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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 $R(2)\oplus 2R(3)\oplus 3R(0)$.

A finite root system in a real inner product space is crystallographic when every Cartan integer $2(\beta ,\alpha )/(\alpha ,\alpha )$ is an integer. The roots of a complex semisimple Lie algebra satisfy this because each number is a weight of its sl2 subalgebra associated with a root. Reducedness is a separate axiom; the root-space reducedness lemma establishes it for these Lie-algebra roots.

For a short root $\alpha$ in the G2 root system, restriction of the Adjoint representation to the sl2 subalgebra associated with a root givesHere $V(n)$ is the irreducible sl2 Lie algebra representation of highest weight $n$ and dimension $n+1$. Every nonzero root vector $x\in {\mathfrak{g}}_{\alpha }$ has $\dim Z_{\mathfrak{g}}(x)=6$: the raising operator has a one-dimensional kernel in each of these six irreducible summands.

Restrict a finite-dimensional representation of a complex semisimple Lie algebra to the sl2 subalgebra associated with a root $\alpha$. Its Cartan element is the coroot $h_{\alpha }$. The classification of finite-dimensional sl2 representations gives only integer eigenvalues for this element, so every weight of a representation has integral value on every coroot. This proves containment of all such representation weights in the weight lattice; it does not hold for unrestricted infinite-dimensional modules.

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.

Let $E$ be the real span of the roots in ${\mathfrak{h}}^{\ast }$. The weight lattice iswhere $h_{\alpha }$ is the coroot in the root's sl2 subalgebra associated with a root, normalized by $\alpha (h_{\alpha })=2$. It suffices to test the simple coroots. Equivalently, if ${\omega }_i(h_{{\alpha }_j})={\delta }_{ij}$ defines the fundamental weights, then $P={⨁}_i\mathbb{Z}{\omega }_i$.

To prove integrality of representation weights on coroots, restrict a finite-dimensional module $V$ to the root's sl2 Lie algebra. By the classification of finite-dimensional sl2 representations, the eigenvalues of its Cartan element $h_{\alpha }$ are integers. Thus every $\mu \in {\Lambda }_V$ has $\mu (h_{\alpha })\in \mathbb{Z}$. The simple coroots form a basis of the real Cartan space, so these integral values also put $\mu$ in $E$. Therefore $\boxed{{\Lambda }_V\subseteq {\Lambda }_W}$ for every finite-dimensional representation in this setting. The weight lattice need not coincide with the smaller root lattice.

Work first in a finite-dimensional SU(2) representation, with its invariant positive inner product. In the complexified Lie algebra, choose $H^{†}=H$ and $(E^{-}{)}^{†}=E^{+}$. Let $v_0$ be a highest-weight vector with $H{v}_0=m{v}_0$ and $E^{+}{v}_0=0$, and put $v_r=(E^{-}{)}^r{v}_0$. The commutator with $H$ givesInduction also givesFor $r=1$ this is $E^{+}{E}^{-}{v}_0=H{v}_0=m{v}_0$. For the induction step, use $E^{+}{E}^{-}=E^{-}{E}^{+}+H$ on $v_r$: the coefficient becomes $r(m-r+1)+m-2r=(r+1)(m-r)$. In particularwhich proves the assumed formula rather than merely invoking it.

The norm identity $\Vert E^{-}{v}_r{\Vert }^2=(r+1)(m-r)\Vert v_r{\Vert }^2$ shows that, for nonnegative integer $m$, the ladder is nonzero for $0\le r\le m$ and stops with $E^{-}{v}_m=0$. Distinct eigenvalues make these vectors independent. Their span is stable under $H,E^{\pm }$, and in the irreducible module it is the full space. ThusFor normalized states, $E^{-}|n⟩=\frac{1}{2}\sqrt{(m+n)(m-n+2)}|n-2⟩$, with the last state killed. General finite-dimensional SU(2) representations are direct sums of these ladders.

The representation category matters here. The Lie-algebra relations alone allow an infinite Verma module even at integral highest weight: its nonzero vector $v_{m+1}$ is singular. The finite representation can instead be constructed algebraically by taking the basis $v_0,\dots ,v_m$ with the displayed actions and declaring $E^{-}{v}_m=0$; all three Lie brackets then hold, including at the endpoints. Thus the finite-dimensional assertion uses the integrable SU(2) module, or this explicit finite quotient, rather than assuming that a singular vector must vanish in every highest-weight module.

