givesThe short positive roots are $\beta ,\alpha +\beta ,\alpha +2\beta$, of squared length two; the other three are long, of squared length six. Each root space is one-dimensional and the Cartan subalgebra has dimension two, soHere the dimension refers to the Lie algebra, with one Cartan generator per rank, not just the number of roots.

Write a prospective weight as $w=a\alpha +b\beta$. The pairings with simple coroots areThe fundamental weights are dual to those coroots. Solving the two linear systems gives, in the long-root-first numbering of this paper,The representation with Dynkin labels $(0,1)$ has highest weight $\lambda ={\omega }_2$, a short root. Numbering the short root first, as some references do, would call this the $(1,0)$ representation instead; the representation itself is unchanged.

The weight set of a finite-dimensional irreducible highest-weight representation is invariant under the Weyl group and lies in the convex hull of the orbit of its highest weight. All weights also differ from the highest weight by an element of the root lattice. The orbit of $\lambda$ comprises the six short roots, so all six are weights. The lowering operators give the chainIn particular zero occurs: at weight $\beta$, its pairing with ${\beta }^{\vee }$ is two, so the lowering operator is nonzero by the finite-dimensional sl2 Lie algebra representation theory. The $\beta$-string through it is the usual three-weight string $\beta ,0,-\beta$; higher weight $2\beta$ would lie outside the highest-weight convex hull.

There can be no further weights. Every point of that convex hull has squared norm at most $\Vert \lambda {\Vert }^2=2$, while a root-lattice point hasThe integer solutions of the bound $\Vert w{\Vert }^2\le 2$ are precisely zero and the six short roots: $a=0$ gives $b=-1,0,1$; $a=1$ gives $b=1,2$; and $a=-1$ gives $b=-1,-2$. ThusThe final dimension uses the stipulated nondegeneracy of the weights. It also agrees with the Weyl dimension formula without that stipulation. The zero weight is not in the Weyl orbit of the nonzero weights, so this is not a minuscule representation.

In the diagram above, a coordinate label $(a,b)$ means $a\alpha +b\beta$. The left panel contains all twelve roots of a root system; the right panel contains the six short-root weights and the zero weight. The long-root-first convention is the same as in the calculations.

Choose the given short root $\alpha$ as a simple root, and let $\beta$ be the long simple root. This entails no loss of generality: the Weyl group is transitive on the short roots of the G2 root system. The relevant Cartan integers are $⟨\beta ,{\alpha }^{\vee }⟩=-3$ and $⟨\alpha ,{\beta }^{\vee }⟩=-1$. The positive roots areUnder ${\mathfrak{m}}_{\alpha }\cong {\mathfrak{sl}}_2$, the root space for $m\alpha +n\beta$ has $h_{\alpha }$ eigenvalue $2m-3n$. The subalgebra ${\mathfrak{m}}_{\alpha }$ itself is the three-dimensional irreducible $V(2)$ in the Adjoint representation.

The four root spaces along the root string $\beta ,\alpha +\beta ,2\alpha +\beta ,3\alpha +\beta$ have eigenvalues $-3,-1,1,3$. Consecutive spaces are connected by nonzero raising operators and lowering operators, so their sum is $V(3)$. The negative root string supplies another $V(3)$. The root spaces for $\pm (3\alpha +2\beta )$ have eigenvalue zero, and neither adding nor subtracting $\alpha$ gives a root; they are two copies of $V(0)$. Finally, the one-dimensional space $\ker \alpha \subset \mathfrak{t}$ commutes with ${\mathfrak{m}}_{\alpha }$, giving one more $V(0)$. We have accounted for all $14$ dimensions, and therefore the G2 adjoint branching to a short-root sl2 subalgebra isFor a nonzero root vector $x\in {\mathfrak{g}}_{\alpha }$, its Adjoint representation action is a nonzero scalar multiple of the raising operator on each summand. On each irreducible $V(n)$ this operator has a one-dimensional kernel, including $V(0)$. Since the Lie algebra centralizer is that kernel,

Suppose first that $x\ne 0$, and let $E$ be the real span of the root system, of dimension equal to the rank of a semisimple Lie algebra $\ell$. The images of the roots span $E/\mathbb{R}\alpha$, so select roots ${\beta }_1,\dots ,{\beta }_{\ell -1}$ whose images form a basis of this quotient.

