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For strictly decreasing integer tuples $\kappa ,\eta$, let $A_{\kappa }(z)=\det (z_i^{{\kappa }_j})$ on the diagonal maximal torus of the unitary group. Expanding both determinants, Fourier orthogonality makes the integral zero unless the exponent tuples have the same permutation orbit. Strict decreasing order makes that equivalent to $\kappa =\eta$; the $n!$ matching permutation terms then each contribute one. An alternating Laurent polynomial is a finite linear combination of these alternants. For an irreducible character ${\chi }_{\lambda }$, its highest monomial gives coefficient one for $A_{\lambda +\delta }$ in ${\chi }_{\lambda }{A}_{\delta }$, with $\delta =(n-1,\dots ,0)$. The Weyl integration formula and Schur orthogonality relations force the sum of squared coefficients to be one, so all other coefficients vanish. This proves the unitary Weyl character formula directly.

For a complex semisimple Lie algebra and an integer $k\ge 0$, the Weyl character formula and Weyl denominator formula giveApply the dilation $e^{\mu }\mapsto e^{(k+1)\mu }$ to the denominator identity to obtain the numerator. Cancellation leaves a finite geometric series for each positive root of a root system. Evaluating the resulting polynomial at all formal exponentials equal to one gives the dimension, without taking an undefined quotient at the identity.

The formal character identity ${\chi }_{{\wedge }^{2}U}(x)=\frac{1}{2}({\chi }_U(x{)}^2-{\chi }_U(x^2))$ counts unordered pairs of distinct basis vectors. Substituting ${\chi }_{2,1}=h_2(x)h_1(x^{-1})-h_1(x)$ and the Weyl character formula gives the displayed multiplicity-free decomposition. Its dimensions sum to $21+42+24+15+3=105=\left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{15}{2}\right)$. The sl3 interlacing character formula provides an exact weight-enumeration check.

Multiply the Weyl character formula by the generating series of the Kostant partition function. In each numerator summand, the coefficient of $e^{\mu }$ occurs when $\nu =w(\lambda +\rho )-(\mu +\rho )$. Summing those coefficients with the Weyl group signs proves the displayed weight multiplicity formula. Although $\rho$ need not itself be an integral group weight, $w\rho -\rho$ is in the root lattice, so each partition-function argument is an integral weight.

Work over $\mathbb{C}$ with a finite-dimensional semisimple Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$. Choose a Cartan subalgebra $\mathfrak{h}$, its root system $R\subset {\mathfrak{h}}^{\ast }$, a positive system $R^{+}$ and its simple roots. Let $W$ be the Weyl group, generated by the corresponding root reflections, and put $\rho =\frac{1}{2}{\sum }_{\alpha \in R^{+}}\alpha$, the Weyl vector. The finite-dimensional irreducible highest-weight representation $L(\lambda )$ is indexed by a dominant integral weight $\lambda$.

If $P$ is the weight lattice, its group ring has formal symbols $e^{\mu }$ with multiplication $e^{\mu }{e}^{\nu }=e^{\mu +\nu }$. The formal character iswhere $L(\lambda {)}_{\mu }=\{v:Hv=\mu (H)v\text{ for all }H\in \mathfrak{h}\}$ is a weight space. For a weight $\nu$, define the Weyl alternant $A_{\nu }={\sum }_{w\in W}\det (w)e^{w\nu }$; the sign $\det (w)=(-1{)}^{\ell (w)}$ is the determinant of $w$ on the real root span, equivalently the parity of its expression in simple reflections.

The Weyl character formula isThe second denominator is the Weyl denominator formula. The quotient can initially be taken in the fraction field of the group ring; the formula says it is the finite character on the left, so its apparent singularities are removable. The shifts by $\rho$ make $\lambda +\rho$ strictly dominant.

