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Choose a base of a root system and its positive roots, so that the triangular decomposition of a Lie algebra is $L={\mathfrak{n}}^{-}\oplus H\oplus {\mathfrak{n}}^{+}$. A primitive element of a Lie algebra representation of weight $\omega \in H^{\ast }$ is a nonzero vector $v$ such thatEquivalently it is a highest-weight vector. Being primitive depends on the chosen positive system; no integrality condition is part of this definition.

Construct the Verma module for an arbitrary $\omega$. The subalgebra $\mathfrak{b}=H\oplus {\mathfrak{n}}^{+}$ has a one-dimensional module ${\mathbb{C}}_{\omega }$ on which $H$ acts by $\omega$ and ${\mathfrak{n}}^{+}$ acts by zero. This is a representation because $[\mathfrak{b},\mathfrak{b}]\subseteq {\mathfrak{n}}^{+}$. Setwhere $U$ denotes the universal enveloping algebra. The Poincare-Birkhoff-Witt theorem, applied with negative-root vectors first, then Cartan vectors and positive-root vectors, givesas vector spaces. In particular $v_{\omega }=1\otimes 1$ is nonzero, generates $M(\omega )$, and is primitive of weight $\omega$.

The same ordered monomials show that $M(\omega )$ is a direct sum of weight spaces, with weights of the formand that its weight-$\omega$ space is exactly $\mathbb{C}{v}_{\omega }$. Each vector has only finitely many weight components. If a submodule contains a vector with nonzero weight-$\omega$ component, choose $h\in H$ that separates $\omega$ from the finitely many other weights of that vector. Polynomial interpolation in the action of $h$ extracts a nonzero multiple of $v_{\omega }$. Such a submodule is all of $M(\omega )$, because $v_{\omega }$ generates it. Consequently every proper submodule has zero component in weight $\omega$.

Let $N$ be the sum of all proper submodules. Every finite sum still has zero weight-$\omega$ component, so $N$ is proper; it contains every proper submodule and is therefore the unique maximal proper submodule. Its quotientis irreducible, and the nonzero image of $v_{\omega }$ is primitive of weight $\omega$. This proves existence for every $\omega \in H^{\ast }$ and gives the irreducible quotient of a Verma module. It also proves uniqueness up to isomorphism among irreducible modules generated by a primitive vector of that weight: the defining relations induce a surjection from $M(\omega )$, whose proper kernel must be $N$.

These modules are not generally finite-dimensional. For example, in an ${\mathfrak{sl}}_2$ root subalgebra, a primitive vector with $hv=\lambda v$ satisfiesIf its irreducible highest-weight module is finite-dimensional, the weight-lowering sequence eventually stops. For the first $m$ with $f^{m+1}v=0$ and $f^{m}v\ne 0$, the identity forces $\lambda =m\in {\mathbb{Z}}_{\ge 0}$. In general a finite-dimensional highest-weight module therefore requires nonnegative integral values on all simple coroots; arbitrary $\omega$ in the request must allow infinite-dimensional representations. This is consistent with the finite-dimensional qualification made in Question 2.

For simple coroots $h_1,\dots ,h_r$ forming a basis of $H$, the fundamental weights are the dual basis ${\omega }_1,\dots ,{\omega }_r\in H^{\ast }$:For the special linear Lie algebra ${\mathfrak{sl}}_3(\mathbb{C})$, take the diagonal trace-zero Cartan subalgebra and positive roots corresponding to upper triangular matrix units. Write ${\epsilon }_i(\mathrm{diag}(t_1,t_2,t_3))=t_i$. The simple roots are ${\alpha }_1={\epsilon }_1-{\epsilon }_2$, ${\alpha }_2={\epsilon }_2-{\epsilon }_3$, and the simple coroots areThe fundamental weights of sl3 are thereforeChecking these on $h_1,h_2$ gives the two coordinate vectors $(1,0)$ and $(0,1)$. In the Euclidean trace-zero plane they can also be writtenThe Fundamental representations of sl3 make these weights concrete: ${\mathbb{C}}^3$ has primitive vector $e_1$ of weight ${\omega }_1$, and ${\Lambda }^2{\mathbb{C}}^3$ has primitive vector $e_1\wedge e_2$ of weight ${\omega }_2$. Every finite-dimensional irreducible highest weight is $a{\omega }_1+b{\omega }_2$ with nonnegative integers $a,b$.