For each $i$, take the highest endpoint ${\gamma }_i^{+}$ of the $\alpha$ root string through ${\beta }_i$, and the highest endpoint ${\gamma }_i^{-}$ of the root string through $-{\beta }_i$. By construction, ${\gamma }_i^{\pm }+\alpha$ is not a root. Moreover ${\gamma }_i^{\pm }\ne -\alpha$, since their images in $E/\mathbb{R}\alpha$ are nonzero. The root-space decomposition and its bracket rule therefore giveThese $2(\ell -1)$ roots are distinct: their quotient images are the two signs of a basis, which are distinct. Their one-dimensional root spaces consequently contribute $2(\ell -1)$ independent vectors to the Lie algebra centralizer.

In addition, the $\ell -1$ dimensional subspace $\ker \alpha \subset \mathfrak{t}$ commutes with $x$, because $[h,x]=\alpha (h)x$. The line $\mathbb{C}x\subset {\mathfrak{g}}_{\alpha }$ also commutes with $x$. These contributions are independent by the root-space decomposition; in particular none of the selected endpoint roots is $\alpha$. Thus the centralizer lower bound for a root vector isIf $x=0$, then $Z_{\mathfrak{g}}(x)=\mathfrak{g}$. The root system contains the $2\ell$ distinct roots $\pm {\alpha }_i$, so $\dim \mathfrak{g}=\ell +|\Phi |\ge 3\ell$, which also proves the desired inequality. The argument includes rank one, where the list of ${\beta }_i$ is empty.

Use the wiki's Cartan matrix conventionLabel the long simple root first when the lengths differ. The matrix of an irreducible rank-two root system has the form $A=\left(\begin{array}{cc}2& -a\\ -b& 2\end{array}\right)$, where $a,b$ are positive integers. Integrality and the signs follow from the Cartan integers for distinct simple roots, and irreducibility rules out a zero off-diagonal pair. Its positive-definite symmetrization gives $ab<4$, equivalently $ab=4{\cos }^2\theta <4$. Moreover $a/b=\Vert {\alpha }_1{\Vert }^2/\Vert {\alpha }_2{\Vert }^2\ge 1$. Thus $(a,b)=(1,1),(2,1),(3,1)$, giving the entire classification of rank-two root systems relevant to a simple algebra:These correspond to ${\mathfrak{sl}}_3(\mathbb{C})$, ${\mathfrak{so}}_5(\mathbb{C})\cong {\mathfrak{sp}}_4(\mathbb{C})$, and the exceptional algebra ${\mathfrak{g}}_2$. Here $B_2=C_2$ denotes the Isomorphism between so5 and sp4, not an additional case. The disconnected $A_1\times A_1$ system corresponds to a semisimple but nonsimple algebra and is excluded.

The Dynkin diagrams, with nodes in the same order as the matrices, areThe second and third diagrams have two and three bonds respectively, with the arrowhead pointing to the short root ${\alpha }_2$. In the last diagram $\equiv$ draws the three bonds and $>$ their arrowhead.

To enumerate roots, use the standard root string theorem: for $\beta \ne \pm \alpha$, the roots $\beta +n\alpha$ are consecutive from $\beta -p\alpha$ through $\beta +q\alpha$, with $p-q=⟨\beta ,{\alpha }^{\vee }⟩$. Also use the standard results that the root system is reduced, every root is conjugate under the Weyl group to a simple root, and each root space has dimension one.