Let $N=|R^{+}|$ and identify the real weight and Cartan spaces using a Weyl group-invariant positive inner product. For a regular $H$, meaning $(\alpha ,H)\ne 0$ for every root, specialize $e^{\mu }$ to $e^{t(\mu ,H)}$. Then the value of the formal character at $t=0$ is $\dim L(\lambda )$, but both Weyl alternants in the Weyl character formula vanish there. We compute their leading terms instead of substituting into that zero-over-zero expression.

ExpandFor every root reflection $s$, replacing $\nu$ by $s\nu$ changes the sign of $P_m$, by replacing $w$ with $ws$ in the sum. Replacing $H$ by $sH$ also changes its sign, by replacing $w$ with $sw$. Thus the polynomial vanishes whenever $\nu$ or $H$ lies on any reflecting hyperplane. It is divisible by ${\prod }_{\alpha >0}(\nu ,\alpha )$ in its first variables and by ${\prod }_{\alpha >0}(H,\alpha )$ in its second variables. Distinct positive roots give distinct linear factors; each product has degree $N$.

The polynomial $P_m$ has degree $m$ in each group of variables. Therefore $P_m=0$ for $m<N$, and for $m=N$ it has the formwith a constant $C$ independent of both variables. At $\nu =\rho$, the Weyl denominator formula givesConsequently $C{\prod }_{\alpha >0}(\rho ,\alpha )=1$. For strictly dominant $\nu =\lambda +\rho$, its leading coefficient is nonzero, and the ratio of the two Weyl alternants tends toThe coroot is ${\alpha }^{\vee }=2\alpha /(\alpha ,\alpha )$, so the root-length factors cancel in each ratio. This proves the Weyl dimension formula by the lowest-degree alternant proof of the Weyl dimension formula, including the limiting step.

Apply the Weyl character formula with $\lambda =\rho$. In the Weyl denominator formula, replace every formal exponential $e^{\mu }$ by $e^{2\mu }$. This givesDividing by $A_{\rho }=e^{\rho }{\prod }_{\alpha >0}(1-e^{-\alpha })$ and cancelling each factor yieldsThe last expression is a compact way of writing the same character; individual half-root exponentials may need a larger formal lattice, but their full product lies in the group ring of the weight lattice. Expanding the first expression, a subset $S\subseteq R^{+}$ contributes the weight $\rho -{\sum }_{\alpha \in S}\alpha$. Different subsets with the same sum give that weight's multiplicity. In particular $\dim L(\rho )=2^{|R^{+}|}$, consistent with the Weyl dimension formula. This is the case $k=1$ of the character of a Weyl-vector multiple.

Let $V={\mathbb{C}}^n$ and $m\ge 0$. Identify the symmetric power ${\mathrm{Sym}}^{m}V$ with the degree-$m$ part of the symmetric algebra on the basis vectors $e_1,\dots ,e_n$, using formal variables $x_i$ for these vectors. Its monomial basis isThe diagonal maximal torus of the unitary group acts on this monomial by the character $z_1^{a_1}\cdots z_n^{a_n}$. Distinct tuples give distinct characters, so each weight space is one-dimensional.

Suppose $M$ is a nonzero invariant complex subspace. For a nonzero vector $w\in M$, select a monomial with nonzero coefficient and extract it by torus averaging:Fourier orthogonality makes this a nonzero scalar multiple of $x^a$. It belongs to $M$, so $M$ contains a monomial.

Differentiating the unitary group action makes $M$ invariant under $\mathfrak{u}(n)$ and hence under its complexification ${\mathfrak{gl}}_n(\mathbb{C})$. The matrix unit $E_{ij}$ replaces an occurrence of $e_j$ by $e_i$, so its action on the symmetric algebra isWhenever $a_j>0$, this transfers one unit of degree from coordinate $j$ to coordinate $i$ with a nonzero coefficient. Starting with any monomial, such transfers can produce every other tuple of nonnegative integers summing to $m$. Thus $M$ contains every monomial and equals ${\mathrm{Sym}}^{m}V$.