For rank two, take a Cartan subalgebra $\mathfrak{h}$ with commuting basis elements. A root $\alpha$ is a nonzero linear functional on $\mathfrak{h}$ for which a root space contains an element $E_{\alpha }$ satisfyingChoose simple roots ${\alpha }_1,{\alpha }_2$ and their coroots $H_i={\alpha }_i^{\vee }$. In the PDF's index convention, the Cartan matrix isNormalize $E_i^{\pm }=E_{\pm {\alpha }_i}$ so $[E_i^{+},E_i^{-}]=H_i$. The difference of distinct simple roots is not a root, so the mixed positive-negative bracket is zero. This givesThe transpose in the last formula is essential and is printed correctly in the original PDF.

A highest-weight vector of labels $({\overline{n}}_1,{\overline{n}}_2)$ is killed by both $E_i^{+}$ and is an eigenvector of the two $H_i$. Repeated words in $E_1^{-},E_2^{-}$ generate its highest-weight representation; each lowers the weight by the corresponding simple root. Restricting to the sl2 subalgebra associated with a root for either simple root gives the preceding integer ladder, so finite-dimensional highest labels must be nonnegative integers. The finite irreducible module is the highest-weight quotient imposing $(E_i^{-}{)}^{{\overline{n}}_i+1}v=0$ and the submodules generated by these relations, together with the Serre relations. Choosing independent nonzero lowering words gives a simultaneous weight basis; an extra multiplicity index is needed where a weight space has dimension greater than one.

For the specified B2 root system, the simple-root squared lengths are $1,2$ and their inner product is $-1$, givingThe positive root ${\alpha }_1+{\alpha }_2$ is generated by $[E_1^{+},E_2^{+}]\ne 0$, and $2{\alpha }_1+{\alpha }_2$ by $[E_1^{+},[E_1^{+},E_2^{+}]]\ne 0$. No further positive sums occur, so $(\mathrm{ad}{E}_1^{+}{)}^3{E}_2^{+}=0$ and $(\mathrm{ad}{E}_2^{+}{)}^2{E}_1^{+}=0$. These are the relevant Serre relations. Applying the Cartan commutators to a weight vector proveswhenever the image is nonzero.

To enumerate the requested representation without guessing when arrows stop, realize it concretely as the Adjoint representation. For a Euclidean weight $(x,y)$, its labels are $(n_1,n_2)=(2x,-x+y)$. The highest root $2{\alpha }_1+{\alpha }_2=(1,1)$ has labels $(2,0)$, so it generates the irreducible adjoint module of this simple rank-two Lie algebra. Its nonzero weights are exactly its eight roots, and its zero weight space is the two-dimensional Cartan subalgebra. This gives the B2 adjoint representation weight diagram and the nine distinct states labels:Their actual production by lowering can be seen fromAn arrow labelled $i$ denotes a nonzero action of $E_i^{-}$ between the indicated weight spaces. The two paths into zero produce independent Cartan vectors. Hence there are nine distinct pairs, as requested when degeneracy is disregarded, but the full representation has dimension ten, not nine.

In the finite-dimensional complex semisimple Lie algebra setting, the rank of a semisimple Lie algebra is the dimension of a Cartan subalgebra $\mathfrak{h}$, equivalently the number of independent commuting Cartan generators. For a compact real algebra, use its complexification and the corresponding maximal torus. Simultaneously diagonalizing the commuting adjoint actions of $\mathfrak{h}$ gives the root-space decompositionThe nonzero linear functionals $\alpha$ for which this space is nonzero are the roots of a root system. An invariant inner product identifies them with vectors in a real Euclidean root space. These are the usual semisimple assumptions behind the rank and root language here.

The displayed generators $H,E^{+},E^{-}$ form an sl2 triple. Start with a nonzero lowest-weight element $X_0$ and define $X_{n+1}=[E^{+},X_n]$. The Jacobi identity givesInduction starting with $[H,X_0]=-\lambda X_0$ consequently gives the finite sl2 lowest-weight ladder weightsNow commute the lowering equation with $E^{+}$ and again use the Jacobi identity:The left side is $q_n{X}_n$. Whenever $X_n\ne 0$, coefficient comparison givesThe initial condition is $q_0=0$, meaning $[E^{-},X_0]=0$; directly $[E^{-},X_1]=[-H,X_0]=\lambda X_0$, so $q_1=\lambda$. Summing the recurrence from $0$ to $n-1$ yieldsIn fact the vector identity $[E^{-},X_n]=n(\lambda -n+1)X_{n-1}$ follows inductively from the same Jacobi identity without needing a separately assumed lowering coefficient.