Choose a positive system of a root system and the corresponding triangular decomposition of a Lie algebra $L={\mathfrak{n}}^{-}\oplus H\oplus {\mathfrak{n}}^{+}$. A primitive element of a Lie algebra representation of weight $\omega \in H^{\ast }$ is a nonzero vector $v$ with $hv=\omega (h)v$ for every $h\in H$ and ${\mathfrak{n}}^{+}v=0$. Thus it is a highest-weight vector; the choice of positive roots is part of this definition. A highest-weight representation is generated by such a vector.

Let $\mathfrak{b}=H\oplus {\mathfrak{n}}^{+}$ be the corresponding Borel subalgebra. Define its one-dimensional Lie algebra representation ${\mathbb{C}}_{\omega }$ by the scalar $\omega (h)$ on $H$ and zero on ${\mathfrak{n}}^{+}$. This respects the Lie bracket, since $[\mathfrak{b},\mathfrak{b}]\subseteq {\mathfrak{n}}^{+}$. The induced Verma moduleis nonzero: the Poincare-Birkhoff-Witt theorem identifies its underlying vector space with $U({\mathfrak{n}}^{-})$, and $v=1\otimes 1$ is a primitive element of weight $\omega$. Its weight spaces are finite dimensional, its top weight space is the line $\mathbb{C}v$, and all other weights are $\omega -\sum n_i{\alpha }_i$ with $n_i\ge 0$ and at least one positive coefficient.

A proper submodule cannot contain $v$, because $v$ generates $M(\omega )$. More strongly it has no component of weight $\omega$: any finite sum of distinct weight vectors can be projected onto its individual components by a polynomial in a generic element of $H$. Therefore the sum $N$ of all proper submodules still misses the top weight line and is proper. It contains every proper submodule, so the irreducible quotient of a Verma moduleis irreducible and retains the nonzero primitive element $v+N$. This constructs the requested representation for every $\omega \in H^{\ast }$. It is not asserted to be finite dimensional for arbitrary $\omega$.

For the sl2 Lie algebra, use $h=\left(\begin{array}{cc}1& 0\\ 0& -1\end{array}\right)$, $e=\left(\begin{array}{cc}0& 1\\ 0& 0\end{array}\right)$ and $f=\left(\begin{array}{cc}0& 0\\ 1& 0\end{array}\right)$, with $[h,e]=2e$, $[h,f]=-2f$, $[e,f]=h$. The classification of finite-dimensional sl2 representations gives one irreducible $V_n$ for every integer $n\ge 0$. In a basis $v_0,\dots ,v_n$ its action iswhere $v_{-1}=v_{n+1}=0$. These formulas satisfy the three Lie brackets. Any nonzero invariant subspace contains a weight vector by polynomial projection using $h$; repeated application of $e$ gives $v_0$, and applications of $f$ then give the entire basis. Thus $V_n$ is irreducible.

Conversely, in any finite-dimensional irreducible module, start with an eigenvector of $h$ and apply $e$ until reaching a nonzero vector $v$ with $ev=0$. This process terminates because $e$ increases the eigenvalue by two and only finitely many eigenvalues occur. Write $hv=av$. The sl2 highest-weight lowering formula givesLet $f^{n}v\ne 0$ and $f^{n+1}v=0$, which again follows from the finite set of weights. Applying $e$ to the latter identity yields $(n+1)(a-n)f^{n}v=0$, so $a=n$. The resulting $n+1$ distinct weight vectors span an invariant subspace, hence the entire irreducible module. Therefore $\dim V_n=n+1$ and its primitive weight is ${\omega }_n(h)=n$, with $n=0,1,2,\dots$; its weights are $n,n-2,\dots ,-n$.