ConsequentlyFor $m=0$ this is the one-dimensional trivial representation, and for $n=1$ every symmetric power is also one-dimensional. This weight-transfer proof of irreducibility of symmetric powers uses neither the Weyl character formula nor the Weyl dimension formula, so no unproved dimension formula enters the argument.

Write the diagonal maximal torus of $U(n)$ as $t=\mathrm{diag}(z_1,\dots ,z_n)$, $|z_i|=1$, and let $\delta =(n-1,n-2,\dots ,0)$. Irreducible complex representations are indexed by dominant integer tuples ${\lambda }_1\ge \cdots \ge {\lambda }_n$, their highest weights. The Weyl character formula in integer-exponent form isThe ratio initially uses distinct $z_i$, and extends to repeated eigenvalues by continuity. Every unitary matrix is conjugate to such a diagonal matrix, so this determines the character on the entire group. The shift $\delta$ differs from the usual Weyl vector $\rho =((n-1)/2,(n-3)/2,\dots ,(1-n)/2)$ by a multiple of $(1,\dots ,1)$; the corresponding determinant factors cancel between numerator and denominator.

We first justify the highest-weight information needed in the proof. Restriction to the torus splits a representation into integer weight spaces. In an irreducible representation choose a lexicographically largest weight $\lambda$ and a nonzero vector $v$ of that weight. A matrix unit $E_{ij}$ with $i<j$ raises the weight by $e_i-e_j$, so it annihilates $v$. The character is invariant under permutations of diagonal coordinates, because permutation matrices conjugate the torus. Hence permutations of $\lambda$ are also weights, and lexical maximality forces ${\lambda }_1\ge \cdots \ge {\lambda }_n$.

Irreducibility implies that $v$ generates the representation under the complexified Lie algebra. Indeed, a Lie-algebra invariant subspace is preserved by exponentials of skew-Hermitian matrices, which generate $U(n)$. Reorder any product of matrix units into lower-triangular units, diagonal units and upper-triangular units, usingInduction on length and on the number of out-of-order pairs gives the required spanning version of the Poincaré-Birkhoff-Witt theorem. Upper-triangular units kill $v$, and diagonal units act by scalars. Every nonempty product of lower-triangular units lowers its weight by a nonzero sum of positive roots. Therefore the top weight space is exactly $\mathbb{C}v$, and its multiplicity is one. This supplies the leading coefficient without assuming a character formula.

For completeness, every dominant integer tuple occurs. Put $d_j={\lambda }_j-{\lambda }_{j+1}\ge 0$ and form the representationIts lexicographically highest weight is $\lambda$, with one-dimensional highest space, represented by the tensor products of $e_1\wedge \cdots \wedge e_j$. A negative determinant exponent is a legitimate one-dimensional unitary-group character. Averaging an inner product over normalized Haar measure gives invariant orthogonal complements, so the tensor representation splits into irreducible summands. One of them has highest weight $\lambda$. Uniqueness will also follow from the formula and Schur orthogonality relations.

Define the alternant $A_{\kappa }(z)=\det (z_i^{{\kappa }_j})$ for a strictly decreasing integer tuple $\kappa$. The denominatoris the Vandermonde determinant, and its modulus is the denominator modulus in the Weyl integration formula. The Laurent polynomial ${\chi }_{\lambda }{A}_{\delta }$ is alternating. Any alternating Laurent polynomial decomposes as a finite summonomials with repeated exponents have zero coefficient, and the remaining permutation orbits are indexed uniquely by strictly decreasing tuples.

The lexicographically highest monomial in the product is $z^{\lambda +\delta }$ with coefficient one. Indeed, the highest monomial of the character is $z^{\lambda }$ with coefficient one, and the unique lexical maximum among permutations of $\delta$ is $\delta$ itself. It follows that $c_{\lambda +\delta }=1$.

