Let be a finite-dimensional symplectic vector space over an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero. For , write its Jordan–Chevalley decomposition as . Applying the symplectic adjoint to this decomposition and using , uniqueness gives and . Thus both parts belong to the symplectic Lie algebra. The operators and commute. The former is diagonalizable on in a matrix unit basis for an eigenbasis of , and the latter is a nilpotent linear map, as follows fromThe restrictions to the invariant symplectic Lie algebra retain these properties. Hence these restrictions form the Jordan–Chevalley decomposition of .
If is diagonalizable, . For every , the rank-one map lies in , since the two terms in cancel by alternation. For its image is , so commuting with forces to preserve . A linear map preserving every line is scalar: compare its action on two linearly independent vectors and on their sum. Since is a nilpotent linear map, that scalar is zero. Thus is diagonalizable. Conversely, if is diagonalizable on , its operator commutator action is diagonalizable on and therefore on its invariant symplectic Lie algebra. This proves both directions, including .
We use the supplied weight decomposition . There is a small distinction to justify: the definition of a toral subalgebra uses the Adjoint representation, while these weight spaces use the defining representation. For the symplectic Lie algebra, adjoint semisimplicity in the symplectic Lie algebra implies that each is diagonalizable on as well. Here is a direct verification.
Define the symplectic adjoint by . The symplectic Lie algebra condition is . Write the Jordan–Chevalley decomposition in as , with diagonalizable, a nilpotent linear map, and . Uniqueness of the Jordan–Chevalley decomposition, applied to , gives and . Thus . On , is diagonalizable by using a matrix unit basis in an eigenbasis of , and is a nilpotent linear map, sincevanishes for large . These operators commute and preserve , so their restrictions are the Jordan–Chevalley decomposition of . Because is diagonalizable, its nilpotent part is zero: on .
To conclude that without an assumption on the center of a Lie algebra, observe that each map lies in . If , its image is , because is a nondegenerate bilinear form. Since commutes with , it preserves . Hence for every , forcing to be a scalar linear map: compare its action on two linearly independent vectors and their sum. A scalar nilpotent linear map is zero. For the assertion is immediate. This proves the needed diagonalizability. Commuting diagonalizable linear maps admit simultaneous diagonalization, giving the displayed weight decomposition.
Now let and . For every , preservation of the alternating bilinear form givesIf as a linear functional, choose on which it is nonzero; then . ThereforeFor in , the fact that is a nondegenerate bilinear form supplies a with . Decomposing into weight spaces, only its component can contribute. Thus , and . The same argument on both sides shows that is a perfect pairing, so . On , the restriction of is a nondegenerate bilinear form that is an alternating bilinear form, so is even.
Choose one representative from each pair of nonzero weights of a representation, for . HereThe linear map sending to is injective: an element in its kernel acts by zero on every nonzero weight space, and also on , so it is the zero element of . Taking dimensions yieldsThe final inequality follows because each pair contributes at least two to . Equivalently, the nonzero weights of a representation span the dual space ; they need not be linearly independent at this stage.