If $X_{n_0}$ is the last nonzero element and $[E^{+},X_{n_0}]=0$, apply $E^{-}$ to this zero next element. The lowering identity givesso $\lambda =n_0$, a nonnegative integer. The nonzero endpoint is necessary. Literally allowing $X_{n_0}=0$ would make the printed conclusion false: take $X_0=E^{-}$ in the adjoint representation of ${\mathfrak{sl}}_2$. Then $\lambda =2$, $X_1=H$, $X_2=-2E^{+}$, $X_3=0$. Choosing $n_0=3$ gives a vanishing next bracket but not $\lambda =3$. The intended endpoint is the first terminating bracket after the nonzero ladder.

For the plus-sign nested commutators, use $H=H_1$, $E^{\pm }=E_1^{\pm }$ and $X_0=E_2^{+}$. The cross relation gives $[E_1^{-},E_2^{+}]=0$, while $[H_1,E_2^{+}]=K_{21}{E}_2^{+}$. Thus the lowest-weight label is $\lambda =-K_{21}$. If the $n$-fold raised element is nonzero and the $(n+1)$-fold element vanishes, the preceding endpoint argument gives $\lambda =n$ and henceFor the minus-sign ladder, use the sl2 triple $H^{\prime }=-H_1$, $E^{\prime +}=E_1^{-}$, $E^{\prime -}=E_1^{+}$ and start at $X_0=E_2^{-}$. Its lowest-weight equation is again $[H^{\prime },X_0]=K_{21}{X}_0$, and its lowering bracket vanishes by the cross relation. The same argument proves exactly the same result, including the endpoint assumption that is explicit in the nested-commutator question.

For arbitrary roots of a root system $\alpha ,\beta$, choose the normalized sl2 subalgebra associated with a root $\beta$, whose generators obey $[H_{\beta },E_{\beta }^{\pm }]=\pm 2E_{\beta }^{\pm }$ and $[E_{\beta }^{+},E_{\beta }^{-}]=H_{\beta }$. The coroot normalization givesThe normalization has a concrete construction. Use the nondegenerate Killing form $B$, and define $t_{\beta }\in \mathfrak{h}$ by $B(t_{\beta },H)=\beta (H)$. Invariance makes root spaces orthogonal unless their roots sum to zero, so there exist $e\in {\mathcal{L}}_{\beta }$ and $f\in {\mathcal{L}}_{-\beta }$ with $B(e,f)=1$. Invariance then gives $B([e,f],H)=B(e,[f,H])=\beta (H)$, hence $[e,f]=t_{\beta }$. With $(\beta ,\beta )=\beta (t_{\beta })$, take $E_{\beta }^{+}=e$, $E_{\beta }^{-}=2f/(\beta ,\beta )$ and $H_{\beta }=2t_{\beta }/(\beta ,\beta )$. Their brackets have the required normalization and $\alpha (H_{\beta })=2(\alpha ,\beta )/(\beta ,\beta )$. Let $v$ be a nonzero $\alpha$ root vector with $H_{\beta }$ weight $w=\alpha (H_{\beta })$. Repeatedly apply $\mathrm{ad}{E}_{\beta }^{-}$ until reaching a last nonzero vector $v_0=(\mathrm{ad}{E}_{\beta }^{-}{)}^{p}v$. Its weight is $w-2p$. This process terminates because different weights are linearly independent and the Lie algebra is finite-dimensional. Starting at $v_0$, repeatedly raise; this also terminates for the same reason. The proven lowest-weight endpoint formula says $w-2p=-N$ for a nonnegative integer $N$. ThereforeThis proves integrality of Cartan integers directly from the finite ladder, rather than assuming the crystallographic axiom.

Finally use the indices actually printed in the PDF: $E_1^{+}=R^1{}_2$, $E_2^{+}=R^2{}_3$, $E_1^{-}=R^2{}_1$, $E_2^{-}=R^3{}_2$. The converted TeX has corrupted these indices. The prescribed bracket is that of trace-free matrix units. The sum of the diagonal generators is zero, leaving two independent diagonal elements, and their pair brackets giveFor example $[R^1{}_2,R^2{}_1]=R^1{}_1-R^2{}_2$, and the analogous second pair gives $H_2$. The cross raising-lowering brackets vanish. A diagonal $H$ with entries $h_r$ has $[H,R^r{}_s]=(h_r-h_s)R^r{}_s$. Thus $H_1$ acts on $E_1^{+},E_2^{+}$ with weights $2,-1$, and $H_2$ acts on them with weights $-1,2$. The negative generators have the opposite weights. In the question's index ordering,This is the Cartan matrix of the A2 root system, and the Lie algebra generated by these matrix units has rank two. As an additional bracket check, $[E_1^{+},E_2^{+}]=R^1{}_3\ne 0$ whereas $[E_1^{+},R^1{}_3]=0$, so the nested ladder has $n=1$ and indeed $K_{21}=-1$. The negative ladder likewise terminates after one nonzero bracket.