Fourier orthogonality on the torus, whose probability measure is ${\prod }_{i}d{\theta }_i/(2\pi )$, gives alternant orthogonality on a unitary torus:Expand both determinants: an integral survives exactly when the two exponent tuples are identical up to permutation. Strict decreasing order then forces $\kappa =\eta$, and its $n!$ matching terms each contribute one.

Finally, Schur orthogonality relations give ${\int }_{U(n)}|{\chi }_{\lambda }{|}^2=1$. Applying the allowed Weyl integration formula to this class function givesSince the coefficient $c_{\lambda +\delta }$ already equals one, every other coefficient vanishes. Thus ${\chi }_{\lambda }{A}_{\delta }=A_{\lambda +\delta }$, proving the formula. If two irreducible representations had the same highest weight, their characters would now coincide; the Schur orthogonality relations imply that they are isomorphic. Apparent singularities at repeated diagonal eigenvalues are removable because the quotient equals the actual finite Laurent-polynomial character. No dimension formula has been assumed.

Let $\mathfrak{g}$ be a finite-dimensional complex semisimple Lie algebra, choose a Cartan subalgebra $\mathfrak{t}$ and a set $R^{+}$ of positive roots, and write $W$ for the Weyl group. Let $\lambda$ be a dominant integral weight and $L(\lambda )$ the finite-dimensional irreducible highest-weight representation with that highest weight. If $L(\lambda {)}_{\mu }$ denotes its weight space of weight $\mu$, its formal character is $\mathrm{ch}L(\lambda )={\sum }_{\mu }\dim L(\lambda {)}_{\mu }{e}^{\mu }$. The symbols $e^{\mu }$ belong to the group algebra of the weight lattice and multiply by $e^{\mu }{e}^{\nu }=e^{\mu +\nu }$; they are formal symbols, not matrix exponentials.

Put $\rho =\frac{1}{2}{\sum }_{\alpha \in R^{+}}\alpha$, the half-sum of positive roots, and let $\ell (w)$ be the Coxeter length of $w$, the least number of simple reflections expressing it. Then $(-1{)}^{\ell (w)}=\det (w)$ in the real reflection representation. The Weyl character formula statesBy the Weyl denominator formula, the denominator is $e^{\rho }{\prod }_{\alpha \in R^{+}}(1-e^{-\alpha })$, giving the equivalent expressionThe quotient can be interpreted in the fraction field of the formal group algebra; the theorem says it simplifies to the finite formal character above. In particular the apparent denominator does not mean that the representation has infinitely many weights.

The Weyl group acts on the weight lattice by its root reflections and extends to ring automorphisms of the group ring of a weight lattice:Weights and their multiplicities in a finite-dimensional Lie algebra representation of a semisimple Lie algebra are permuted by this action, so its formal character is Weyl-invariant.

Choose a set ${\Phi }^{+}$ of positive roots and putHere ${\omega }_i$ are the fundamental weights, and $\det (w)=(-1{)}^{\ell (w)}$, where the Coxeter length $\ell (w)$ counts positive roots carried to negative ones. For a dominant integral weight $\lambda$, let $L(\lambda )$ denote the finite-dimensional Irreducible Lie algebra representation of highest weight $\lambda$. The Weyl character formula isThe second denominator expression is the Weyl denominator formula. Both alternants change sign under each root reflection; their quotient is invariant. Although written as a fraction, the theorem asserts that it is a finite element of $\mathbb{Z}[{\Lambda }_W]$ with the nonnegative coefficients given by weight multiplicities. The highest-weight classification specifies which $\lambda$ label the irreducibles, while the root system and choice of positive roots determine every other term.

