Peter Littelmann

We study the PBW-filtration on the highest weight representations $V(\la)$ of the Lie algebras of type ${\tt A}_{n}$ and ${\tt C}_{n}$. This filtration is induced by the standard degree filtration on $\U(\fn^-)$. In previous papers, the authors studied the filtration and the associated graded algebras and modules over the complex numbers. The aim of this paper is to present a proof of the results which holds over the integers and hence makes the whole construction available over any field.

Let $\SF^a_\lambda$ be the degenerate symplectic flag variety. These are projective singular irreducible $\bG_a^M$ degenerations of the classical flag varieties for symplectic group $Sp_{2n}$. We give an explicit construction for the varieties $\SF^a_\lambda$ and construct their desingularizations, similar to the Bott-Samelson resolutions in the classical case. We prove that $\SF^a_\la$ are normal locally complete intersections with terminal and rational singularities. We also show that these varieties are Frobenius split. Using the above mentioned results, we prove an analogue of the Borel-Weil-Bott theorem and obtain a $q$-character formula for the characters of irreducible $Sp_{2n}$-modules via the Atiyah-Bott-Lefschetz fixed points formula.

We study the PBW filtration on the highest weight representations $V(\la)$ of $\msp_{2n}$. This filtration is induced by the standard degree filtration on $U(\n^-)$. We give a description of the associated graded $S(\n^-)$-module $gr V(\la)$ in terms of generators and relations. We also construct a basis of $gr V(\la)$. As an application we derive a graded combinatorial formula for the character of $V(\la)$ and obtain a new class of bases of the modules $V(\la)$.

We study the PBW filtration on the highest weight representations $V(\la)$ of $\msl_{n+1}$. This filtration is induced by the standard degree filtration on $U(\n^-)$. We give a description of the associated graded $S(\n^-)$-module $gr V(\la)$ in terms of generators and relations. We also construct a basis of $gr V(\la)$. As an application we derive a graded combinatorial character formula for $V(\la)$, and we obtain a new class of bases of the modules $V(\la)$ conjectured by Vinberg in 2005.

We prove that Zhu's algebra and the $C_2$-algebra of type ${\tt C}_m$ have the same dimension, and we compute the graded character of the latter. Maximal parabolic subalgebras of the symplectic algebra play a central role in our construction. For the orthogonal algebras our methods do not allow to describe the whole $C_2$-algebras, we get only a description of a certain quotient of the algebra.

This paper consists of three parts. In the first part we prove that Zhu's and $C_2$-algebras in type $A$ have the same dimensions. In the second part we compute the graded decomposition of the $C_2$-algebras in type $A$, thus proving the Gaberdiel-Gannon's conjecture. Our main tool is the theory of abelian radicals, which we develop in the third part.