Work with a finite-dimensional complex semisimple Lie algebra. The Dynkin diagram is obtained from its intrinsic root system, with several structure theorems entering the construction.

First choose a Cartan subalgebra $\mathfrak{h}$. The semisimple structure theory gives the root-space decompositionThe nonzero roots span ${\mathfrak{h}}^{\ast }$, root spaces have dimension one, and every root has its negative. The rank is $r=\dim \mathfrak{h}$.

Next use the Killing form. Its nondegeneracy on $\mathfrak{h}$ and its positive-definite restriction to the real coroot span identify the real root span $E=\mathbb{R}\Phi$ with a Euclidean space. Explicitly, if $t_{\lambda }={\mathcal{B}}^{-1}(\lambda )$, put $(\lambda ,\mu )=B(t_{\lambda },t_{\mu })$. The sl2 subalgebra associated with a root supplies its normalized coroot $H_{\alpha }$ and the integral pairingThe root-string theorem makes the reflection $s_{\alpha }(\beta )=\beta -\beta (H_{\alpha })\alpha$ permute $\Phi$. Together with the absence of multiples other than $\pm \alpha$, this shows that $\Phi$ is a finite reduced root system and a crystallographic root system. These properties come from semisimple Lie algebra theory, not from the diagram's definition.

Choose a vector in $E$ that is not perpendicular to any root. Define the positive roots by positive inner product with this vector. The simple roots are those positive roots that cannot be expressed as sums of two positive roots. Root-system theory shows that they form a basis $\Delta =\{{\alpha }_1,\dots ,{\alpha }_r\}$, and each root is an integer combination of them with coefficients all of one sign. Distinct simple roots have nonpositive inner product.

Use the standard Cartan matrix conventionThere is one diagram vertex for each simple root. For $i\ne j$, the integral off-diagonal entries are nonpositive andConnect the two vertices with respectively zero, one, two or three edges. The corresponding angles are $90^{\circ },120^{\circ },135^{\circ },150^{\circ }$. A multiple edge carries an arrow toward the shorter root. For joined vertices, the length ratio is determined by $A_{ij}/A_{ji}=({\alpha }_i,{\alpha }_i)/({\alpha }_j,{\alpha }_j)$; hence the diagram records both angle and relative length.

For example, ${\mathfrak{sl}}_3$ has simple roots $L_1-L_2$ and $L_2-L_3$, giving two equal-length vertices joined by one edge: type $A_2$. For ${\mathfrak{sp}}_4$, take ${\alpha }_1=L_1-L_2$ and ${\alpha }_2=2L_2$. Thenso the two vertices have a double edge directed toward ${\alpha }_1$, the shorter root: type $C_2$.

Finally, orthogonal irreducible components of the root system correspond to the simple ideals of a Lie algebra in the semisimple Lie algebra, so its diagram is the disjoint union of their connected diagrams. Conjugacy of Cartan subalgebras and the Weyl group action on choices of positive roots make the resulting diagram independent of these choices up to isomorphism. Thus the vertices, edge multiplicities, arrows and connected components encode the simple-root geometry and the simple-ideal decomposition.

For a root $\alpha$, choose normalized root vectors $e_{\alpha }\in {\mathfrak{g}}_{\alpha }$, $f_{\alpha }\in {\mathfrak{g}}_{-\alpha }$ and the coroot element $h_{\alpha }\in \mathfrak{h}$ withThe requested sl2 subalgebra associated with a root isThese bracket relations identify its basis with the standard sl2 triple. The notation here denotes this subalgebra, not the root reflection $s_{\alpha }$ used for the Weyl group.

The weight diagram of the Adjoint representation of ${\mathfrak{sl}}_3$ has its six roots $L_i-L_j$, $i\ne j$, each of multiplicity one, and zero of multiplicity two, from the Cartan subalgebra.