Use the corrected generating series of the Kostant partition function and the permitted Weyl character formula:For a fixed $w$, the coefficient of $e^{\mu }$ arises exactly whenThere are only finitely many Weyl-group terms, and the partition function vanishes outside the cone of nonnegative root combinations. Coefficient extraction is therefore legitimate in the formal completion used in the preceding part. Summing the signed contributions provesThis proves the Kostant multiplicity formula for every compact connected Lie group, not just the unitary groups. In the presence of a central torus, roots have zero central component, so the partition function automatically gives zero for any incompatible central weight. Also $\rho$ need not itself be an integral weight for the given global group: $w\rho -\rho$ always belongs to the root lattice, so every argument in the formula is nevertheless integral whenever $\lambda$ and $\mu$ are integral group weights.

As a normalization check, for $SU(2)$ write a highest weight as the nonnegative integer $\ell$, with positive root $2$ and $\rho =1$. The two Weyl-group terms giveSince $p(a)=1$ precisely when $a$ is even and nonnegative, this is one for $\mu =\ell ,\ell -2,\dots ,-\ell$ and zero otherwise, including the cancellation below the lowest weight. This recovers the full familiar weight string.

For a partition $\nu$ with at most $m$ parts, let $D_{\nu }(V)$ be the Schur module constructed in Question 3, equivalently the image of a Young symmetrizer on $V^{\otimes |\nu |}$. For a weakly decreasing integer tuple $\lambda$, put $k=\max (0,-{\lambda }_m)$ and $\nu =\lambda +k(1,\dots ,1)$. Define the rational Schur module byHere ${\det }^{-k}$ is the one-dimensional representation $g\mapsto \det (g{)}^{-k}$. This is rational, and it is irreducible under the permitted irreducibility assumption; for nonnegative $\lambda$ it is the original polynomial Schur module. Larger shifts give the same module, as will also follow from the character formula below.

Write $s_r(x)={\sum }_{i=1}^m{x}_i^r$ and $p_{\alpha }(x)={\prod }_{r=1}^n{s}_r(x{)}^{{\alpha }_r}$. For a permutation $\sigma$ of the given cycle type, the trace of a permuted tensor power isIn a tensor basis, the trace contracts the matrix entries of $\xi$ around each cycle of $\sigma$; a cycle of length $r$ contributes $\mathrm{tr}({\xi }^r)$. This proof applies to nondiagonalizable endomorphisms as well. The eigenvalues give $\mathrm{tr}({\xi }^r)=s_r(x)$.

The Schur–Weyl duality decomposition, on which $\sigma$ and ${\xi }^{\otimes n}$ act on the two respective factors, gives the same trace asFor a partition, the character extends polynomially to all endomorphisms because the tensor-power action does. This extension is not asserted for determinant-twisted modules at singular matrices.

We now derive the alternant character formula for the general linear group. Put $\delta =(m-1,m-2,\dots ,0)$ andUse the permitted symmetric-group character result, the Frobenius alternant character formula:It concerns characters of $S_n$, rather than assuming the character formula we seek for the general linear group. Substitute the proved trace identity and setThen ${\chi }^{\lambda }(\alpha )={\sum }_{\mu }{c}_{\lambda \mu }{\chi }^{\mu }(\alpha )$ for every conjugacy class. Independence of the irreducible symmetric-group characters forces $c_{\lambda \mu }={\delta }_{\lambda \mu }$.

Each character ${\varphi }_{\mu }$ on diagonal matrices is a symmetric homogeneous polynomial of degree $n$, since conjugation by permutation matrices permutes its arguments. Thus $a_{\delta }{\varphi }_{\mu }$ is alternating of degree $n+\left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{m}{2}\right)$. Every alternating polynomial of this degree has a unique expansion in alternants $a_{\lambda +\delta }$: a monomial with repeated exponents has zero coefficient, while each strictly decreasing nonnegative exponent vector is uniquely $\lambda +\delta$ for a partition $\lambda$ of $n$ with at most $m$ parts. Its coefficient at $x^{\lambda +\delta }$ is the coefficient of that alternant. The identities for $c_{\lambda \mu }$ therefore give $a_{\delta }{\varphi }_{\mu }=a_{\mu +\delta }$. We have derived the Weyl character formulaFor partitions the quotient is the Schur polynomial, with removable apparent singularities when eigenvalues coincide. For arbitrary dominant integer tuples, multiply the formula for $\nu$ by $(x_1\cdots x_m{)}^{-k}$; this shifts every numerator exponent by $-k$ and yields the same boxed formula. The variables must then be nonzero. The expression also shows independence of the shift used to define the determinant twist. Equality of characters identifies these irreducible modules: the group-algebra image on a direct sum of two irreducibles is finite-dimensional and semisimple, and its span of group operators detects the traces on every simple block.

