# Combinatorics of 𝑞–characters of finite-dimensional representations of quantum affine algebras

## Introduction

The intricate structure of the finite-dimensional representations of quantum affine algebras has been extensively studied from different points of view, see, e.g., \[CP1, CP2, CP3, CP4, GV, V, KS, AK, FR2\]. While a lot of progress has been made, many basic questions remained unanswered. In order to tackle those questions, E. Frenkel and N. Reshetikhin introduced in \[FR2\] a theory of $`q`$–characters for these representations. One of the motivations was the theory of deformed $`𝒲`$–algebras developed in \[FR1\]: the representation ring of a quantum affine algebra should be viewed as a deformed $`𝒲`$–algebra, while the $`q`$–character homomorphism should be viewed as its free field realization. The study of $`q`$–characters in \[FR2\] was based on two main conjectures. One of the goals of the present paper is to prove these conjectures and to derive some of their corollaries.

Let us describe our results in more detail. Let $`𝔤`$ be a simple Lie algebra, $`\widehat{𝔤}`$ be the corresponding non-twisted affine Kac-Moody algebra, and $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ be its quantized universal enveloping algebra (quantum affine algebra for short). Denote by $`I`$ the set of vertices of the Dynkin diagram of $`𝔤`$. Let $`\mathrm{Rep}U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ be the Grothendieck ring of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$. The $`q`$–character homomorphism is an injective homomorphism $`\chi _q`$ from $`\mathrm{Rep}U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ to the ring of Laurent polynomials in infinitely many variables $`𝒴=[Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{iI;a^\times }`$. This homomorphism should be viewed as a $`q`$–analogue of the ordinary character homomorphism.

Indeed, let $`G`$ be the connected simply-connected algebraic group corresponding to $`𝔤`$, and let $`T`$ be its maximal torus. We have a homomorphism $`\chi :\mathrm{Rep}G\mathrm{Fun}T`$ (where $`\mathrm{Fun}T`$ stands for the ring of regular functions on $`T`$), defined by the formula $`(\chi (V))(t)=\mathrm{Tr}_Vt`$, for all $`tT`$. Upon the identification of $`\mathrm{Rep}G`$ with $`\mathrm{Rep}U_q𝔤`$ and of $`\mathrm{Fun}T`$ with $`[y_i^{\pm 1}]_{iI}`$, where $`y_i`$ is the function on $`T`$ corresponding to the fundamental weight $`\omega _i`$, we obtain a homomorphism $`\chi :\mathrm{Rep}U_q𝔤[y_i^{\pm 1}]_{iI}`$. One of the properties of $`\chi _q`$ is that if we replace each $`Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}`$ by $`y_i^{\pm 1}`$ in $`\chi _q(V)`$, where $`V`$ is a $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$–module, then we obtain $`\chi (V|_{U_q𝔤})`$.

The two conjectures from \[FR2\] that we prove in this paper may be viewed as $`q`$–analogues of the well-known properties of the ordinary characters. The first of them, Theorem 4.1, is the analogue of the statement that the character of any irreducible $`U_q𝔤`$–module $`W`$ equals the sum of terms which correspond to the weights of the form $`\lambda _{iI}n_i\alpha _i,n_i_+`$, where $`\lambda =_{iI}l_i\omega _i,l_i_+`$, is the highest weight of $`V`$, and $`\alpha _i,iI`$, are the simple roots. In other words, we have: $`\chi (W)=m_+(1+_pM_p)`$, where $`m_+=_{iI}y_i^{l_i}`$, and each $`M_p`$ is a product of factors $`a_j^1,jI`$, corresponding to the negative simple roots. Theorem 4.1 says that for any irreducible $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$–module $`V`$, $`\chi _q(V)=m_+(1+_pM_p)`$, where $`m_+`$ is a monomial in $`Y_{i,a},iI,a^\times `$, with positive powers only (the highest weight monomial), and each $`M_p`$ is a product of factors $`A_{j,c}^1,jI,c^\times `$, which are the $`q`$–analogues of the negative simple roots of $`𝔤`$.

The second statement, Theorem 5.1, gives an explicit description of the image of the $`q`$–character homomorphism $`\chi _q`$. This is a generalization of the well-known fact that the image of the ordinary character homomorphism $`\chi `$ is equal to the subring of invariants of $`[y_i^{\pm 1}]_{iI}`$ under the action of the Weyl group $`W`$ of $`𝔤`$.

Recall that the Weyl group is generated by the simple reflections $`s_i,iI`$. The subring of invariants of $`s_i`$ in $`[y_i^{\pm 1}]_{iI}`$ is equal to

$$K_i=[y_j^{\pm 1}]_{ji}[y_i+y_ia_i^1],$$

and hence we obtain a ring isomorphism $`\mathrm{Rep}U_q\widehat{𝔤}{\displaystyle \underset{iI}{}}K_i`$.

In Theorem 5.1 (see also Corollary 5.7) we establish a $`q`$–analogue of this isomorphism. Instead of the simple reflections we have the screening operators $`S_i,iI`$, introduced in \[FR2\]. We show that $`\mathrm{Im}\chi _q`$ equals $`{\displaystyle \underset{iI}{}}\mathrm{Ker}S_i`$. Moreover, $`\mathrm{Ker}S_i`$ is equal to

$$𝒦_i=[Y_{j,a}^{\pm 1}]_{ji;a^\times }[Y_{i,b}+Y_{i,b}A_{i,bq_i}^1]_{b^\times }.$$

Thus, we obtain a ring isomorphism $`\mathrm{Rep}U_q\widehat{𝔤}{\displaystyle \underset{iI}{}}𝒦_i`$.

These results allow us to construct in a purely combinatorial way the $`q`$–characters of the fundamental representations of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$, see Section 5.5.

We derive several corollaries of these results. Here is one of them (see Theorem 6.7 and Proposition 6.15). For each fundamental weight $`\omega _i`$, there exists a family of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$–modules, $`V_{\omega _i}(a),a^\times `$ (see Section 1.3 for the precise definition). These are irreducible finite-dimensional representations of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$, which have highest weight $`\omega _i`$ if restricted to $`U_q𝔤`$. They are called the fundamental representations of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ (of level $`0`$). According to a theorem of Chari-Pressley \[CP1, CP3\] (see Corollary 1.4 below), any irreducible representation of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ can be realized as a subquotient of a tensor product of the fundamental representations. The following theorem, which was conjectured, e.g., in \[AK\], describes under what conditions such a tensor product is reducible.

Denote by $`h^{}`$ the dual Coxeter number of $`𝔤`$, and by $`r^{}`$ the maximal number of edges connecting two vertices of the Dynkin diagram of $`𝔤`$. For the definition of the normalized $`R`$–matrix, see Section 2.3.

Theorem. Let $`\{V_k\}_{k=1,\mathrm{},n}`$, where $`V_k=V_{\omega _{s(k)}}(a_k)`$, be a set of fundamental representations of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$.

The tensor product $`V_1\mathrm{}V_n`$ is reducible if and only if for some $`i,j\{1,\mathrm{},n\}`$, $`ij`$, the normalized $`R`$–matrix $`\overline{R}_{V_i,V_j}(z)`$ has a pole at $`z=a_j/a_i`$.

In that case $`a_j/a_i`$ is necessarily equal to $`q^k`$, where $`k`$ is an integer, such that $`2|k|r^{}h^{}`$.

The paper is organized as follows. In Section 1 we recall the main definitions and results on quantum affine algebras and their finite-dimensional representations. In Section 2 we give the definition of the $`q`$–character homomorphism and list some of its properties. In Section 3 we develop our main technical tool: the restriction homomorphisms $`\tau _J`$. Sections 4 and 5 contain the proofs of Conjectures 1 and 2 from \[FR2\], respectively. In Section 6 we use these results to describe the structure of the $`q`$–characters of the fundamental representations and to prove the above Theorem.

The results of this paper can be generalized to the case of the twisted quantum affine algebras.

In the course of writing this paper we were informed by H. Nakajima that he obtained an independent proof of Conjecture 1 from \[FR2\] in the $`ADE`$ case using a geometric approach.

Acknowledgments. We thank N. Reshetikhin for useful discussions. The research of both authors was supported by a grant from the Packard Foundation.

## 1. Preliminaries on finite-dimensional representations of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$

### 1.1. Root data

Let $`𝔤`$ be a simple Lie algebra of rank $`\mathrm{}`$. Let $`h^{}`$ be the dual Coxeter number of $`𝔤`$. Let $`,`$ be the invariant inner product on $`𝔤`$, normalized as in \[K\], so that the square of the length of the maximal root equals $`2`$ with respect to the induced inner product on the dual space to the Cartan subalgebra $`𝔥`$ of $`𝔤`$ (also denoted by $`,`$). Denote by $`I`$ the set $`\{1,\mathrm{},\mathrm{}\}`$. Let $`\{\alpha _i\}_{iI}`$ and $`\{\omega _i\}_{iI}`$ be the sets of simple roots and of fundamental weights of $`𝔤`$, respectively. We have:

$$\alpha _i,\omega _j=\frac{\alpha _i,\alpha _i}{2}\delta _{ij}.$$

Let $`r^{}`$ be the maximal number of edges connecting two vertices of the Dynkin diagram of $`𝔤`$. Thus, $`r^{}=1`$ for simply-laced $`𝔤`$, $`r^{}=2`$ for $`B_{\mathrm{}},C_{\mathrm{}},F_4`$, and $`r^{}=3`$ for $`G_2`$.

In this paper we will use the rescaled inner product

$$(,)=r^{},$$

on $`𝔥^{}`$. Set

$$D=\mathrm{diag}(r_1,\mathrm{},r_{\mathrm{}}),$$

where

(1.1) 
$$r_i=\frac{(\alpha _i,\alpha _i)}{2}=r^{}\frac{\alpha _i,\alpha _i}{2}.$$

The $`r_i`$’s are relatively prime integers. For simply-laced $`𝔤`$, all $`r_i`$’s are equal to $`1`$ and $`D`$ is the identity matrix.

Now let $`C=(C_{ij})_{1i,j\mathrm{}}`$ be the Cartan matrix of $`𝔤`$,

$$C_{ij}=\frac{2(\alpha _i,\alpha _j)}{(\alpha _i,\alpha _i)}.$$

Let $`B=(B_{ij})_{1i,j\mathrm{}}`$ be the symmetric matrix

$$B=DC,$$

i.e., $`B_{ij}=(\alpha _i,\alpha _j)=r^{}\alpha _i,\alpha _j.`$

Let $`q^\times `$ be such that $`|q|<1`$. Set $`q_i=q^{r_i}`$, and

$$[n]_q=\frac{q^nq^n}{qq^1}.$$

Following \[FR1, FR2\], define the $`\mathrm{}\times \mathrm{}`$ matrices $`B(q),C(q),D(q)`$ by the formulas

$`B_{ij}(q)`$ $`=[B_{ij}]_q,`$   
$`C_{ij}(q)`$ $`=(q_i+q_i^1)\delta _{ij}+(1\delta _{ij})[C_{ij}]_q,`$   
$`D_{ij}(q)`$ $`=[D_{ij}]_q=\delta _{ij}[r_i]_q.`$   
We have:

$$B(q)=D(q)C(q).$$

Let $`\stackrel{~}{C}(q)`$ be the inverse of the Cartan matrix $`C(q)`$, $`C(q)\stackrel{~}{C}(q)=\mathrm{Id}`$. We will need the following property of matrix $`\stackrel{~}{C}(q)`$.

###### Lemma 1.1.

All coefficients of the matrix $`\stackrel{~}{C}(q)`$ can be written in the form

(1.2) $`\stackrel{~}{C}_{ij}(q)={\displaystyle \frac{\stackrel{~}{C}_{ij}^{}(q)}{d(q)}},i,jI,`$   
where $`\stackrel{~}{C}_{ij}^{}(q)`$, $`d(q)`$ are Laurent polynomials in $`q`$ with non-negative integral coefficients, symmetric with respect to the substitution $`qq^1`$. Moreover,

$$\mathrm{deg}\stackrel{~}{C}_{ij}^{}(q)<\mathrm{deg}d(q),i,jI.$$

###### Proof.

We write here the minimal choice of $`d(q)`$, which we use in Section 3.2:

$`A_{\mathrm{}}:d(q)`$ $`=`$ $`q^{\mathrm{}}+q^\mathrm{}2+\mathrm{}+q^{\mathrm{}},`$   
$`B_{\mathrm{}}:d(q)`$ $`=`$ $`q^{2\mathrm{}1}+q^{2\mathrm{}3}+\mathrm{}+q^{2\mathrm{}1},`$   
$`C_{\mathrm{}}:d(q)`$ $`=`$ $`q^{\mathrm{}+1}+q^\mathrm{}1,`$   
$`D_{\mathrm{}}:d(q)`$ $`=`$ $`(q+q^1)(q^\mathrm{}1+q^{\mathrm{}+1}),`$   
$`E_6:d(q)`$ $`=`$ $`(q^2+1+q^2)(q^6+q^6),`$   
$`E_7:d(q)`$ $`=`$ $`(q+q^1)(q^9+q^9),`$   
$`E_8:d(q)`$ $`=`$ $`(q+q^1)(q^{15}+q^{15}),`$   
$`F_4:d(q)`$ $`=`$ $`q^9+q^9,`$   
$`G_2:d(q)`$ $`=`$ $`q^6+q^6.`$   
For Lie algebras of classical series, the statement of the lemma with the above $`d(q)`$ follows from the explicit formulas for the entries $`\stackrel{~}{C}_{ij}(q)`$ of the matrix $`\stackrel{~}{C}(q)`$ given in Appendix C of \[FR1\]. For exceptional types, the lemma follows from a case by case inspection of the matrix $`\stackrel{~}{C}(q)`$. ∎

### 1.2. Quantum affine algebras

The quantum affine algebra $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ in the Drinfeld-Jimbo realization \[Dr1, J\] is an associative algebra over $``$ with generators $`x_i^\pm `$, $`k_i^{\pm 1}`$ ($`i=0,\mathrm{},\mathrm{}`$), and relations:

$`k_ik_i^1=k_i^1k_i`$ $`=1,k_ik_j=k_jk_i,`$   
$`k_ix_j^\pm k_i^1`$ $`=q^{\pm B_{ij}}x_j^\pm ,`$   
$`[x_i^+,x_j^{}]`$ $`=\delta _{ij}{\displaystyle \frac{k_ik_i^1}{q_iq_i^1}},`$   
$`{\displaystyle \underset{r=0}{\overset{1C_{ij}}{}}}(1)^r\left[\begin{array}{cc}1C_{ij}& \\ r& \end{array}\right]_{q_i}(x_i^\pm )^rx_j^\pm `$ $`(x_i^\pm )^{1C_{ij}r}=0,ij.`$   
Here $`(C_{ij})_{0i,j\mathrm{}}`$ denotes the Cartan matrix of $`\widehat{𝔤}`$.