Write $m=a\in \{1,2,3\}$. Since a difference of simple roots is not a root, the ${\alpha }_2$-string starting at ${\alpha }_1$ has $p=0$ and $q=m$. It produces ${\alpha }_1,{\alpha }_1+{\alpha }_2,\dots ,{\alpha }_1+m{\alpha }_2$. The ${\alpha }_1$-string starting at ${\alpha }_2$ has $q=1$. In type $G_2$, the further string through $\beta ={\alpha }_1+3{\alpha }_2$ hasand $\beta -{\alpha }_1=3{\alpha }_2$ is not a root, so it also produces $2{\alpha }_1+3{\alpha }_2$. The resulting positive roots areAll roots are these and their negatives. To check completeness, the simple root reflections act on coordinates byEach listed set together with its negatives is stable under both reflections. It contains the simple roots and consists of roots already forced by strings. Since every root lies in a Weyl orbit of a simple root, no other roots can occur. This proves the lists for the A2 root system, B2 root system, and G2 root system. The root-space decomposition then gives

For the restriction to a sl2 subalgebra associated with a root, normalize its Cartan element to be $h_{\alpha }={\alpha }^{\vee }$. On a root vector of root $\beta$, its eigenvalue is $⟨\beta ,{\alpha }^{\vee }⟩$. The classification of finite-dimensional sl2 representations says that $R(\Lambda )$ has weights $\Lambda ,\Lambda -2,\dots ,-\Lambda$ and dimension $\Lambda +1$. A root string of $\Lambda +1$ nonparallel roots therefore supplies one such irreducible module: the raising and lowering brackets connect its consecutive root spaces.

For clarity, the positive-side strings for each simple-root direction are listed below. Brackets denote the whole consecutive string; a single listed root is a string of length one. In every row also include each negative string in reverse order, and separately the triple formed by the root ${\alpha }_i$, its negative, and $h_{{\alpha }_i}$.The root's own triple is always $R(2)$. The one-dimensional subspace of $\mathfrak{h}$ annihilated by ${\alpha }_i$ commutes with this subalgebra and gives $R(0)$. Each singleton root in the table, and its negative, contributes another $R(0)$. Reading the other string lengths now gives the adjoint branching to root sl2 subalgebras in rank two:Their dimensions are respectively $8,10,10,14,14$. The last row agrees with G2 adjoint branching to a short-root sl2 subalgebra. All labels in the table are highest weights, rather than dimensions.

The root string through ${\alpha }_1$ in the ${\alpha }_2$ direction contains ${\alpha }_1$ and ${\alpha }_1+{\alpha }_2$, so ${\alpha }_1$ can be raised once by ${\alpha }_2$. The string through ${\alpha }_2$ in the ${\alpha }_1$ direction containsso ${\alpha }_2$ can be raised three times by ${\alpha }_1$.

Let $\beta$ be a positive root. If it is not simple, it is a sum of two positive roots. Repeating this decomposition terminates because the height with respect to a regular positive functional strictly decreases, and it writeswith at least one $n_i>0$. Equivalently, one may repeatedly choose a simple root ${\alpha }_i$ with $(\beta ,{\alpha }_i)>0$ and use the root string to replace $\beta$ by the root $\beta -{\alpha }_i$.

For uniqueness, the simple roots are linearly independent. Therefore two such expansions have identical coefficients. Here “positive integer coefficients” must allow zero coefficients: a simple root itself has coefficient one on its own basis vector and zero on the others.

A root string through $\beta$ in the $\alpha$ direction is the uninterrupted sequence $\beta -p\alpha ,\dots ,\beta +q\alpha$ of roots, with $p-q=⟨\beta ,{\alpha }^{\vee }⟩$.

A root string is the set $S_{\alpha ,\beta }=\Phi \cap (\beta +\mathbb{Z}\alpha )$ for roots $\alpha ,\beta$ of a root system $\Phi$. For nonproportional roots $\alpha$ and $\beta$ of a reduced crystallographic root system, the roots of the form $\beta +n\alpha$ form an unbroken root string $\beta -p\alpha ,\dots ,\beta +q\alpha$, and $p-q=⟨\beta ,{\alpha }^{\vee }⟩$. The root-string theorem explains the endpoint relation. If $\beta =\pm \alpha$, zero is missing and this consecutive-string statement does not apply.