Finally, the character of a dual representation evaluates the original character at $x_i^{-1}$. Reverse the numerator's columns after making this substitution. The exponents become $-{\lambda }_{m+1-j}+1-j$. Factoring $(x_1\cdots x_m{)}^{-(m-1)}$ converts these into ${\mu }_j+m-j$ for ${\mu }_j=-{\lambda }_{m+1-j}$. The denominator undergoes the identical column reversal and factor, so both signs and factors cancel. Hence ${\varphi }_{\lambda }(x^{-1})={\varphi }_{\mu }(x)$, andThis tuple is again weakly decreasing, so it is precisely the required dominant label.

For a decreasing integer tuple $\lambda =({\lambda }_1,\dots ,{\lambda }_m)$, let ${\mu }_i={\lambda }_i-{\lambda }_m$. Then $\mu$ is a partition and the highest-weight classification of rational GL representations definesThis is a determinant twist of a Schur module. Every irreducible rational $G{L}_m$ representation becomes polynomial after multiplication by a sufficiently large positive determinant power, which clears all matrix-entry denominators. The polynomial degree decomposition and Schur–Weyl duality then identify it with a Schur module. Undoing the twist gives exactly one decreasing integer tuple $\lambda$. Distinct tuples have distinct highest torus weights, so these are the complete pairwise nonisomorphic irreducible rational representations.

The Weyl character formula specializes toIt is a symmetric Laurent polynomial in the eigenvalues. Equality extends from the dense set of diagonalizable matrices to all invertible matrices: both the character and the expression in the characteristic-polynomial coefficients are regular functions on $G{L}_m$. For a polynomial representation this also extends to every endomorphism of $V$. For a general rational representation, the printed claim at singular endomorphisms needs this qualification: for example ${\det }^{-1}$ is undefined at a singular matrix. The displayed formula is valid on $G{L}_m$, and on all of $\mathrm{End}(V)$ when ${\lambda }_m\ge 0$.

To compute the degree, set $x_j=e^{t{c}_j}$ with distinct $c_j$ and take $t\to 0$. For ${\ell }_i={\lambda }_i+m-i$ and $d=\left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{m}{2}\right)$, the leading coefficient of an exponential alternant isIndeed, expand every exponential in powers of $t$. The first nonzero determinant uses the distinct powers $0,1,\dots ,m-1$; its coefficient is the product of the two Vandermonde determinants divided by $\prod k!$. Taking the same expansion in the denominator cancels the powers and the $c$ factors, giving the Weyl dimension formulaThis proof works for negative ${\lambda }_m$ as well, since determinant twists have dimension one.

Every finite-dimensional rational module is completely reducible. The characters of its irreducible constituents are linearly independent: each Schur Laurent character has its highest dominant monomial $x^{\lambda }$ with coefficient $1$, and only lower weights besides it. In a finite relation, choose a lexicographically highest remaining weight; its coefficient must vanish, and iterate. Therefore equal characters give equal multiplicities of every irreducible constituent, proving rational modules with the same character are isomorphic.