The algebra $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ has a structure of a Hopf algebra with the comultiplication $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$ and the antipode $`S`$ given on the generators by the formulas:

$`\mathrm{\Delta }(k_i)`$ $`=`$ $`k_ik_i,`$   
$`\mathrm{\Delta }(x_i^+)`$ $`=`$ $`x_i^+1+k_ix_i^+,`$   
$`\mathrm{\Delta }(x_i^{})`$ $`=`$ $`x_i^{}k_i^1+1x_i^{},`$   
$$S(x_i^+)=x_i^+k_i,S(x_i^{})=k_i^1x_i^{},S(k_i^{\pm 1})=k_i^1.$$

We define a $``$-gradation on $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ by setting: $`\mathrm{deg}x_0^\pm =\pm 1,\mathrm{deg}x_i^\pm =\mathrm{deg}k_i=0,iI=\{1,\mathrm{},\mathrm{}\}`$.

Denote the subalgebra of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ generated by $`k_i^{\pm 1},x_i^+`$ (resp., $`k_i^{\pm 1},x_i^{}`$), $`i=0,\mathrm{},\mathrm{}`$, by $`U_q𝔟_+`$ (resp., $`U_q𝔟_{}`$).

The algebra $`U_q𝔤`$ is defined as the subalgebra of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ with generators $`x_i^\pm `$, $`k_i^{\pm 1}`$, where $`iI`$.

We will use Drinfeld’s “new” realization of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$, see \[Dr2\], described by the following theorem.

###### Theorem 1.2 (\[Dr2, KT, LSS, B\]).

The algebra $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ has another realization as the algebra with generators $`x_{i,n}^\pm `$ ($`iI`$, $`n`$), $`k_i^{\pm 1}`$ ($`iI`$), $`h_{i,n}`$ ($`iI`$, $`n\backslash 0`$) and central elements $`c^{\pm 1/2}`$, with the following relations:

$`k_ik_j=k_jk_i,`$ $`k_ih_{j,n}=h_{j,n}k_i,`$   
$`k_ix_{j,n}^\pm k_i^1`$ $`=q^{\pm B_{ij}}x_{j,n}^\pm ,`$   
$`[h_{i,n},x_{j,m}^\pm ]`$ $`=\pm {\displaystyle \frac{1}{n}}[nB_{ij}]_qc^{|n|/2}x_{j,n+m}^\pm ,`$   
$`x_{i,n+1}^\pm x_{j,m}^\pm q^{\pm B_{ij}}x_{j,m}^\pm x_{i,n+1}^\pm `$ $`=q^{\pm B_{ij}}x_{i,n}^\pm x_{j,m+1}^\pm x_{j,m+1}^\pm x_{i,n}^\pm ,`$   
$`[h_{i,n},h_{j,m}]`$ $`=\delta _{n,m}{\displaystyle \frac{1}{n}}[nB_{ij}]_q{\displaystyle \frac{c^nc^n}{qq^1}},`$   
$`[x_{i,n}^+,x_{j,m}^{}]=\delta _{ij}`$ $`{\displaystyle \frac{c^{(nm)/2}\varphi _{i,n+m}^+c^{(nm)/2}\varphi _{i,n+m}^{}}{q_iq_i^1}},`$   
$`{\displaystyle \underset{\pi \mathrm{\Sigma }_s}{}}{\displaystyle \underset{k=0}{\overset{s}{}}}(1)^k\left[\begin{array}{cc}s& \\ k& \end{array}\right]_{q_i}x_{i,n_{\pi (1)}}^\pm \mathrm{}x_{i,n_{\pi (k)}}^\pm `$ $`x_{j,m}^\pm x_{i,n_{\pi (k+1)}}^\pm \mathrm{}x_{i,n_{\pi (s)}}^\pm =0,s=1C_{ij},`$   
for all sequences of integers $`n_1,\mathrm{},n_s`$, and $`ij`$, where $`\mathrm{\Sigma }_s`$ is the symmetric group on $`s`$ letters, and $`\varphi _{i,n}^\pm `$’s are determined by the formula

(1.3) 
$$\mathrm{\Phi }_i^\pm (u):=\underset{n=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\varphi _{i,\pm n}^\pm u^{\pm n}=k_i^{\pm 1}\mathrm{exp}\left(\pm (qq^1)\underset{m=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}h_{i,\pm m}u^{\pm m}\right).$$

For any $`a^\times `$, there is a Hopf algebra automorphism $`\tau _a`$ of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ defined on the generators by the following formulas:

(1.4) $`\tau _a(x_{i,n}^\pm )=a^nx_{i,n}^\pm ,\tau _a(\varphi _{i,n}^\pm )=a^n\varphi _{i,n}^\pm ,`$   
$$\tau _a(c^{1/2})=c^{1/2},\tau _a(k_i)=k_i,$$

for all $`iI,n`$. Given a $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$–module $`V`$ and $`aC^\times `$, we denote by $`V(a)`$ the pull-back of $`V`$ under $`\tau _a`$.

Define new variables $`\stackrel{~}{k}_i^{\pm 1},iI`$, such that

(1.5) 
$$k_j=\underset{iI}{}\stackrel{~}{k}_i^{C_{ij}},\stackrel{~}{k}_i\stackrel{~}{k}_j=\stackrel{~}{k}_j\stackrel{~}{k}_i.$$

Thus, while $`k_i`$ corresponds to the simple root $`\alpha _i`$, $`\stackrel{~}{k}_i`$ corresponds to the fundamental weight $`\omega _i`$. We extend the algebra $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ by replacing the generators $`k_i^{\pm 1},iI`$ with $`\stackrel{~}{k}_i^{\pm 1},iI`$. From now on $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ will stand for the extended algebra.

Let $`q^{2\rho }=\stackrel{~}{k}_1^2\mathrm{}\stackrel{~}{k}_{\mathrm{}}^2`$. The square of the antipode acts as follows (see \[Dr3\]):

(1.6) $`S^2(x)=\tau _{q^{2r^{}h^{}}}(q^{2\rho }xq^{2\rho }),xU_q\widehat{𝔤}.`$   
Let $`w_0`$ be the longest element of the Weyl group of $`𝔤`$. Let $`i\overline{i}`$ be the bijection $`II`$, such that $`w_0(\alpha _i)=\alpha _{\overline{i}}`$. Define the algebra automorphism $`w_0:U_q\widehat{𝔤}U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ by

(1.7) $`w_0(\stackrel{~}{k}_i)=\stackrel{~}{k}_{\overline{i}},w_0(h_{i,n})=h_{\overline{i},n},w_0(x_{i,n}^\pm )=x_{\overline{i},n}^\pm .`$   
We have: $`w_0^2=\mathrm{Id}`$. Actually, $`w_0`$ is a Hopf algebra automorphism, but we will not use this fact.

### 1.3. Finite-dimensional representations of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$

In this section we recall some of the results of Chari and Pressley \[CP1, CP2, CP3, CP4\] on the structure of finite-dimensional representations of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$.

Let $`P`$ be the weight lattice of $`𝔤`$. It is equipped with the standard partial order: the weight $`\lambda `$ is higher than the weight $`\mu `$ if $`\lambda \mu `$ can be written as a combination of the simple roots with positive integral coefficients.

A vector $`w`$ in a $`U_q𝔤`$–module $`W`$ is called a vector of weight $`\lambda P`$, if

(1.8) 
$$k_iw=q^{(\lambda ,\alpha _i)}w,iI.$$

A representation $`W`$ of $`U_q𝔤`$ is said to be of type 1 if it is the direct sum of its weight spaces $`W=_{\lambda P}W_\lambda `$, where $`W_\lambda =\{wW|k_iw=q^{(\lambda ,\alpha _i)}w\}`$. If $`W_\lambda 0`$, then $`\lambda `$ is called a weight of $`W`$.

A representation $`V`$ of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ is called of type 1 if $`c^{1/2}`$ acts as the identity on $`V`$, and if $`V`$ is of type 1 as a representation of $`U_q𝔤`$. According to \[CP1\], every finite-dimensional irreducible representation of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ can be obtained from a type 1 representation by twisting with an automorphism of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$. Because of that, we will only consider type 1 representations in this paper.

A vector $`vV`$ is called a highest weight vector if

(1.9) 
$$x_{i,n}^+v=0,\varphi _{i,n}^\pm v=\psi _{i,n}^\pm v,c^{1/2}v=v,iI,n,$$

for some complex numbers $`\psi _{i,n}^\pm `$. A type 1 representation $`V`$ is a highest weight representation if $`V=U_q\widehat{𝔤}v`$, for some highest weight vector $`v`$. In that case the set of generating functions

$$\mathrm{\Psi }_i^\pm (u)=\underset{n=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\psi _{i,\pm n}^\pm u^{\pm n},iI,$$

is called the highest weight of $`V`$.

Warning. The above notions of highest weight vector and highest weight representation are different from standard. Sometimes they are called pseudo-highest weight vector and pseudo-highest weight representation.

Let $`𝒫`$ be the set of all $`I`$–tuples $`(P_i)_{iI}`$ of polynomials $`P_i[u]`$, with constant term 1.

###### Theorem 1.3 (\[CP1, CP3\]).

(1) Every finite-dimensional irreducible representation of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ of type 1 is a highest weight representation.

(2) Let $`V`$ be a finite-dimensional irreducible representation of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ of type 1 and highest weight $`(\mathrm{\Psi }_i^\pm (u))_{iI}`$. Then, there exists $`𝐏=(P_i)_{iI}𝒫`$ such that

(1.10) 
$$\mathrm{\Psi }_i^\pm (u)=q_i^{\mathrm{deg}(P_i)}\frac{P_i(uq_i^1)}{P_i(uq_i)},$$

as an element of $`[[u^{\pm 1}]]`$.

Assigning to $`V`$ the $`I`$–tuple $`𝐏𝒫`$ defines a bijection between $`𝒫`$ and the set of isomorphism classes of finite-dimensional irreducible representations of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ of type 1. The irreducible representation associated to $`𝐏`$ will be denoted by $`V(𝐏)`$.

(3) The highest weight of $`V(𝐏)`$ considered as a $`U_q𝔤`$–module is $`\lambda =_{iI}\mathrm{deg}P_i\omega _i`$, the lowest weight of $`V(𝐏)`$ is $`\overline{\lambda }=_{iI}\mathrm{deg}P_i\omega _{\overline{i}}`$, and each of them has multiplicity $`1`$.

(4) If $`𝐏=(P_i)_{iI}𝒫`$, $`a^\times `$, and if $`\tau _a^{}(V(𝐏))`$ denotes the pull-back of $`V(𝐏)`$ by the automorphism $`\tau _a`$, we have $`\tau _a^{}(V(𝐏))V(𝐏^a)`$ as representations of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$, where $`𝐏^a=(P_i^a)_{iI}`$ and $`P_i^a(u)=P_i(ua)`$.

(5) For $`𝐏`$, $`𝐐𝒫`$ denote by $`𝐏𝐐𝒫`$ the $`I`$–tuple $`(P_iQ_i)_{iI}`$. Then $`V(𝐏𝐐)`$ is isomorphic to a quotient of the subrepresentation of $`V(𝐏)V(𝐐)`$ generated by the tensor product of the highest weight vectors.

An analogous classification result for Yangians has been obtained earlier by Drinfeld \[Dr2\]. Because of that, the polynomials $`P_i(u)`$ are called Drinfeld polynomials.

Note that in our notation the polynomials $`P_i(u)`$ correspond to the polynomials $`P_i(uq_i^1)`$ in the notation of \[CP1, CP3\].

For each $`iI`$ and $`a^\times `$, define the irreducible representation $`V_{\omega _i}(a)`$ as $`V(𝐏_a^{(i)})`$, where $`𝐏_a^{(i)}`$ is the $`I`$–tuple of polynomials, such that $`P_i(u)=1ua`$ and $`P_j(u)=1,ji`$. We call $`V_{\omega _i}(a)`$ the $`i`$th fundamental representation of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$. Note that in general $`V_{\omega _i}(a)`$ is reducible as a $`U_q𝔤`$–module.

