Borel–de Siebenthal Theory for Affine Reflection Systems

Abstract

We develop a Borel-de Siebenthal theory for affine reflection systems by classifying their maximal closed subroot systems. Affine reflection systems (introduced by Loos and Neher) provide a unifying framework for root systems of finite-dimensional semi-simple Lie algebras, affine and toroidal Lie algebras, and extended affine Lie algebras. In the special case of nullity $k$ toroidal Lie algebras, we obtain a one-to-one correspondence between maximal closed subroot systems with full gradient and triples $(q,(b_i),H)$, where $q$ is a prime number, $(b_i)$ is a $n$-tuple of integers in the interval $[0,q-1]$ and $H$ is a $(k\times k)$ Hermite normal form matrix with determinant $q$. This generalizes the $k=1$ result of Dyer and Lehrer in the setting of affine Lie algebras.