Finally the symmetric algebra of $V\oplus {\Lambda }^{2}V$ has the formal torus characterEach factor sums the symmetric powers of a one-dimensional weight space; the exterior square has weights $x_i{x}_j$ for $i<j$. The permitted Schur identity makes this ${\sum }_{\lambda }{s}_{\lambda }(x)$. In each fixed scalar degree there are only finitely many terms, so complete reducibility and character independence apply degree by degree without a convergence assumption. Thus the multiplicity-free symmetric-algebra model for polynomial GL representations contains each irreducible polynomial representation exactly once. The word irreducible is necessary: arbitrary reducible polynomial modules, such as two copies of the trivial module, do not each occur once in a multiplicity-free sum.

Define the exterior square over the arbitrary field $k$ by ${\bigwedge }^{2}V=(V\otimes V)/\mathrm{span}\{v\otimes v:v\in V\}$. Write the image of $u\otimes v$ as $u\wedge v$. Then $v\wedge v=0$ and $u\wedge v=-v\wedge u$; the basis is $v_i\wedge v_j$ with $i<j$, in characteristic two as well. The exterior-power Lie algebra representation isThe tensor product of Lie algebra representations descends to this quotient: $x\cdot (v\otimes v)=xv\otimes v+v\otimes xv$ is a linear combination of square tensors, namely $(v+xv)\otimes (v+xv)-v\otimes v-xv\otimes xv$. On the wedge basis its coefficients follow directly from the original representing matrices. Expanding both actions shows $[{\rho }_{{\wedge }^2}(x),{\rho }_{{\wedge }^2}(y)]={\rho }_{{\wedge }^2}([x,y])$.

The inclusions of $V$ and $W$ into their direct sum define the mapA combined basis shows that this sends a basis to the pure-$V$, pure-$W$ and mixed wedge basis vectors, with no overlap and no omission. The defining action on each wedge proves equivariance. Hence the exterior square of a direct sum givesNo division by $2$ is involved, so the proof remains valid in characteristic two.

For the complex special linear Lie algebra ${\mathfrak{sl}}_3$, write ${\Gamma }_{a,b}$ for the irreducible highest-weight representation with Dynkin labels $(a,b)$, and $V={\Gamma }_{1,0}$. First the sl3 decomposition of the symmetric-square dual tensor product isIndeed contraction $c((uv)\otimes f)=f(u)v+f(v)u$ is a surjective Lie algebra representation homomorphism onto $V$. Its 15-dimensional kernel contains the highest-weight vector $e_1^2\otimes e_3^{\ast }$ of weight $(2,1)$. The Weyl dimension formula gives $\dim {\Gamma }_{2,1}=15$, and the Weyl complete reducibility theorem identifies the kernel and splits the map. With $B={\Gamma }_{2,1}$, the direct-sum identity reduces the requested calculation to ${\bigwedge }^{2}B$, $B\otimes V$ and ${\bigwedge }^{2}V$.

For completeness, these decompositions can be checked entirely by formal characters. Let $x_1{x}_2{x}_3=1$, $h_1=x_1+x_2+x_3$, $h_1^{\ast }=x_1^{-1}+x_2^{-1}+x_3^{-1}$ and $h_2={\sum }_i{x}_i^2+{\sum }_{i<j}{x}_i{x}_j$. Then ${\chi }_B=h_2{h}_1^{\ast }-h_1$. The Weyl character formula takes the determinant formSubstitute ${\chi }_B$ into ${\chi }_{{\wedge }^{2}B}(x)=\frac{1}{2}({\chi }_B(x{)}^2-{\chi }_B(x_1^2,x_2^2,x_3^2))$ and collect the determinant characters. This gives the exterior square of the sl3 representation of highest weight (2,1) and the sl3 highest-weight tensor rule:The first line has dimensions $21+42+24+15+3=105=\left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{15}{2}\right)$; the tensor product has dimension $24+15+6=45$. Equivalently, enumerate weights with the sl3 interlacing character formula and subtract characters from the highest weight downwards. FinallyIts dimension is $21+42+48+30+6+6=153=\left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{18}{2}\right)$. The exterior square here is taken of the entire 18-dimensional tensor product; taking it only of $S^{2}V$ would be a different representation.

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.