Theorem 1.3 implies the following

###### Corollary 1.4 (\[CP3\]).

Any irreducible finite-dimensional representation $`V`$ of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ occurs as a quotient of the submodule of the tensor product $`V_{\omega _{i_1}}(a_1)\mathrm{}V_{\omega _{i_n}}(a_n)`$, generated by the tensor product of the highest weight vectors. The parameters $`(\omega _{i_k},a_k)`$, $`k=1,\mathrm{},n`$, are uniquely determined by $`V`$ up to permutation.

## 2. Definition and first properties of $`q`$–characters

### 2.1. Definition of $`q`$–characters

Let us recall the definition of the $`q`$–characters of finite-dimensional representations of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ from \[FR2\].

The completed tensor product $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}\widehat{}U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ contains a special element $``$ called the universal $`R`$–matrix (at level $`0`$). It actually lies in $`U_q𝔟_+\widehat{}U_q𝔟_{}`$ and satisfies the following identities:

$`\mathrm{\Delta }^{}(x)`$ $`=\mathrm{\Delta }(x)^1,xU_q\widehat{𝔤},`$   
$`(\mathrm{\Delta }\mathrm{id})`$ $`=^{13}^{23},(\mathrm{id}\mathrm{\Delta })=^{13}^{12}.`$   
For more details, see \[Dr3, EFK\].

Now let $`(V,\pi _V)`$ be a finite-dimensional representation of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$. Define the transfer-matrix corresponding to $`V`$ by

(2.1) 
$$t_V=t_V(z)=\mathrm{Tr}_V(\pi _{V(z)}\mathrm{id})().$$

Thus we obtain a map $`\nu _q:\mathrm{Rep}U_q\widehat{𝔤}U_q𝔟_{}[[z]]`$, sending $`V`$ to $`t_V(z)`$.

###### Remark 2.1.

Note that in \[FR2\] there was an extra factor $`q^{2\rho }`$ in formula (2.1). This factor is inessential for the purposes of this paper, and therefore can be dropped.∎

Denote by $`U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔤}`$ the subalgebra of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ generated by $`x_{i,n}^\pm ,\stackrel{~}{k}_i,h_{i,r},n0,r<0,iI`$. It follows from the proof of Theorem 1.2 that $`U_q𝔟_{}U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔤}`$. As a vector space, $`U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔤}`$ can be decomposed as follows: $`U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔤}=U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔫}_{}U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔥}U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔫}_+`$, where $`U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔫}_\pm `$ (resp., $`U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔥}`$) is generated by $`x_{i,n}^\pm ,iI,n0`$ (resp., $`\stackrel{~}{k}_i,h_{i,n},iI,n<0`$). Hence

$$U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔤}=U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔥}\left(U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔤}(U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔫}_+)_0+(U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔫}_{})_0U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔤}\right),$$

where $`(U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔫}_\pm )_0`$ stands for the augmentation ideal of $`U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔫}_\pm `$. Denote by $`𝐡_q`$ the projection $`U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔤}U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔥}`$ along the last two summands (this is an analogue of the Harish-Chandra homomorphism). We denote by the same letter its restriction to $`U_q𝔟_{}`$.

Now we define the map $`\chi _q:\mathrm{Rep}U_q\widehat{𝔤}U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔥}[[z]]`$ as the composition of $`\nu _q:\mathrm{Rep}U_q\widehat{𝔤}U_q𝔟_{}[[z]]`$ and $`𝐡_q[[z]]:U_q𝔟_{}[[z]]U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔥}[[z]]`$.

To describe the image of $`\chi _q`$ we need to introduce some more notation.

Let

(2.2) 
$$\stackrel{~}{h}_{i,m}=\underset{jI}{}\stackrel{~}{C}_{ji}(q^m)h_{j,m},$$

where $`\stackrel{~}{C}(q)`$ is the inverse matrix to $`C(q)`$ defined in Section 1.1. Set

(2.3) 
$$Y_{i,a}=\stackrel{~}{k}_i^1\mathrm{exp}\left((qq^1)\underset{n>0}{}\stackrel{~}{h}_{i,n}z^na^n\right),a^\times .$$

We assign to $`Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}`$ the weight $`\pm \omega _i`$.

We have the ordinary character homomorphism $`\chi :\mathrm{Rep}U_q𝔤[y_i^{\pm 1}]_{iI}`$: if $`V=_\mu V_\mu `$ is the weight decomposition of $`V`$, then $`\chi (V)=_\mu dimV_\mu y^\mu `$, where for $`\mu =_{iI}m_i\omega _i`$ we set $`y^\mu =_{iI}y_i^{m_i}`$. Define the homomorphism

$$\beta :[Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{iI;a^\times }[y_i^{\pm 1}]_{iI}$$

sending $`Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}`$ to $`y_i^{\pm 1}`$, and denote by

$$\mathrm{res}:\mathrm{Rep}U_q\widehat{𝔤}\mathrm{Rep}U_q𝔤$$

the restriction homomorphism.

Given a polynomial ring $`[x_\alpha ^{\pm 1}]_{\alpha A}`$, we denote by $`_+[x_\alpha ^{\pm 1}]_{\alpha A}`$ its subset consisting of all linear combinations of monomials in $`x_\alpha ^{\pm 1}`$ with positive integral coefficients.

###### Theorem 2.2 (\[FR2\]).

(1) $`\chi _q`$ is an injective homomorphism from $`\mathrm{Rep}U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ to $`[Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{iI;a^\times }U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔥}[[z]]`$.

(2) For any finite-dimensional representation $`V`$ of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$, $`\chi _q(V)_+[Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{iI;a^\times }`$.

(3) The diagram

$$\begin{array}{ccc}\mathrm{Rep}U_q\widehat{𝔤}& \stackrel{\chi _q}{}& [Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{iI;a^\times }\\ \mathrm{res}& & \beta & & \\ \mathrm{Rep}U_q𝔤& \stackrel{\chi }{}& [y_i^{\pm 1}]_{iI}\end{array}$$

is commutative.

(4) $`\mathrm{Rep}U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ is a commutative ring that is isomorphic to $`[t_{i,a}]_{iI;a^\times }`$, where $`t_{i,a}`$ is the class of $`V_{\omega _i}(a)`$.

The homomorphism

$$\chi _q:\mathrm{Rep}U_q\widehat{𝔤}[Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{iI;a^\times }$$

is called the $`q`$character homomorphism. For a finite-dimensional representation $`V`$ of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$, $`\chi _q(V)`$ is called the $`q`$character of $`V`$.

### 2.2. Spectra of $`\mathrm{\Phi }^\pm (u)`$

According to Theorem 2.2(1), the $`q`$–character of any finite-dimensional representation $`V`$ of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ is a linear combination of monomials in $`Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}`$ with positive integral coefficients. The proof of Theorem 2.2 from \[FR2\] allows us to relate the monomials appearing in $`\chi _q(V)`$ to the spectra of the operators $`\mathrm{\Phi }_i^\pm (u)`$ on $`V`$ as follows.

It follows from the defining relations that the operators $`\varphi _{i,n}^\pm `$ commute with each other. Hence we can decompose any representation $`V`$ of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ into a direct sum $`V=V_{(\gamma _{i,n}^\pm )}`$ of generalized eigenspaces

$$V_{(\gamma _{i,n}^\pm )}=\{xV|\mathrm{there}\mathrm{exists}p,\mathrm{such}\mathrm{that}(\varphi _{i,n}^\pm \gamma _{i,n}^\pm )^px=0,iI,n\}.$$

Since $`\varphi _0^\pm =k_i^{\pm 1}`$, all vectors in $`V_{(\gamma _{i,n}^\pm )}`$ have the same weight (see formula (1.8) for the definition of weight). Therefore the decomposition of $`V`$ into a direct sum of subspaces $`V_{(\gamma _{i,n}^\pm )}`$ is a refinement of its weight decomposition.

Given a collection $`(\gamma _{i,n}^\pm )`$ of generalized eigenvalues, we form the generating functions

$$\mathrm{\Gamma }_i^\pm (u)=\underset{n0}{}\gamma _{i,\pm n}^\pm u^{\pm n}.$$

We will refer to each collection $`\{\mathrm{\Gamma }_i^\pm (u)\}_{iI}`$ occurring on a given representation $`V`$ as the common (generalized) eigenvalues of $`\mathrm{\Phi }_i^\pm (u),iI`$, on $`V`$, and to $`dimV_{(\gamma _{i,n}^\pm )}`$ as the multiplicity of this eigenvalue.

Let $`𝔅_V`$ be a Jordan basis of $`\varphi _{i,n}^\pm ,iI,n`$. Consider the module $`V(z)=\tau _z^{}(V)`$, see formula $`(`$1.4$`)`$. Then $`V(z)=V`$ as a vector space. Moreover, the decomposition in the direct sum of generalized eigenspaces of operators $`\varphi _{i,n}^\pm `$ does not depend on $`z`$, because the action of $`\varphi _{i,n}^\pm `$ on $`V`$ and on $`V(z)`$ differs only by scalar factors $`z^n`$. In particular, $`𝔅_V`$ is also a Jordan basis for $`\varphi _{i,n}^\pm `$ acting on $`V(z)`$ for all $`z^\times `$. If $`v𝔅_V`$ is a generalized eigenvector with common eigenvalues $`\{\mathrm{\Gamma }_i^\pm (u)\}_{iI}`$, then the corresponding common eigenvalues on $`v`$ in $`V(z)`$ are $`\{\mathrm{\Gamma }_i^\pm (zu)\}_{iI}`$

The following result is a generalization of Theorem 1.3.

###### Proposition 2.3 (\[FR2\]).

The eigenvalues $`\mathrm{\Gamma }_i^\pm (u)`$ of $`\mathrm{\Phi }_i^\pm (u)`$ on any finite-dimensional representation of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ have the form:

(2.4) 
$$\mathrm{\Gamma }_i^\pm (u)=q_i^{\mathrm{deg}Q_i\mathrm{deg}R_i}\frac{Q_i(uq_i^1)R_i(uq_i)}{Q_i(uq_i)R_i(uq_i^1)},$$

as elements of $`[[u^{\pm 1}]]`$, where $`Q_i(u),R_i(u)`$ are polynomials in $`u`$ with constant term $`1`$.

Now we can relate the monomials appearing in $`\chi _q(V)`$ to the common eigenvalues of $`\mathrm{\Phi }_i^\pm (u)`$ on $`V`$.

###### Proposition 2.4.

Let $`V`$ be a finite-dimensional $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$–module. There is a one-to-one correspondence between the monomials occurring in $`\chi _q(V)`$ and the common eigenvalues of $`\mathrm{\Phi }_i^\pm (u),iI`$, on $`V`$. Namely, the monomial

(2.5) 
$$\underset{iI}{}\left(\underset{r=1}{\overset{k_i}{}}Y_{i,a_{ir}}\underset{s=1}{\overset{l_i}{}}Y_{i,b_{is}}^1\right)$$

corresponds to the common eigenvalues (2.4), where

(2.6) 
$$Q_i(z)=\underset{r=1}{\overset{k_i}{}}(1za_{ir}),R_i(z)=\underset{s=1}{\overset{l_i}{}}(1zb_{is}),iI.$$

The weight of each monomial equals the weight of the corresponding generalized eigenspace. Moreover, the coefficient of each monomial in $`\chi _q(V)`$ equals the multiplicity of the corresponding common eigenvalue.

###### Proof.

Denote by $`U_q\widehat{𝔫}_\pm `$ the subalgebra of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ generated by $`x_{i,n}^\pm ,iI,n`$. Let $`\stackrel{~}{B}(q)`$ be the inverse matrix to $`B(q)`$ from Section 1.1. The following formula for the universal $`R`$–matrix has been proved in \[KT, LSS, Da\]:

(2.7) 
$$=^+^0^{}T,$$

where

(2.8) 
$$^0=\mathrm{exp}\left(\underset{n>0}{}\underset{iI}{}\frac{n(qq^1)^2}{q_i^nq_i^n}h_{i,n}\stackrel{~}{h}_{i,n}z^n\right)$$

(here we use the notation (2.2)), $`^\pm U_q\widehat{𝔫}_\pm U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔫}_{}`$, and $`T`$ acts as follows: if $`x,y`$ satisfy $`k_ix=q^{(\lambda ,\alpha _i)}x,k_iy=q^{(\mu ,\alpha _i)}y`$, then

(2.9) 
$$Txy=q^{(\lambda ,\mu )}xy.$$

By definition, $`\chi _q(V)`$ is obtained by taking the trace of $`(\pi _{V(z)}\mathrm{id})()`$ over $`V`$ and then projecting it on $`U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔥}[[z]]`$ using the projection operator $`𝐡_q`$. This projection eliminates the factor $`^{}`$, and then taking the trace eliminates $`^+`$ (recall that $`U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔫}_+`$ acts nilpotently on $`V`$). Hence we obtain:

(2.10) 
$$\chi _q(V)=\mathrm{Tr}_V\left[\mathrm{exp}\left(\underset{n>0}{}\underset{iI}{}\frac{n(qq^1)^2}{q_i^nq_i^n}\pi _V(h_{i,n})\stackrel{~}{h}_{i,n}z^n\right)(\pi _V1)T\right],$$

The trace can be written as the sum of terms $`m_v`$ corresponding to the (generalized) eigenvalues of $`h_{i,n}`$ on the vectors $`v`$ of the Jordan basis $`𝔅_V`$ of $`V`$ for the operators $`\varphi _{i,n}^\pm `$ (and hence for $`h_{i,n}`$).