Restrict to the root subalgebra generated by $X=E_{12}$, $Y=E_{21}$ and $H=H_{12}$. The explicit decomposition into irreducible modules isThe first summand has $H$ weights $2,0,-2$. The second has weights $1,-1$, since $[Y,E_{13}]=E_{23}$. The third likewise has weights $1,-1$, since $[Y,E_{32}]=-E_{31}$. The last commutes with all three generators and is trivial. These subspaces are stable under the sl2 triple, are independent and have dimensions totaling eight, so they exhaust the Adjoint representation.

The Killing form value is the trace of $\mathrm{ad}{E}_{12}\mathrm{ad}{E}_{21}$. By the formula just proved, the four summands contribute $4,1,1,0$. Therefore

A highest-weight vector is a nonzero weight vector $v$ such that ${\mathfrak{g}}_{\alpha }v=0$ for every positive root $\alpha$. Its weight of a representation is a highest weight. For an irreducible finite-dimensional Lie algebra representation, this is the unique highest weight of a representation, and $v$ generates the module; a reducible module can have several highest weights of different summands.

Here is an existence argument for every nonzero finite-dimensional module $V$. For each simple root, its root operators and coroot form an sl2 subalgebra associated with a root. The classification of finite-dimensional sl2 representations shows that this coroot acts diagonalizably with integral eigenvalues. These commuting coroots span the Cartan subalgebra, so simultaneous diagonalization gives a finite weight-space decompositionChoose a real linear functional $\ell$ on the weight lattice span that is positive on every simple root, hence on every positive root, and choose a weight $\lambda$ maximizing $\ell$ among the finitely many weights of $V$. If $v\in V_{\lambda }$ and $X_{\alpha }\in {\mathfrak{g}}_{\alpha }$, thenso $X_{\alpha }v$ belongs to $V_{\lambda +\alpha }$ if nonzero. For positive $\alpha$, that would contradict maximality because $\ell (\lambda +\alpha )>\ell (\lambda )$. Thus every nonzero $v\in V_{\lambda }$ is a highest-weight vector. Every nonzero finite-dimensional module therefore has a highest weight. The zero module has no nonzero vector or weight, so it is the vacuous exception to the literal unrestricted wording.

Let $v$ be a highest-weight vector of weight $\lambda$. For a simple root ${\alpha }_i$, choose its sl2 subalgebra associated with a root, with operators $E_i,F_i,H_i$ satisfying $[E_i,F_i]=H_i$, $[H_i,F_i]=-2F_i$, and $H_i={\alpha }_i^{\vee }$. We have $E_{i}v=0$ and $H_{i}v=\lambda (H_i)v$.

Since $F_i$ decreases the weight by ${\alpha }_i$ and there are only finitely many weights of a representation, let $n\ge 0$ be maximal with $F_i^{n}v\ne 0$. Induction using the two bracket relations gives the sl2 highest-weight lowering formulaApplying this at $k=n+1$, the left side vanishes, and the nonzero vector $F_i^{n}v$ on the right forces $\lambda (H_i)=n$. This holds for every simple root, soThus the highest weight is a dominant integral weight, in particular an element of the Closed dominant Weyl chamber.

For a complex semisimple Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$, a Cartan subalgebra $\mathfrak{h}$ is a maximal abelian subalgebra consisting of elements whose Adjoint representation matrices are diagonalizable. Equivalently it is a nilpotent self-normalizing Lie subalgebra. The root-space decomposition iswhere the roots are the nonzero weights of that Adjoint representation.

We use these properties of the Killing form $B$: it is nondegenerate on $\mathfrak{g}$ and on $\mathfrak{h}$, it is invariant, distinct root spaces are orthogonal unless their roots sum to zero, and $B$ pairs ${\mathfrak{g}}_{\alpha }$ nondegenerately with ${\mathfrak{g}}_{-\alpha }$. Define $t_{\alpha }$ by $B(t_{\alpha },h)=\alpha (h)$, and choose $e\in {\mathfrak{g}}_{\alpha }$, $f\in {\mathfrak{g}}_{-\alpha }$ with $B(e,f)=1$. Since weights add, $[e,f]\in \mathfrak{h}$, and invariance givesThe nonisotropic root lemma shows $\alpha (t_{\alpha })\ne 0$. Here is its short proof: if this number were zero, the span of $e,f,t_{\alpha }$ would be a solvable Lie algebra with $t_{\alpha }$ central. Apply the Lie theorem to its action on $\mathfrak{g}$. The commutator $\mathrm{ad}{t}_{\alpha }=[\mathrm{ad}e,\mathrm{ad}f]$ would be strictly upper triangular and hence nilpotent. But $t_{\alpha }\in \mathfrak{h}$ makes it diagonalizable. It would therefore be zero, putting $t_{\alpha }$ in the zero center of a Lie algebra of $\mathfrak{g}$, contrary to its definition. SetThenso their span is the sl2 subalgebra associated with a root.

