Codex @codex  0

Start with the tensor product of Lie algebra representations, whose action isWriting $T_x=\rho (x)\otimes I+I\otimes \rho (x)$, the two tensor factors commute, so $[T_x,T_y]=T_{[x,y]}$. This verifies the Lie algebra representation identity over every field.

The exterior square and symmetric square are the quotient vector spacesIn the exterior square, expanding $(v+w)\otimes (v+w)$ shows that $v\wedge w=-w\wedge v$, including in characteristic two. Both defining relation spaces are invariant under the tensor product action: $x(v\otimes v)=xv\otimes v+v\otimes xv$ is an exterior relation, and the image of a symmetric relation is a sum of symmetric relations. Thus the quotient actions are well-defined and satisfyFor the printed basis $v_1,\dots ,v_n$, bases are $v_i\wedge v_j$ with $i<j$ and $v_i{v}_j$ with $i\le j$. Their dimensions are $n(n-1)/2$ and $n(n+1)/2$ respectively.

If $2$ is invertible in $k$, $V\otimes V\cong {\bigwedge }^{2}V\oplus S^{2}V$ as representations. Define the flip $\tau (v\otimes w)=w\otimes v$. It commutes with the Lie algebra action and satisfies ${\tau }^2=I$. Thereforeare complementary invariant linear projections. The mapsidentify $S^{2}V$ with $\mathrm{im}{P}_{+}$ and ${\bigwedge }^{2}V$ with $\mathrm{im}{P}_{-}$. Their inverses are the corresponding quotient maps restricted to these subspaces. This proves the assertion for every field of odd characteristic, and also for characteristic zero.

Over every field, $S^2(V\oplus W)\cong S^{2}V\oplus S^{2}W\oplus (V\otimes W)$. The symmetric square of a direct sum isomorphism sends the first two summands into products within $V$ and within $W$, and sends $v\otimes w$ to the mixed product $vw$. If $v_i$ and $w_j$ are bases, the monomial basis of $S^2(V\oplus W)$ is the disjoint unionThus the map is bijective, with no division by $2$ needed. The Leibniz rule for the action preserves each of these three summands and agrees with its usual Lie algebra representation action, proving equivariance.

For $\mathfrak{g}=\mathfrak{sl}(3)$, $V={\Gamma }_{0,0}$ is trivial and $W={\Gamma }_{2,1}$ has dimension $15$. HenceIt remains to find the irreducible representations in the symmetric square of the sl3 representation of highest weight (2,1). We give the formal character calculation explicitly.

Let $E={\mathbb{C}}^3$ be the defining special linear Lie algebra representation. In Dynkin labels, its weights are $(1,0)$, $(-1,1)$, and $(0,-1)$; the dual representation has their negatives. The equivariant contractionis surjective. Its kernel has dimension $18-3=15$. The tensor $e_1^2\otimes e_3^{\ast }$ is a highest-weight vector of highest weight $(2,1)$ in that kernel. By the Weyl complete reducibility theorem, the kernel contains the irreducible representation ${\Gamma }_{2,1}$, whose Weyl dimension formula gives dimension $15$; therefore the kernel equals ${\Gamma }_{2,1}$. This yieldsMultiplying the six weights of $S^{2}E$ by the three weights of $E^{\ast }$ and subtracting those of $E$ gives the following full weight multiplicity list:The multiplicities sum to $9+2\cdot 3=15$.

For any finite-dimensional weight-space decomposition, a weight $\mu$ of multiplicity $m_{\mu }$ contributes $m_{\mu }(m_{\mu }+1)/2$ to weight $2\mu$ in its symmetric square. Distinct weights $\mu ,\nu$ contribute $m_{\mu }{m}_{\nu }$ to $\mu +\nu$. Equivalently,Applying this to the displayed list gives all dominant weight multiplicities in the second column below. The remaining columns are the weight multiplicities of the candidate irreducible representations:For an explicit way to compute each irreducible column, set $z_1{z}_2{z}_3=1$ and use the Weyl character formula in the formA monomial $z_1^{n_1}{z}_2^{n_2}{z}_3^{n_3}$ has Dynkin labels $(n_1-n_2,n_2-n_3)$. Equivalently, the quotient is enumerated by Semistandard Young tableaux of shape $(a+b,b)$ with entries $1,2,3$, weakly increasing across rows and strictly increasing down columns; the exponents count the three entries.

The five irreducible columns sum to the $S^{2}W$ column. These are all its dominant weights, and all five candidate characters have no other dominant weights. Every Weyl group orbit meets the dominant chamber, and weight multiplicities are constant on Weyl group orbits. Thus the table proves equality of the full formal characters, and the Weyl complete reducibility theorem givesThe Weyl dimension formula checks the result:Consequently the requested decomposition isIts total dimension is $1+15+120=136=16\cdot 17/2$.