The eigenvalues of $`\mathrm{\Phi }_i^\pm (u)`$ on each vector $`v𝔅_V`$ are given by formula (2.4). Suppose that $`Q_i(u)`$ and $`R_i(u)`$ are given by formula (2.6). Then the eigenvalue of $`h_{i,n}`$ on $`v`$ equals

(2.11) 
$$\frac{q_i^nq_i^n}{n(qq^1)}\left(\underset{r=1}{\overset{k_i}{}}(a_{ir})^n\underset{s=1}{\overset{l_i}{}}(b_{is})^n\right),n>0.$$

Substituting into formula (2.10) and recalling the definition (2.3) of $`Y_{i,a}`$ we obtain that the corresponding term $`m_v`$ in $`\chi _q(V)`$ is the monomial (2.5). ∎

Let $`V=V(𝐏)`$, where

(2.12) 
$$P_i(u)=\underset{k=1}{\overset{n_i}{}}(1ua_k^{(i)}),iI.$$

Then by Theorem 1.3(3), the module $`V`$ has highest weight $`\lambda =_{iI}\mathrm{deg}P_i\omega _i`$, which has multiplicity $`1`$. Proposition 2.4 implies that $`\chi _q(V)`$ contains a unique monomial of weight $`\lambda `$. This monomial equals

(2.13) 
$$\underset{iI}{}\underset{k=1}{\overset{n_i}{}}Y_{i,a_k^{(i)}}.$$

We call it the highest weight monomial of $`V`$. All other monomials in $`\chi _q(V)`$ have lower weight than $`\lambda `$.

A monomial in $`[Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{iI,a^\times }`$ is called dominant if it does not contain factors $`Y_{i,a}^1`$ (i.e., if it is a product of $`Y_{i,a}`$’s in positive powers only). The highest weight monomial is dominant, but in general the highest weight monomial is not the only dominant monomial occurring in $`\chi _q(V)`$. Nevertheless, we prove below in Corollary 4.5 that the only dominant monomial contained in the $`q`$–character of a fundamental representation $`V_{\omega _i}(a)`$ is its highest weight monomial $`Y_{i,a}`$.

Note that a dominant monomial has dominant weight but not all monomials of dominant weight are dominant.

Similarly, a monomial in $`[Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{iI,a^\times }`$ is called antidominant if it does not contain factors $`Y_{i,a}`$ (i.e., if it is a product of $`Y_{i,a}^1`$’s in negative powers only). The roles of dominant and antidominant monomials are similar, see, e.g., Remark 6.19. By Corollary 6.9, the lowest weight monomial is antidominant.

###### Remark 2.5.

The statement analogous to Proposition 2.3 in the case of the Yangians has been proved by Knight \[Kn\]. Using this statement, he introduced the notion of character of a representation of Yangian.∎

### 2.3. Connection with the entries of the $`R`$–matrix

We already described the $`q`$–character of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ module $`V`$ in terms of universal $`R`$-matrix and in terms of generalized eigenvalues of operators $`\varphi _{i,n}^\pm `$. It allows us to describe the $`q`$–character of $`V`$ in terms of diagonal entries of $`R`$-matrices acting on the tensor products $`VV_{\omega _i}(a)`$ with fundamental representations. We will use this description in Section 6.

Define

(2.14) 
$$A_{i,a}=k_i^1\mathrm{exp}\left((qq^1)\underset{n>0}{}h_{i,n}z^na^n\right),a^\times .$$

Using formula (2.2), we can express $`A_{i,a}`$ in terms of $`Y_{j,b}`$’s:

(2.15) 
$$A_{i,a}=Y_{i,aq_i}Y_{i,aq_i^1}\underset{C_{ji}=1}{}Y_{j,a}^1\underset{C_{ji}=2}{}Y_{j,aq}^1Y_{j,aq^1}^1\underset{C_{ji}=3}{}Y_{j,aq^2}^1Y_{j,a}^1Y_{j,aq^2}^1.$$

Thus, $`A_{i,a}[Y_{j,b}^{\pm 1}]_{jI;b^\times }`$, and the weight of $`A_{i,a}`$ equals $`\alpha _i`$.

Let $`V`$ and $`W`$ be irreducible finite-dimensional representations of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ with highest weight vectors $`v`$ and $`w`$. Let $`\overline{R}_{VW}(z)\mathrm{End}(VW)`$ be the normalized $`R`$-matrix,

$$\overline{R}_{VW}(z)=f_{VW}^1(z)(\pi _{V(z)}\pi _W)(),$$

where $`f_{VW}(z)`$ is the scalar function, such that

(2.16) 
$$\overline{R}_{VW}(z)(vw)=wv.$$

In what follows we always consider the normalized $`R`$-matrix $`\overline{R}_{VW}(z)`$ written in the basis $`𝔅_V𝔅_W`$.

Recall the definition of the fundamental representation $`V_{\omega _i}(a)`$ from Section 1.3. Denote its highest weight vector by $`v_{\omega _i}`$.

###### Lemma 2.6.

Let $`v𝔅_V`$ and suppose that the corresponding monomial $`m_v`$ in $`\chi _q(V)`$ is given by

(2.17) $`m_v=m_+M{\displaystyle \underset{k}{}}A_{i,a_k}^1,`$   
where $`M`$ is a product of factors $`A_{j,b}^1`$, $`b^\times `$, $`jI`$, $`ji`$. Then the diagonal entry of the normalized $`R`$-matrix $`\overline{R}_{V,V_{\omega _i}(b)}(z)`$ corresponding to the vector $`vv_{\omega _i}`$ is

(2.18) $`\left(\overline{R}_{V,V_{\omega _i}(b)}(z)\right)_{vv_{\omega _i},vv_{\omega _i}}={\displaystyle \underset{k}{}}q_i{\displaystyle \frac{1a_kzb^1q_i^1}{1a_kzb^1q_i}}.`$   
###### Proof.

Recall formula (2.7) for $``$. We have: $`^{}(vv_{\omega _i})=0`$; $`vv_{\omega _i}`$ is a generalized eigenvector of $`^0`$; and $`^+(vv_{\omega _i})`$ is a linear combination of tensor products $`xy𝔅_V𝔅_{V_{\omega _i}(b)}`$, where $`y`$ has a lower weight than $`v_{\omega _i}`$. Therefore the diagonal matrix element of $``$ on $`vv_{\omega _i}V(z)V_{\omega _i}(b)`$ equals the generalized eigenvalue of $`(\pi _{V(z)}\pi _{V_{\omega _i}(b)})(^0)`$ on $`vv_{\omega _i}`$.

On the other hand, as explained in the proof of Proposition 2.4, the monomial $`m_v`$ is equal to the diagonal matrix element of $`(\pi _{V(z)}1)(^0)`$ corresponding to $`v`$. Therefore the diagonal matrix element of $``$ corresponding to $`vv_{\omega _i}`$ equals the eigenvalue of $`m_v`$ (considered as an element of $`U_q\stackrel{~}{𝔥}[[z]]`$) on $`v_{\omega _i}`$.

In particular, if $`v`$ is the highest weight vector, then the corresponding monomial $`m_v`$ is the highest weight monomial $`m_+`$. Therefore we find that the diagonal matrix element of the non-normalized $`R`$–matrix corresponding to $`vv_{\omega _i}`$ equals the eigenvalue of $`m_+`$ on $`v_{\omega _i}`$. By formula (2.16) the diagonal matrix element of the normalized $`R`$–matrix equals $`1`$. Therefore the eigenvalue of $`m_+`$ on $`v_{\omega _i}`$ equals the scalar function $`f_{V,V_{\omega _i}(b)}(z)`$. Therefore we obtain that the diagonal matrix element of the normalized $`R`$-matrix $`\overline{R}_{V,V_{\omega _i}(b)}(z)`$ corresponding to the vector $`vv_{\omega _i}`$ is equal to the eigenvalue of $`m_vm_+^1`$ on $`v_{\omega _i}`$. According to formula (2.14), $`A_{i,a}=\mathrm{\Phi }_i^{}(za)`$. Therefore, if $`m_v`$ is given by formula (2.17), we obtain from formula (1.10) that this matrix element is given by formula (2.18). ∎

Note that by Theorem 4.1 below every monomial occurring in the $`q`$–character of an irreducible representation $`V`$ can be written in the form (2.17).

## 3. The homomorphisms $`\tau _J`$ and restrictions

### 3.1. Restriction to $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}_J`$

Given a subset $`J`$ of $`I`$, we denote by $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}_J`$ the subalgebra of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ generated by $`x_{i,n}^\pm ,\stackrel{~}{k}_i^{\pm 1},h_{i,r},iJ,n,r\backslash 0`$. Let

$$\mathrm{res}_J:\mathrm{Rep}U_q\widehat{𝔤}\mathrm{Rep}U_q\widehat{𝔤}_J$$

be the restriction map and $`\beta _J`$ be the homomorphism $`[Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{iI;a^\times }[Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{iJ;a^\times }`$, sending $`Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}`$ to itself for $`iJ`$ and to $`1`$ for $`iJ`$.

According to Theorem 3(3) of \[FR2\], the diagram

$$\begin{array}{ccc}\mathrm{Rep}U_q\widehat{𝔤}& \stackrel{\chi _q}{}& [Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{iI;a^\times }\\ \mathrm{res}_J& & \beta _J& & \\ \mathrm{Rep}U_q\widehat{𝔤}_J& \stackrel{\chi _{q,J}}{}& [Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{iJ;a^\times }\end{array}$$

is commutative.

We will now refine the homomorphisms $`\beta _J`$ and $`\mathrm{res}_J`$.

### 3.2. The homomorphism $`\tau _J`$

Consider the elements $`\stackrel{~}{h}_{i,n}`$ defined by formula (2.2) and $`\stackrel{~}{k}_i^{\pm 1}`$ defined by formula (1.5).

###### Lemma 3.1.

$`\stackrel{~}{k}_ix_{j,n}^\pm \stackrel{~}{k}_i^1`$ $`=q^{\pm r_i\delta _{ij}}x_{j,n}^\pm ,`$   
$`[\stackrel{~}{h}_{i,n},x_{j,m}^\pm ]`$ $`=\pm \delta _{ij}{\displaystyle \frac{[nr_i]_q}{n}}c^{|n|/2}x_{j,n+m}^\pm ,`$   
$`[\stackrel{~}{h}_{i,n},h_{j,m}]`$ $`=\delta _{i,j}\delta _{n,m}{\displaystyle \frac{[nr_i]_q}{n}}{\displaystyle \frac{c^nc^n}{qq^1}}.`$   
In particular, $`\stackrel{~}{k}_i^{\pm 1},\stackrel{~}{h}_{i,n},i\overline{J},n\backslash 0`$, where $`\overline{J}=IJ`$, commute with the subalgebra $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}_J`$ of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$.

###### Proof.

These formulas follow from the relations given in Theorem 1.2 and the formula $`B(q)\stackrel{~}{C}(q)=D(q)`$. ∎

Denote by $`U_q\widehat{𝔥}_J^{}`$ the subalgebra of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ generated by $`\stackrel{~}{k}_i^{\pm 1},\stackrel{~}{h}_{i,n},i\overline{J},n0`$. Then $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}_JU_q\widehat{𝔥}_J^{}`$ is naturally a subalgebra of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$. We can therefore refine the restriction from $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$–modules to $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}_J`$–modules by considering the restriction from $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$–modules to $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}_JU_q\widehat{𝔥}_J^{}`$–modules.

Thus, we look at the common (generalized) eigenvalues of the operators $`k_i^{\pm 1},h_{i,n},iJ`$, and $`\stackrel{~}{k}_i^{\pm 1},\stackrel{~}{h}_{i,n},i\overline{J}`$. We know that the eigenvalues of $`h_{i,n}`$ have the form (2.11). The corresponding eigenvalue of $`\stackrel{~}{h}_{i,n}`$ equals

(3.1) 
$$\frac{[n]_q}{n}\underset{jI}{}\stackrel{~}{C}_{ji}(q^n)[r_j]_{q^n}\left(\underset{r=1}{\overset{k_j}{}}(a_{jr})^n\underset{s=1}{\overset{l_j}{}}(b_{js})^n\right),n>0.$$

According to Lemma 1.1, $`\stackrel{~}{C}_{ji}(x)=\stackrel{~}{C}_{ji}^{}(x)/d(x)`$, where $`\stackrel{~}{C}_{ji}^{}(x)`$ and $`d(x)`$ are certain polynomials with positive integral coefficients (we fix a choice of such $`d(x)`$ once and for all). Therefore formula (3.1) can be rewritten as

(3.2) 
$$\frac{[n]_q}{nd(q^n)}\left(\underset{m=1}{\overset{u_i}{}}(c_{im})^n\underset{p=1}{\overset{t_i}{}}(d_{ip})^n\right),$$

where $`c_{im}`$ and $`d_{ip}`$ are certain complex numbers (they are obtained by multiplying $`a_{jr}`$ and $`b_{js}`$ with all monomials appearing in $`\stackrel{~}{C}_{ji}^{}(q)[r_j]_q`$).