The abstract reduced crystallographic root system axioms are as follows. In a finite-dimensional real inner product space $E$, the set $R$ is finite, consists of nonzero vectors and spans $E$; for every $\alpha \in R$, one has $R\cap \mathbb{R}\alpha =\{\alpha ,-\alpha \}$; the root reflection $s_{\alpha }(\beta )=\beta -2(\beta ,\alpha )\alpha /(\alpha ,\alpha )$ preserves $R$; and $2(\beta ,\alpha )/(\alpha ,\alpha )$ is an integer for every pair of roots. We verify the positive-definite real form as well as these axioms, rather than assuming the complex Killing form is already positive.

First $R$ is finite and has no zero element by its definition. The roots span ${\mathfrak{h}}^{\ast }$ over $\mathbb{C}$: any $h\in \mathfrak{h}$ annihilated by all roots commutes with the whole root-space decomposition and is central, hence zero. Therefore the $t_{\alpha }$, and also the $H_{\alpha }$, span $\mathfrak{h}$ over $\mathbb{C}$. For every root $\beta$, the classification of finite-dimensional sl2 representations applied to the Adjoint representation of the root subalgebra gives $\beta (H_{\alpha })\in \mathbb{Z}$. Put ${\mathfrak{h}}_{\mathbb{R}}={\mathrm{span}}_{\mathbb{R}}\{H_{\alpha }:\alpha \in R\}$. Every root takes real values on this space, andThe strict inequality follows because the roots span ${\mathfrak{h}}^{\ast }$. This also shows that the complexification of ${\mathfrak{h}}_{\mathbb{R}}$ injects into $\mathfrak{h}$: an equality $h_1+i{h}_2=0$ with real $h_j$ would contradict positivity of $B(h_1,h_1)$ and $B(h_2,h_2)$. Since its complex span is all of $\mathfrak{h}$, it is a real form. Moreover $B(H_{\alpha },H_{\alpha })=4/\alpha (t_{\alpha })>0$, so $t_{\alpha }$ is a real scalar multiple of $H_{\alpha }$. The dual inner product thus makes $E={\mathrm{span}}_{\mathbb{R}}R$ a Euclidean space, as in the Euclidean subspace of a Cartan subalgebra.

To prove reducedness without assuming it, consider the root-subalgebra modulewith absent root spaces understood to be zero. Its $H_{\alpha }$ weights are even, so every nontrivial Irreducible Lie algebra representation in it has even positive highest weight and one-dimensional weight-zero space. The action of $X_{\alpha }$ on its weight-zero space $\mathfrak{h}$ has image exactly $\mathbb{C}{X}_{\alpha }$, of dimension one. Therefore there is precisely one nontrivial irreducible summand, the already embedded adjoint ${\mathfrak{sl}}_2$ module of highest weight $2$. Thus $\dim {\mathfrak{g}}_{\alpha }=1$ and $2\alpha \notin R$. If $\beta =c\alpha$ is any root on the same real line, the integral numbers $\beta (H_{\alpha })=2c$ and $\alpha (H_{\beta })=2/c$ have product $4$. Hence $c$ is one of $\pm \frac{1}{2},\pm 1,\pm 2$; the half and double cases are excluded by applying the preceding argument to the appropriate root. This proves the root-space reducedness lemma and $R\cap \mathbb{R}\alpha =\{\pm \alpha \}$.

For a root $\beta$ not parallel to $\alpha$, the sum of root spaces ${⨁}_{j\in \mathbb{Z}}{\mathfrak{g}}_{\beta +j\alpha }$ is stable under the root ${\mathfrak{sl}}_2$. Its integer $H_{\alpha }$ weights are symmetric under sign in each irreducible summand. Therefore the weight $-\beta (H_{\alpha })$ also occurs, at the root $\beta -\beta (H_{\alpha })\alpha$. The Killing form normalization givesso this root is exactly $s_{\alpha }(\beta )$. For $\beta =\pm \alpha$ the reflection just swaps the two roots. This proves reflection invariance and the Cartan integer condition. All axioms of the reduced crystallographic root system have now been verified.