According to Proposition 2.4, to each monomial (2.5) in $`\chi _q(V)`$ corresponds a generalized eigenspace of $`h_{i,n},iI,n0`$, with the common eigenvalues given by formula (2.11) (note that the eigenvalues of $`k_i,iI`$, can be read off from the weight of the monomial). Using formula (3.1) we find the corresponding eigenvalues of $`\stackrel{~}{h}_{i,n},i\overline{J}`$ in the form (3.2). Now we attach to these common eigenvalues the following monomial in the letters $`Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1},iJ`$, and $`Z_{j,c}^{\pm 1},j\overline{J}`$:

$$\left(\underset{iJ}{}\underset{r=1}{\overset{k_i}{}}Y_{i,a_{ir}}\underset{s=1}{\overset{l_i}{}}Y_{i,b_{is}}^1\right)\left(\underset{k\overline{J}}{}\underset{m=1}{\overset{u_k}{}}Z_{k,c_{km}}\underset{p=1}{\overset{t_k}{}}Z_{k,d_{kp}}^1\right).$$

The above procedure can be interpreted as follows. Introduce the notation

(3.3) $`𝒴=[Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{iI,a^\times },`$   
(3.4) $`𝒴^{(J)}=[Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{iJ,a^\times }[Z_{k,c}^{\pm 1}]_{k\overline{J},c^\times }`$   
Write

$$(D(q)\stackrel{~}{C}^{}(q))_{ij}=\underset{k}{}p_{ij}(k)q^k.$$

###### Definition 3.2.

The homomorphism $`\tau _J:𝒴𝒴^{(J)}`$ is defined by the formulas

(3.5) $`\tau _J(Y_{i,a})`$ $`=Y_{i,a}{\displaystyle \underset{j\overline{J}}{}}{\displaystyle \underset{k}{}}Z_{j,aq^k}^{p_{ij}(k)},iJ,`$   
(3.6) $`\tau _J(Y_{i,a})`$ $`={\displaystyle \underset{j\overline{J}}{}}{\displaystyle \underset{k}{}}Z_{j,aq^k}^{p_{ij}(k)},i\overline{J}.`$   
Observe that the homomorphism $`\beta _J`$ can be represented as the composition of $`\tau _J`$ and the homomorphism $`𝒴^{(J)}[Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{iJ,a^\times }`$ sending all $`Z_{k,c},k\overline{J},`$ to $`1`$. Therefore $`\tau _J`$ is indeed a refinement of $`\tau _J`$, and so the restriction of $`\tau _J`$ to the image of $`\mathrm{Rep}U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ in $`𝒴`$ is a refinement of the restriction homomorphism $`\mathrm{res}_J`$.

### 3.3. Properties of $`\tau _J`$

The main advantage of $`\tau _J`$ over $`\beta _J`$ is the following.

###### Lemma 3.3.

The homomorphism $`\tau _J`$ is injective.

###### Proof.

The statement of the lemma follows from the fact that the matrix $`\stackrel{~}{C}^{}(q)`$ is non-degenerate. ∎

###### Lemma 3.4.

Let us write $`\chi _q(V)`$ as the sum $`_kP_kQ_k`$, where $`P_k[Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{iJ,a^\times }`$, $`Q_k`$ is a monomial in $`[Z_{j,c}^{\pm 1}]_{j\overline{J},c^\times }`$, and all monomials $`Q_k`$ are distinct. Then the restriction of $`V`$ to $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}_J`$ is isomorphic to $`_kV_k`$, where $`V_k`$’s are $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}_J`$–modules with $`\chi _q^J(V_k)=P_k`$. In particular, there are no extensions between different $`V_k`$’s in $`V`$.

###### Proof.

The monomials in $`\chi _q(V)𝒴`$ encode the common eigenvalues of $`h_{i,n},iI`$ on $`V`$. It follows from Section 3.2 that the monomials in $`\tau _J(\chi _q(V))`$ encode the common eigenvalues of $`h_{i,n},iJ`$, and $`\stackrel{~}{h}_{j,n},j\overline{J}`$, on $`V`$.

Therefore we obtain that the restriction of $`V`$ to $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}_JU_q\widehat{𝔥}_J^{}`$ has a filtration with the associated graded factors $`V_kW_k`$, where $`V_k`$ is a $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}_J`$–module with $`\chi _q^J(V_k)=P_k`$, and $`W_k`$ is a one–dimensional $`U_q\widehat{𝔥}_J^{}`$–module, which corresponds to $`Q_k`$. By our assumption, the modules $`W_k`$ over $`U_q\widehat{𝔥}_J^{}`$ are pairwise distinct. Because $`U_q\widehat{𝔥}_J^{}`$ commutes with $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}_J`$, there are no extensions between $`V_kW_k`$ and $`V_lW_l`$ for $`kl`$, as $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}_JU_q\widehat{𝔥}_J^{}`$–modules. Hence the restriction of $`V`$ to $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}_J`$ is isomorphic to $`_kV_k`$. ∎

Write

$$d(q)[r_i]_q=\underset{k}{}s_i(k)q^k.$$

Set

$$B_{i,a}=\underset{k}{}Z_{i,aq^k}^{s_i(k)}.$$

###### Lemma 3.5.

We have:

(3.7) $`\tau _J(A_{i,a})`$ $`=\beta _J(A_{i,a}),iJ,`$   
(3.8) $`\tau _J(A_{i,a})`$ $`=\beta _J(A_{i,a})B_{i,a},i\overline{J}`$   
###### Proof.

This follows from the formula $`D(q)\stackrel{~}{C}^{}(q)C(q)=D(q)d(q)`$. ∎

In the case when $`J`$ consists of a single element $`jI`$, we will write $`𝒴^{(J)},\tau _J`$ and $`\beta _J`$ simply as $`𝒴^{(j)},\tau _j`$ and $`\beta _j`$. Consider the diagram (we use the notation (3.3), (3.4)):

(3.12) $`\begin{array}{ccc}𝒴& \stackrel{\tau _j}{}& 𝒴^{(j)}\\ & & \overline{A}_{j,x}^1\\ 𝒴& \stackrel{\tau _j}{}& 𝒴^{(j)}\end{array}`$   
where the map corresponding to the right vertical row is the multiplication by   
$`\beta _j(A_{j,x})^11`$.

The following result will allow us to reduce various statements to the case of $`U_q\widehat{𝔰𝔩}_2`$.

###### Lemma 3.6.

There exists a unique map $`𝒴𝒴`$, which makes the diagram $`(`$3.12$`)`$ commutative. This map is the multiplication by $`A_{j,x}^1`$.

###### Proof.

The fact that multiplication by $`A_{j,x}^1`$ makes the diagram commutative follows from formula (3.7). The uniqueness follows from the fact that $`\tau _j`$ and the multiplication by $`\beta _j(A_{j,x})^11`$ are injective maps. ∎

## 4. The structure of $`q`$–characters

In this section we prove Conjecture 1 from \[FR2\].

Let $`V`$ be an irreducible finite-dimensional $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ module $`V`$ generated by highest weight vector $`v`$. Then by Proposition 3 in \[FR2\],

(4.1) $`\chi _q(V)=m_+(1+{\displaystyle \underset{p}{}}M_p),`$   
where each $`M_p`$ is a monomial in $`A_{i,c}^{\pm 1}`$, $`c^\times `$ and $`m_+`$ is the highest weight monomial.

In what follows, by a monomial in $`[x_\alpha ^{\pm 1}]_{\alpha A}`$ we will always understand a monomial in reduced form, i.e., one that does not contain factors of the form $`x_\alpha x_\alpha ^1`$. Thus, in particular, if we say that a monomial $`M`$ contains $`x_\alpha `$, it means that there is a factor $`x_\alpha `$ in $`M`$ which can not be cancelled.

###### Theorem 4.1.

The $`q`$–character of an irreducible finite-dimensional $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ module $`V`$ has the form $`(`$4.1$`)`$ where each $`M_p`$ is a monomial in $`A_{i,c}^1`$, $`iI`$, $`c^\times `$ (i.e., it does not contain any factors $`A_{i,c}`$).

###### Proof.

The proof follows from a combination of Lemmas 3.3, 3.6 and 1.1.

First, we observe that it suffices to prove the statement of Theorem 4.1 for fundamental representations $`V_{\omega _i}(a)`$. Indeed, then Theorem 4.1 will be true for any tensor product of the fundamental representations. By Corollary 1.4, any irreducible representation $`V`$ can be represented as a quotient of a submodule of a tensor product $`W`$ of fundamental representations, which is generated by the highest weight vector. Therefore each monomial in a $`q`$–character of $`V`$ is also a monomial in the $`q`$–character of $`W`$. In addition, the highest weight monomials of the $`q`$–characters of $`V`$ and $`W`$ coincide. This implies that Theorem 4.1 holds for $`V`$.

Second, Theorem 4.1 is true for $`𝔤=U_q\widehat{𝔰𝔩}_2`$. Indeed, by the argument above, it suffices to check the statement for the fundamental representation $`V_1(a)`$. But its $`q`$–character is known explicitly (see \[FR2\], formula (4.3)):

(4.2) $`\chi _q(V_1(a))=Y_a+Y_{aq^2}^1=Y_a(1+A_{aq}^1).`$   
and it satisfies the required property.

For general quantum affine algebra $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$, we will prove Theorem 4.1 (for the case of the fundamental representations) by contradiction.

Suppose that the theorem fails for some fundamental representation $`V_{\omega _{i_0}}(a_0)=V`$ and denote by $`\chi `$ its $`q`$–character $`\chi _q(V)`$. Denote by $`m_+`$ the highest weight monomial $`Y_{i_0,a}`$ of $`\chi `$.

Recall from Section 1.3 that we have a partial order on the weight lattice. It induces a partial order on the monomials occurring in $`\chi `$. Let $`m`$ be the highest weight monomial in $`\chi `$, such that $`m`$ can not be written as a product of $`m_+`$ with a monomial in $`A_{i,c}^1`$, $`iI`$, $`c^\times `$. This means that

(4.3) any monomial $`m^{}`$ in $`\chi `$, such that $`m^{}>m`$, is a product of $`m_+`$ and $`A_{i,c}^1`$’s.   
In Lemmas 4.2 and 4.3 we will establish certain properties of $`m`$ and in Lemma 4.4 we will prove that these properties can not be satisfied simultaneously.

Recall that a monomial in $`[Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{iI,a^\times }`$ is called dominant if does not contain factors $`Y_{i,a}^1`$ (i.e., if it is a product of $`Y_{i,a}`$’s in positive powers only).

###### Lemma 4.2.

The monomial $`m`$ is dominant.

###### Proof.

Suppose $`m`$ is not dominant. Then it contains a factor of the form $`Y_{i,a}^1`$, for some $`iI`$. Consider $`\tau _i(\chi )`$. By Lemma 3.4, we have

$$\tau _i(\chi )=\underset{p}{}\chi _{q_i}(V_p)N_p,$$

where $`V_p`$’s are representation of $`U_{q_i}\widehat{𝔰𝔩}_2=U_q\widehat{𝔤}_{\{i\}}`$ and $`N_p`$’s are monomials in $`Z_{j,a}^{\pm 1},ji`$. We have already shown that Theorem 4.1 holds for $`U_{q_i}\widehat{𝔰𝔩}_2`$, so

(4.4) $`\tau _i(\chi )={\displaystyle \underset{p}{}}\left(m_p(1+{\displaystyle \underset{r}{}}\overline{M}_{r,p})\right)N_p,`$   
where each $`m_p`$ is a product of $`Y_{i,b}`$’s (in positive powers only), and each $`\overline{M}_{r,p}`$ is a product of several factors $`\overline{A}_{i,c}^1=Y_{i,cq^1}^1Y_{i,cq}^1`$ (note that $`\overline{M}_{r,p}=\tau _i(M_{r,p})`$.

Since $`m`$ contains $`Y_{i,a}^1`$ by our assumption, the monomial $`\tau _i(m)`$ is not among the monomials $`\{m_pN_p\}`$. Hence

$$\tau _i(m)=m_{p_0}\overline{M}_{r_0,p_0}N_{p_0},$$

for some $`p_0,r_0`$ and $`\overline{M}_{r_0,p_0}1`$. There exists a monomial $`m^{}`$ in $`\chi `$, such that $`\tau _i(m^{})=m_{p_0}N_{p_0}`$. Therefore using Lemma 3.6 we obtain that

$$m=m^{}M_{r_0,p_0},$$

where $`M_{r_0,p_0}`$ is obtained from $`\overline{M}_{r_0,p_0}`$ by replacing all $`\overline{A}_{i,c}^1`$ by $`A_{i,c}^1`$. In particular, $`m^{}>m`$ and by our assumption (4.3) it can be written as $`m^{}=m_+M^{}`$, where $`M^{}`$ is a product of $`A_{k,c}^1`$. But then $`m=m^{}M_{r_0,p_0}=m_+M^{}M_{r_0,p_0}`$, and so $`m`$ can be written as a product of $`m_+`$ and a product of factors $`A_{k,c}^1`$. This is a contradiction. Therefore $`m`$ has to be dominant. ∎

###### Lemma 4.3.

The monomial $`m`$ can be written in the form

(4.5) $`m=m_+M{\displaystyle \underset{p}{}}A_{j_0,a_p},`$   
where $`M`$ is a product of factors $`A_{i,c}^1`$, $`iI`$, $`c^\times `$. In other words, if $`m`$ contains factors $`A_{j,a}`$, then all such $`A_{j,a}`$ have the same index $`j=j_0`$.

###### Proof.

Suppose that $`m=m_+M`$, where $`M`$ contains a factor $`A_{i,c}`$. Let $`V_m`$ be the generalized eigenspace of the operators $`k_j^{\pm 1},h_{j,n},jI`$, corresponding to the monomial $`m`$. We claim that for all $`vV_m`$ we have:

(4.6) $`x_{j,n}^+v=0,jI,ji,n.`$   
Indeed, let $`\tau _j(m)=\beta _j(m)N`$ (recall that $`\beta _j(m)`$ is obtained from $`m`$ by erasing all $`Y_{s,c}`$ with $`sj`$ and $`N`$ is a monomial in $`Z_{s,c}^{\pm 1}`$, $`sI`$, $`sj`$). By Lemma 3.4, $`x_{j,n}^+v`$ belongs to the direct sum of the generalized eigenspaces $`V_{m_p^{}}`$, corresponding to the monomials $`m_p^{}`$ in $`\chi `$ such that $`\tau _j(m_p^{})=\beta _j(m_p^{})N`$ (with the same $`N`$ as in $`\tau _j(m)=\beta _j(m)N`$). By formula (3.8),

$$\tau _j\left(m_+A_{i_k,c_k}^{\pm 1}\right)=\tau _j(m_+)\beta _j(A_{i_k,c_k})^{\pm 1}\underset{i_kj}{}B_{i_k,c_k}^{\pm 1}.$$

In particular, $`N`$ contains a factor $`B_{i,c}`$, and therefore all monomials $`m_p^{}`$ with the above property must contain a factor $`A_{i,c}`$. By our assumption (4.3), the weight of each $`m_p^{}`$ can not be higher then the weight of $`m`$. But the weight of $`x_{j,n}^+v`$ should be greater than the weight of $`m`$. Therefore we obtain formula $`(`$4.6$`)`$.

Now, if $`M`$ contained factors $`A_{i,c}`$ and $`A_{j,d}`$ with $`ij`$, then any non-zero eigenvector (not generalized) in the generalized eigenspace $`V_m`$ corresponding to $`m`$ would be a highest weight vector (see formula (1.9)). Such vectors do not exist in $`V`$, because $`V`$ is irreducible. The statement of the lemma now follows. ∎

###### Lemma 4.4.

Let $`m`$ be any monomial in the $`q`$–character of a fundamental representation that can be written in the form $`(`$4.5$`)`$. Then $`m`$ is not dominant.

###### Proof.

We say a monomial $`M𝒴`$ (see (3.3)) has lattice support with base $`a_0^\times `$ if $`M[Y_{i,a_0q^k}^{\pm 1}]_{iI,k}`$.

Any monomial $`m𝒴`$ can be uniquely written as a product $`m=m^{(1)}\mathrm{}m^{(s)}`$, where each monomial $`m^{(i)}`$ has lattice support with a base $`a_i`$, and $`a_i/a_jq^{}`$ for $`ij`$. Note that a non-constant monomial in $`A_{i,bq^k}^{\pm 1},iI,k`$, can not be equal to a monomial in $`A_{i,cq^k}^{\pm 1},iI,k`$ if $`b/cq^{}`$. Therefore if $`m`$ can be written in the form $`(`$4.5$`)`$, then each $`m^{(i)}`$ can be written in the form $`(`$4.5$`)`$, where $`m_+=Y_{i_0,a}`$ if $`a_i=a`$, and $`m_+=1`$ if $`a/a_iq^{}`$ (note that the product over $`p`$ in (4.5) may be empty for some $`m^{(i)}`$). We will prove that none of $`m^{(i)}`$’s is dominant unless $`m^{(i)}=m_+`$ or $`m^{(i)}=1`$.

Consider first the case of $`m^{(1)}`$, which has lattice support with base $`a`$. Then

$$m^{(1)}=\underset{iI}{}\underset{n}{}Y_{i,aq^n}^{p_i(n)}.$$

Define Laurent polynomials $`P_i(x)`$, $`iI`$ by

$$P_i(x)=\underset{n}{}p_i(n)x^n.$$

If $`m^{(1)}`$ can be written in the form $`(`$4.5$`)`$, then

(4.7) $`P_i(x)={\displaystyle \underset{jI}{}}C_{ij}(x)R_j(x)+\delta _{i,i_0},iI,`$   
where $`R_j(x)`$’s are some polynomials with integral coefficients. All of these coefficients are non-negative if $`jj_0`$. Now suppose that $`m^{(1)}`$ is a dominant monomial. Then each $`P_i(x)`$ is a polynomial with non-negative coefficients. We claim that this is possible only if all $`R_i(x)=0`$.

Indeed, according to Lemma 1.1, the coefficients of the inverse matrix to $`C(x)`$, $`\stackrel{~}{C}(x)`$, can be written in the form $`(`$1.2$`)`$, where $`\stackrel{~}{C}_{jk}^{}(x)`$, $`d(x)`$ are polynomials with non-negative coefficients. Multiplying $`(`$4.7$`)`$ by $`\stackrel{~}{C}^{}(x)`$, we obtain

(4.8) $`{\displaystyle \underset{jI}{}}P_j(x)\stackrel{~}{C}_{jk}^{}(x)+d(x)R_k(x)=\stackrel{~}{C}_{i_0,k}^{}(x),kI.`$   
Given a Laurent polynomial

$$p(x)=\underset{ris}{}p_ix^i,p_r0,p_s0,$$

we will say that the length of $`p(x)`$ equals $`r+s`$. Clearly, the length of the sum and of the product of two polynomials with non-negative coefficients is greater than or equal to the length of each of them. Therefore if $`kj_0`$, and if $`R_k(x)0`$, then the length of the LHS is greater than or equal to the length of $`d(x)`$, which is greater than the length of $`\stackrel{~}{C}_{i_0,k}^{}`$ by Lemma 1.1. This implies that $`R_k(x)=0`$ for $`kj_0`$.

Hence $`m^{(1)}`$ can be written in the form

$$m^{(1)}=Y_{i,a}\underset{n}{}A_{j_0,aq^n}^{c_n}.$$

But such a monomial can not be dominant because its weight is $`\omega _in\alpha _{j_0}`$, where $`n>0`$, and such a weight is not dominant. This proves the required statement for the factor $`m^{(1)}`$ of $`m`$ (which has lattice support with base $`a`$).

Now consider a factor $`m^{(i)}`$ with lattice support with base $`b`$, such that $`b/aq^{}`$. In this case we obtain the following equation: the LHS of formula (4.8) $`=0`$. The previous discussion immediately implies that there are no solutions of this equation with non-zero polynomials $`R_k(x)`$ satisfying the above conditions. This completes the proof of the lemma. ∎

Theorem 4.1 now follows from Lemmas 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4. ∎

###### Corollary 4.5.

The only dominant monomial in $`\chi _q(V_{\omega _i}(a))`$ is the highest weight monomial $`Y_{i,a}`$.

###### Proof.

This follows from the proof of Lemma 4.4. ∎

## 5. A characterization of $`q`$–characters in terms of the screening operators

In this section we prove Conjecture 2 from \[FR2\].

### 5.1. Definition of the screening operators

First we recall the definition of the screening operators on $`𝒴=[Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{iI;a^\times }`$ from \[FR2\] and state the main result.

Consider the free $`𝒴`$–module with generators $`S_{i,x},x^\times `$,

$$\stackrel{~}{𝒴}_i=\underset{x^\times }{}𝒴S_{i,x}.$$

Let $`𝒴_i`$ be the quotient of $`\stackrel{~}{𝒴}_i`$ by the relations

(5.1) 
$$S_{i,xq_i^2}=A_{i,xq_i}S_{i,x}.$$

Clearly,

$$𝒴_i\underset{x(^\times /q_i^2)}{}𝒴S_{i,x},$$

and so $`𝒴_i`$ is also a free $`𝒴`$–module.

Define a linear operator $`\stackrel{~}{S}_i:𝒴\stackrel{~}{𝒴}_i`$ by the formula

$$\stackrel{~}{S}_i(Y_{j,a})=\delta _{ij}Y_{i,a}S_{i,a}$$

and the Leibniz rule: $`\stackrel{~}{S}_i(ab)=b\stackrel{~}{S}_i(a)+a\stackrel{~}{S}_i(b)`$. In particular,

$$\stackrel{~}{S}_i(Y_{j,a}^1)=\delta _{ij}Y_{i,a}^1S_{i,a}.$$

Finally, let

$$S_i:𝒴𝒴_i$$

be the composition of $`\stackrel{~}{S}_i`$ and the projection $`\stackrel{~}{𝒴}_i𝒴_i`$. We call $`S_i`$ the $`i`$th screening operator.

The following statement was conjectured in \[FR2\] (Conjecture 2).

###### Theorem 5.1.

The image of the homomorphism $`\chi _q`$ equals the intersection of the kernels of the operators $`S_i,iI`$.

In \[FR2\] this theorem was proved in the case of $`U_q\widehat{𝔰𝔩}_2`$. In the rest of this section we prove it for an arbitrary $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$.

### 5.2. Description of $`\mathrm{Ker}S_i`$

First, we describe the kernel of $`S_i`$ on $`𝒴`$. The following result was announced in \[FR2\], Proposition 6.

###### Proposition 5.2.

The kernel of $`S_i:𝒴𝒴_i`$ equals

(5.2) $`𝒦_i=[Y_{j,a}^{\pm 1}]_{ji;a^\times }[Y_{i,b}+Y_{i,b}A_{i,bq_i}^1]_{b^\times }.`$   
###### Proof.

A simple computation shows that $`𝒦_i\mathrm{Ker}_𝒴S_i`$. Let us show that $`\mathrm{Ker}_𝒴S_i𝒦_i`$.

For $`x^\times `$, denote by $`𝒴(x)`$ the subring $`[Y_{j,xq^n}^{\pm 1}]_{jI,n}`$ of $`𝒴`$. We have:

$$𝒴\underset{x(^\times /q^{})}{}𝒴(x).$$

###### Lemma 5.3.

$$\mathrm{Ker}_𝒴S_i=\underset{x(^\times /q^{})}{}\mathrm{Ker}_{𝒴(x)}S_i.$$

###### Proof.

Let $`P𝒴`$, and suppose it contains $`Y_{j,a}^{\pm 1}`$ for some $`a^\times `$ and $`jI`$. Then we can write $`P`$ as the sum $`_kR_kQ_k`$, where $`Q_k`$’s are distinct monomials, which are products of the factors $`Y_{s,aq^n}^{\pm 1},sI,n`$ (in particular, one of the $`Q_k`$’s could be equal to $`1`$), and $`R_k`$’s are polynomials which do not contain $`Y_{s,aq^n}^{\pm 1},sI,n`$. Then

$$S_i(P)=\underset{k}{}(Q_kS_i(R_k)+R_kS_i(Q_k)).$$

By definition of $`S_i`$, $`S_i(Q_k)`$ belongs to $`𝒴S_{i,a}`$, while $`S_i(R_k)`$ belongs to the direct sum of $`𝒴S_{i,b}`$, where $`baq^{}`$.

Therefore if $`P\mathrm{Ker}_𝒴S_i`$, then $`_kQ_kS_i(R_k)=0`$. Since $`Q_k`$’s are distinct, we obtain that $`R_k\mathrm{Ker}_𝒴S_i`$. But then $`S_i(P)=_kR_kS_k(Q_k)`$. Therefore $`P`$ can be written as $`_lR_l\stackrel{~}{Q}_l`$, where each $`\stackrel{~}{Q}_l`$ is a linear combination of the $`Q_k`$’s, such that $`\stackrel{~}{Q}_l\mathrm{Ker}_𝒴S_i`$. This proves that

$$P\mathrm{Ker}_{𝒴(a)}S_i\mathrm{Ker}_{𝒴^{(a)}}S_i,$$

where $`𝒴(a)=[Y_{j,b}^{\pm 1}]_{jI,baq^{}}`$. By repeating this procedure we obtain the lemma (because each polynomial contains a finite number of variables $`Y_{j,a}^{\pm 1}`$, we need to apply this procedure finitely many times). ∎

According to Lemma 5.3, it suffices to show that $`\mathrm{Ker}_{𝒴(x)}S_i𝒦_i(x)`$, where

$$𝒦_i(x)=[Y_{j,xq^n}^{\pm 1}]_{ji;n}[Y_{i,xq^n}+Y_{i,xq^n}A_{i,xq^nq_i}^1]_n.$$

Denote $`Y_{j,xq^n}`$ by $`y_{j,n}`$, $`A_{j,xq^n}`$ by $`a_{j,n}`$, and $`A_{j,xq^n}Y_{j,xq^nq_j}^1Y_{j,xq^nq_j^1}^1`$ by $`\overline{a}_{j,n}`$. Note that $`\overline{a}_{j,n}`$ does not contain factors $`y_{j,m}^{\pm 1},m`$.

Let $`T`$ be the shift operator on $`𝒴(x)`$ sending $`y_{j,n}`$ to $`y_{j,n+1}`$ for all $`jI`$. It follows from the definition of $`S_i`$ that $`P\mathrm{Ker}_{𝒴(x)}S_i`$ if and only if $`T(P)\mathrm{Ker}_{𝒴(x)}S_i`$. Therefore (applying $`T^m`$ with large enough $`m`$ to $`P`$) we can assume without loss of generality that $`P[y_{i,n},y_{i,n+2r_i}^1]_{n0}[y_{j,n}^{\pm 1}]_{ji,n0}`$.

We find from the definition of $`S_i`$:

$`S_i(y_{j,n})`$ $`=0,ji,`$   
(5.3) $`S_i(y_{i,2r_in+ϵ})`$ $`=y_{i,ϵ}{\displaystyle \underset{k=1}{\overset{n}{}}}y_{i,2r_ik+ϵ}^2\overline{a}_{i,r_i(2k1)+ϵ}S_{i,xq^ϵ},`$   
where $`ϵ\{0,1,\mathrm{},2r_i1\}`$. Therefore each $`P\mathrm{Ker}_{𝒴(x)}S_i`$ can be written as a sum $`P=P_ϵ`$, where each $`P_ϵ\mathrm{Ker}_{𝒴(x)}S_i`$ and

$$P_ϵ[y_{i,2r_in+ϵ},y_{i,2r_i(n+1)+ϵ}^1]_{n0}[y_{j,n}^{\pm 1}]_{ji,n0}.$$

It suffices to consider the case $`ϵ=0`$. Thus, we show that if

$$P𝒴_i^0(x)=[y_{i,2r_in},y_{i,2r_i(n+1)}^1]_{n0}[y_{j,n}^{\pm 1}]_{ji,n0},$$

then

$$P𝒦_i^0(x)=[t_n]_{n0}[y_{j,n}^{\pm 1}]_{ji,n0},$$

where

$$t_n=y_{i,2r_in}+y_{i,2r_in}a_{i,r_i(2n+1)}^1=y_{i,2r_in}+y_{i,2r_i(n+1)}^1\overline{a}_{i,r_i(2n+1)}^1.$$

Consider a homomorphism $`𝒦_i^0(x)[y_{i,2r_in}]_{n0}𝒴_i^0(x)`$ sending $`y_{j,n}^{\pm 1},ji`$ to $`y_{j,n}^{\pm 1}`$, $`y_{i,2r_in}`$ to $`y_{i,2r_in}`$, and $`t_n`$ to $`y_{i,2r_in}+y_{i,2r_i(n+1)}^1\overline{a}_{i,r_i(2n+1)}^1`$. This homomorphism is surjective, and its kernel is generated by the elements

(5.4) 
$$(t_ny_{i,2r_in})\overline{a}_{i,r_i(2n+1)}y_{i,2r_i(n+1)}1.$$

Therefore we identify $`𝒴_i^0(x)`$ with the quotient of $`𝒦_i^0(x)[y_{i,2r_in}]_{n0}`$ by the ideal generated by elements of the form (5.4).

Consider the set of monomials

$$t_{n_1}\mathrm{}t_{n_k}y_{i,2r_im_1}\mathrm{}y_{i,2r_im_l}\underset{ji,p_j0}{}y_{j,p_j}^{\pm 1},$$

where all $`n_1n_2\mathrm{}n_k0,m_1m_2\mathrm{}m_l0`$, and also $`m_jn_i+1`$ for all $`i`$ and $`j`$. We call these monomials reduced. It is easy to see that the set of reduced monomials is a basis of $`𝒴_i^0(x)`$.

Now let $`P`$ be an element of the kernel of $`S_i`$ on $`𝒴_i^0(x)`$. Let us write it as a linear combination of the reduced monomials. We represent $`P`$ as $`y_{i,2r_iN}^aQ+R`$. Here $`N`$ is the largest integer, such that $`y_{i,2r_iN}`$ is present in at least one of the basis monomials appearing in its decomposition; $`a>0`$ is the largest power of $`y_{i,2r_iN}`$ in $`P`$; $`Q0`$ does not contain $`y_{i,2r_iN}`$, and $`R`$ is not divisible by $`y_{i,2r_iN}^a`$. Recall that here both $`y_{i,2r_iN}^aQ`$ and $`R`$ are linear combinations of reduced monomials.

Recall that $`S_i(t_n)=0`$, $`S_i(y_{j,n}^{\pm 1})=0,ji`$, and $`S_i(y_{i,2r_in})`$ is given by formula (5.3).

Suppose that $`N>0`$. According to formula (5.3),

(5.5) 
$$S_i(P)=ay_{i,2r_iN}^{a+1}\underset{k=1}{\overset{N1}{}}y_{i,2r_ik}\underset{l=1}{\overset{N}{}}\overline{a}_{i,r_i(2l1)}y_{i,0}QS_{i,x}+\mathrm{}$$

where the dots represent the sum of terms that are not divisible by $`y_{i,2r_iN}^{a+1}`$. Note that the first term in (5.5) is non-zero because the ring $`𝒴_i^0(x)`$ has no divisors of zero.

The monomials appearing in (5.5) are not necessarily reduced. However, by construction, $`Q`$ does not contain $`t_{N1}`$, for otherwise $`y_{i,2r_iN}^aQ`$ would not be a linear combination of reduced monomials. Therefore when we rewrite (5.5) as a linear combination of reduced monomials, each reduced monomial occurring in this linear combination is still divisible by $`y_{i,2r_iN}^{a+1}`$. On the other hand, no reduced monomials occurring in the other terms of $`S_i(P)`$ (represented by dots) are divisible by $`y_{i,2r_iN}^{a+1}`$. Hence for $`P`$ to be in the kernel, the first term of (5.5) has to vanish, which is impossible. Therefore $`P`$ does not contain $`y_{i,2r_im}`$’s with $`m>0`$.

But then $`P=_ky_{i,0}^{p_k}R_k`$, where $`R_k𝒦_{i0}(x)`$, and $`S_i(P)=_kp_ky_{i,0}^{p_k1}R_kS_{i,x}`$. Such $`P`$ is in the kernel of $`S_i`$ if and only if all $`p_k=0`$ and so $`P𝒦_{i0}(x)`$. This completes the proof of Proposition 5.2. ∎

Set

(5.6) $`𝒦={\displaystyle \underset{iI}{}}𝒦_i={\displaystyle \underset{iI}{}}\left([Y_{j,a}^{\pm 1}]_{ji;a^\times }[Y_{i,b}+Y_{i,b}A_{i,bq_i}^1]_{b^\times }\right).`$   
Now we will prove that the image of the $`q`$–character homomorphism $`\chi _q`$ equals $`𝒦`$.

### 5.3. The image of $`\chi _q`$ is a subspace of $`𝒦`$

First we show that the image of $`\mathrm{Rep}U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ in $`𝒴`$ under the $`q`$–character homomorphism belongs to the kernel of $`S_i`$.

Recall the ring $`𝒴^{(i)}=[Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{a^\times }[Z_{j,c}^{\pm 1}]_{ji,c^\times }`$ and the homomorphism $`\tau _i:𝒴𝒴^{(i)}`$ from Section 3.2.

Let $`\overline{𝒴}_i`$ be the quotient of $`\underset{x^\times }{}[Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{a^\times }S_{i,x}`$ by the submodule generated by the elements of the form $`S_{i,xq_i^2}\overline{A}_{i,xq_i}S_{i,x}`$, where $`\overline{A}_{i,xq_i}=Y_{i,x}Y_{i,xq_i^2}`$. Define a derivation $`\overline{S}_i:[Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{a^\times }\overline{𝒴}_i`$ by the formula $`\overline{S}_i(Y_{i,a})=Y_{i,a}S_{i,a}`$. Thus, $`\overline{𝒴}_i`$ coincides with the module $`𝒴_i`$ in the case of $`U_{q_i}\widehat{𝔰𝔩}_2`$ and $`\overline{S}_i`$ is the corresponding screening operator.

Set

$$𝒴_i^{(i)}=[Z_{j,c}^{\pm 1}]_{ji,c^\times }\overline{𝒴}_i.$$

The map $`\overline{S}_i`$ can be extended uniquely to a map $`𝒴^{(i)}𝒴_i^{(i)}`$ by $`\overline{S}_i(Z_{j,c})=0`$ for all $`ji,c^\times `$ and the Leibniz rule. We will also denote it by $`\overline{S}_i`$. The embedding $`\tau _i`$ gives rise to an embedding $`𝒴_i𝒴_i^{(i)}`$ which we also denote by $`\tau _i`$.

###### Lemma 5.4.

The following diagram is commutative

$$\begin{array}{ccc}𝒴& \stackrel{\tau _i}{}& 𝒴^{(i)}\\ S_i& & \overline{S}_i& & \\ 𝒴_i& \stackrel{\tau _i}{}& 𝒴_i^{(i)}\end{array}$$

###### Proof.

Since $`\tau _i`$ is a ring homomorphism and both $`S_i`$, $`\overline{S}_i`$ are derivations, it suffices to check commutativity on the generators. Let us choose a representative $`x`$ in each $`q_i^2`$–coset of $`^\times `$. Then we can write:

$$𝒴_i=\underset{x^\times /q_i^2}{}𝒴S_{i,x},𝒴_i^{(i)}=\underset{x^\times /q_i^2}{}𝒴^{(i)}S_{i,x}.$$

By definition,

$`S_i(Y_{j,xq_i^{2n}})`$ $`=\delta _{ij}Y_{i,x}{\displaystyle \underset{m}{}}A_{i,xq_i^{2m+1}}^{\pm 1}S_{i,x},`$   
$`\overline{S}_i(Y_{i,xq_i^{2n}})`$ $`=Y_{i,x}{\displaystyle \underset{m}{}}\overline{A}_{i,xq_i^{2m+1}}^{\pm 1}S_{i,x},`$   
$`\overline{S}_i(Z_{j,c})`$ $`=0,ji.`$   
Recall from formula (3.5) that $`\tau _i(Y_{i,x})`$ equals $`Y_{i,x}`$ times a monomial in $`Z_{j,c}^{\pm 1},ji`$, and from formula (3.8) that $`\tau _i(A_{i,b}^{\pm 1})=\overline{A}_{i,b}^{\pm 1}`$. Using these formulas we obtain:

$$(\tau _iS_i)(Y_{i,xq_i^{2n}})=(\overline{S}_i\tau _i)(Y_{i,xq^{2n}})=\tau _i(Y_{i,x})\overline{A}_{i,xq_i^{2m+1}}^{\pm 1}S_{i,x}.$$

On the other hand, when $`ji`$, $`\tau _i(Y_{j,x})`$ is a monomial in $`Z_{k,c}^{\pm 1},ki`$, according to formula (3.6). Therefore

$$(\tau _iS_i)(Y_{j,x})=(\overline{S}_i\tau _i)(Y_{j,x})=0,ji.$$

The proves the lemma. ∎

###### Corollary 5.5.

The image of the $`q`$–character homomorphism $`\chi _q:\mathrm{Rep}U_q\widehat{𝔤}𝒴`$ is contained in the kernel of $`S_i`$ on $`𝒴`$.

###### Proof.

Let $`V`$ be a finite-dimensional representation of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$. We need to show that $`S_i(\chi _q(V))=0`$. By Lemma 3.4, we can write $`\chi _q(V)`$ as the sum $`_kP_kQ_k`$, where each $`P_k[Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{a^\times }`$ is in the image of the homomorphism $`\chi _q^{(i)}:\mathrm{Rep}U_{q_i}\widehat{𝔰𝔩}_2[Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{a^\times }`$, and $`Q_k`$ is a monomial in $`Z_{j,c}^{\pm 1},ji`$.

The image of $`\chi _q^{(i)}`$ lies in the kernel of the operator $`\overline{S}_i`$ (in fact, they are equal, but we will not use this now). This immediately follows from the fact that $`\mathrm{Rep}U_q\widehat{𝔰𝔩}_2[\chi _q(V_1(a))]`$ and $`\overline{S}_i(\chi _q(V_1(a)))=0`$, which is obtained by a straightforward calculation. We also have: $`\overline{S}_i(Z_{j,c})=0,ji`$. Therefore $`(\overline{S}_i\tau _i)(\chi _q(V))=0`$. By Lemma 5.4, $`(\tau _iS_i)(\chi _q(V))=0`$. Since $`\tau _i`$ is injective by Lemma 3.3, we obtain: $`S_i(\chi _q(V))=0`$. ∎

### 5.4. $`𝒦`$ is a subspace of the image of $`\chi _q`$

Let $`P𝒦`$. We want to show that $`P\mathrm{Im}\chi _q`$.

A monomial $`m`$ contained in $`P𝒴`$ is called highest monomial (resp., lowest monomial), if its weight is not lower (resp., not higher) than the weight of any other monomial contained in $`P`$.

###### Lemma 5.6.

Let $`P𝒦`$. Then any highest monomial in $`P`$ is dominant and any lowest weight monomial in $`P`$ is antidominant.

###### Proof.

First we prove that the highest monomials are dominant.

By Proposition 5.2,

$$P𝒦_i=[Y_{j,a}^{\pm 1}]_{ji;a^\times }[Y_{i,b}+Y_{i,b}A_{i,bq_i}^1]_{b^\times }.$$

The statement of the lemma will follow if we show that a highest weight monomial contained in any element of $`𝒦_i`$ does not contain factors $`Y_{i,a}^1`$.

Indeed, the weight of $`Y_{i,a}`$ is $`\omega _i`$, and the weight of $`Y_{i,b}A_{i,bq_i}^1`$ is $`\omega _i\alpha _i`$. Denote $`t_b=[Y_{i,b}+Y_{i,b}A_{i,bq_i}^1]_{b^\times }`$. Given a polynomial $`Q[t_b]_{b^\times }`$, let $`m_1,\mathrm{},m_k`$ be its monomials (in $`t_b`$) of highest degree. Clearly, the monomials of highest weight in $`Q`$ (considered as a polynomial in $`Y_{j,a}^{\pm 1}`$) are $`m_1,\mathrm{},m_k`$, in which we substitute each $`t_b`$ by $`Y_{i,b}`$. These monomials do not contain factors $`Y_{i,a}^1`$.

The statement about the lowest weight monomials is proved similarly, once we observe that

$$𝒦_i=[Y_{j,a}^{\pm 1}]_{ji;a^\times }[Y_{i,b}^1+Y_{i,bq_i^2}A_{i,bq_i^1}]_{b^\times }.$$

Let $`m`$ be a highest monomial in $`P`$, and suppose that it enters $`P`$ with the coefficient $`\nu _m0`$. Then $`m`$ is dominant by Lemma 5.2. According to Theorem 1.3(2) and formula (2.13), there exists an irreducible representation $`V_1`$ of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$, such that $`m`$ is the highest weight monomial in $`\chi _q(V_1)`$. Since $`\chi _q(V_1)𝒦`$ by Corollary 5.5, we obtain that $`P_1=P\nu _m\chi _q(V_1)𝒦`$.

For $`P𝒴`$, denote by $`\mathrm{\Lambda }(P)`$ the (finite) set of dominant weights $`\lambda `$, such that $`P`$ contains a monomial of weight greater than or equal to $`\lambda `$. By Proposition 5.2, if $`P𝒦`$ and $`\mathrm{\Lambda }(P)`$ is empty, then $`P`$ is necessarily equal to $`0`$.

Note that for any irreducible representation $`V`$ of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ of highest weight $`\mu `$, $`\mathrm{\Lambda }(\chi _q(V))`$ is the set of all dominant weights which are less than or equal to $`\mu `$. Therefore $`\mathrm{\Lambda }(P_1)`$ is properly contained in $`\mathrm{\Lambda }(P)`$. By applying the above subtraction procedure finitely many times, we obtain an element $`P_k=P{\displaystyle \underset{i=1}{\overset{k}{}}}\chi _q(V_i)`$, for which $`\mathrm{\Lambda }(P_k)`$ is empty. But then $`P_k=0`$.

This shows that $`𝒦\mathrm{Im}\chi _q`$. Together with Lemma 5.5, this gives us Theorem 5.1 and the following corollary.

###### Corollary 5.7.

The $`q`$–character homomorphism,

$$\chi _q:\mathrm{Rep}U_q\widehat{𝔤}𝒦,$$

where $`𝒦`$ is given by $`(`$5.6$`)`$, is a ring isomorphism.

### 5.5. Application: Algorithm for constructing $`q`$-characters

Consider the following problem: Give an algorithm which for any dominant monomial $`m_+`$ constructs the $`q`$–character of the irreducible $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$–module whose highest weight monomial is $`m_+`$. In this section we propose such an algorithm. We prove that our algorithm produces the $`q`$–characters of the fundamental representations (in this case $`m_+=Y_{i,a}`$). We conjecture that the algorithm works for any irreducible module.

Roughly speaking, in our algorithm we start from $`m_+`$ and gradually expand it in all possible $`U_{q_i}\widehat{𝔰𝔩}_2`$ directions. (Here we use the explicit formulas for $`q`$–characters of $`U_q\widehat{𝔰𝔩}_2`$ and Lemma 3.6.) In the process of expansion some monomials may come from different directions. We identify them in the maximal possible way.

First we introduce some terminology.

Let $`\chi _0[Y_{i,a}^{\pm 1}]_{iI,a^\times }`$ be a polynomial and $`m`$ a monomial in $`\chi `$ occuring with coefficient $`s_{>0}`$. By definition, a coloring of $`m`$ is a set $`\{s_i\}_{iI}`$ of non-negative integers such that $`s_is`$. A polynomial $`\chi `$ in which all monomials are colored is called a colored polynomial.

We think of $`s_i`$ as the number of monomials of type $`m`$ which have come from direction $`i`$ (or by expanding with respect to the $`i`$-th subalgebra $`U_{q_i}\widehat{𝔰𝔩}_2`$).

A monomial $`m`$ is called $`i`$dominant if it does not contain variables $`Y_{i,a}^1`$, $`a^\times `$.

A monomial $`m`$ occurring in a colored polynomial $`\chi `$ with coefficient $`s`$ is called admissible if $`m`$ is $`j`$–dominant for all $`j`$ such that $`s_j<s`$. A colored polynomial is called admissible if all of its monomials are admissible.

Given an admissible monomial $`m`$ occurring with coefficient $`s`$ in a colored polynomial $`\chi `$, we define a new colored polynomial $`i_m(\chi )`$, called the $`i`$–expansion of $`\chi `$ with respect to $`m`$, as follows.

If $`s_i=s`$, then $`i_m(\chi )=\chi `$. Suppose that $`s_i<s`$ and let $`\overline{m}`$ be obtained from $`m`$ by setting $`Y_{j,a}^{\pm 1}=1`$, for all $`ji`$. Since $`m`$ is admissible, $`\overline{m}`$ is a dominant monomial. Therefore there exists an irreducible $`U_{q_i}\widehat{𝔰𝔩}_2`$ module $`V`$, such that the highest weight monomial of $`V`$ is $`\overline{m}`$. We have explicit formulas for the $`q`$-characters of all irreducible $`U_q\widehat{𝔰𝔩}_2`$–modules (see, e.g., \[FR2\], Section 4.1). We write $`\chi _{q_i}(V)=\overline{m}(1+_p\overline{M}_p)`$, where $`\overline{M}_p`$ is a product of $`\overline{A}_{i,a}^1`$. Let

(5.7) $`\mu =m(1+{\displaystyle \underset{p}{}}M_p),`$   
where $`M_p`$ is obtained from $`\overline{M}_p`$ by replacing all $`\overline{A}_{i,a}^1`$ by $`A_{i,a}^1`$.

The colored polynomial $`i_m(\chi )`$ is obtained from $`\chi `$ by adding monomials occuring in $`\mu `$ by the following rule. Let monomial $`n`$ occur in $`\mu `$ with coefficient $`t_{>0}`$. If $`n`$ does not occur in $`\chi `$ then it is added with the coefficient $`t(ss_i)`$ and we set the $`i`$-th coloring of $`n`$ to be $`t(ss_i)`$, and the other colorings to be $`0`$. If $`n`$ occurs in $`\chi `$ with coefficient $`r`$ and coloring $`\{r_i\}_{iI}`$, then the new coefficient of $`n`$ in $`i_m(\chi )`$ is $`\mathrm{max}\{r,r_i+t(ss_i)\}`$. In this case the $`i`$-th coloring is changed to $`r_i+t(ss_i)`$ and other colorings are not changed.

Obviously, the $`i`$–expansions of $`\chi `$ with respect to $`m`$ commute for different $`i`$. To expand a monomial $`m`$ in all directions means to compute $`\mathrm{}_m(\mathrm{}2_m(1_m(\chi ))\mathrm{})`$, where $`\mathrm{}=rk(𝔤)`$.

Now we describe the algorithm. We start with the colored polynomial $`m_+`$ with all colorings set equal zero. Let the $`U_q𝔤`$–weight of $`m_+`$ be $`\lambda `$. The set of weights of the form $`\lambda _ia_i\alpha _i`$, $`a_i_0`$ has a natural partial order. Choose any total order compatible with this partial order, so we have $`\lambda =\lambda _1>\lambda _2>\lambda _3>\mathrm{}`$

At the first step we expand $`m_+`$ in all directions. Then we expand in all directions all monomials of weight $`\lambda _1`$ obtained at the first step. Then we expand in all directions all monomials of weight $`\lambda _2`$ obtained at the previous steps, and so on. Since the monomials obtained in the expansion of a monomial of $`U_q𝔤`$–weight $`\mu `$ have weights less than $`\mu `$, the result does not depend on the choice of the total order.

Note that for any monomial $`m`$ except for $`m_+`$ occurring with coefficient $`s`$ at any step, we have $`\mathrm{max}_i\{s_i\}=s`$. This property means that we identify the monomials coming from different directions in the maximal possible way.

The algorithm stops if all monomials have been expanded. We say that the algorithm fails at a monomial $`m`$ if $`m`$ is the first non-admissible monomial to be expanded.

Let $`m_+`$ be a dominant monomial and $`V`$ the corresponding irreducible module.

###### Conjecture 5.8.

The algorithm never fails and stops after finitely many steps. Moreover, the final result of the algorithm is the $`q`$–character of $`V`$.

###### Theorem 5.9.

Suppose that $`\chi _q(V)`$ does not contain dominant monomials other then $`m_+`$. Then Conjecture 5.8 is true. In particular, Conjecture 5.8 is true in the case of fundamental representations.

###### Proof.

For $`iI`$, let $`D_i`$ be a decomposition of the set of monomials in $`\chi _q(V)`$ with multiplicities into a disjoint union of subsets such that each subset forms the $`q`$–character of an irreducible $`U_{q_i}\widehat{𝔰𝔩}_2`$ module. We refer to this decompostion $`D_i`$ as the $`i`$-th decomposition of $`\chi _q(V)`$. Denote $`D`$ the collection of $`D_i`$, $`iI`$.

Consider the following colored oriented graph $`\mathrm{\Omega }_V(D)`$. The vertices are monomials in $`\chi _q(V)`$ with multiplicities. We draw an arrow of color $`i`$ from a monomial $`m_1`$ to a monomial $`m_2`$ if and only if $`m_1`$ and $`m_2`$ are in the same subset of the $`i`$-th decomposition and $`m_2=A_{i,a}^1m_1`$ for some $`a^\times `$.

We call an oriented graph a tree (with one root) if there exists a vertex $`v`$ (called root), such that there is an oriented path from $`v`$ to any other vertex. The graph $`\mathrm{\Omega }_W(D)`$, where $`W`$ is an irreducible $`U_q\widehat{𝔰𝔩}_2`$–module is always a tree and its root corresponds to the highest weight monomial.

Consider the full subgraph of $`\mathrm{\Omega }_V(D)`$ whose vertices correspond to monomials from a given subset of the $`i`$-th decomposition of $`\chi _q(V)`$. All arrows of this subgraph are of color $`i`$. By Lemma 3.6, this subgraph is a tree isomorphic to the graph of the corresponding irreducible $`U_{q_i}\widehat{𝔰𝔩}_2`$–module. Moreover, its root corresponds to an $`i`$–dominant monomial. Therefore if a vertex of $`\mathrm{\Omega }_V(D)`$ has no incoming arrows of color $`i`$, then it corresponds to an $`i`$–dominant monomial. In particular, if $`m`$ has no incoming arrows in $`\mathrm{\Omega }_V(D)`$, then $`m`$ is dominant. Since by our assumption $`\chi _q(V)`$ does not contain any dominant monomials except for $`m_+`$, the graph $`\mathrm{\Omega }_V(D)`$ is a tree with root $`m_+`$.

Choose a sequence of weights $`\lambda _1>\lambda _2>\mathrm{}`$ as above. We prove by induction on $`r`$ the following statement $`S_r`$:

The algorithm does not fail during the first $`r`$ steps. Let $`\chi _r`$ be the resulting polynomial after these steps. Then the coefficient of each monomial $`m`$ in $`\chi _r`$ is not greater than that in $`\chi _q(V)`$ and the coefficients of monomials of weights $`\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _r`$ in $`\chi _r`$ and $`\chi _q(V)`$ are equal. Furthermore, there exists a decomposition $`D`$ of $`\chi _q(V)`$, such that monomials in $`\chi _r`$ can be identified with vertices in $`\mathrm{\Omega }_V(D)`$ in such a way that all outgoing arrows from vertices with $`U_q𝔤`$–weights $`\lambda _1,\mathrm{},\lambda _r`$ go to vertices of $`\chi _r`$. Finally, the $`j`$-th coloring of a monomial $`m`$ in $`\chi _r`$ is just the number of vertices of type $`m`$ in $`\chi _r`$ which have incoming arrows of color $`j`$ in $`\mathrm{\Omega }_V(D)`$.

The statement $`S_0`$ is obviously true. Assume that the statement $`S_r`$ is true for some $`r0`$. Recall that at the $`(r+1)`$st step we expand all monomials of $`\chi _r`$ of weight $`\lambda _{r+1}`$.

Let $`m`$ be a monomial of weight $`\lambda _{r+1}`$ in $`\chi _r`$, which enters with coefficient $`s`$ and coloring $`\{s_i\}_{iI}`$.

Then the monomial $`m`$ enters $`\chi _q(V)`$ with coefficient $`s`$ as well. Indeed, $`\mathrm{\Omega }_V(D)`$ is a tree, so all vertices $`m`$ have incoming arrows from vertices of larger weight. By the statement $`S_r`$ this arrows go to vertices corresponding to monomials in $`\chi _r`$.

Suppose that $`s_j<s`$ for some $`jI`$. Then $`m`$ is $`j`$–dominant. Indeed, otherwise each vertex of type $`m`$ in $`\mathrm{\Omega }_V(D)`$ has an incoming arrow of color $`j`$ coming from a vertex of higher weight. Then by the last part of the statement $`S_r`$, $`s_j=s`$.

Therefore the monomial $`m`$ is admissible, and the algorithm does not fail at $`m`$.

Consider the expansion $`j_m(\chi _r)`$. Let $`\mu `$ be as in $`(`$5.7$`)`$. In the $`j`$-th decomposition of $`\chi _q(V)`$, $`m`$ corresponds to a root of a tree whose vertices can be identified with monomials in $`\mu `$. We fix such an identification. Then monomials in $`\mu `$ get identified with vertices in $`\mathrm{\Omega }_V(D)`$.

Let $`v`$ be the vertex in $`\mathrm{\Omega }_V(D)`$, corresponding to a monomial $`n`$ in $`\mu `$. Denote the coefficient of $`n`$ in $`\chi _r`$ by $`p`$ and the coloring by $`\{p_i\}_{iI}`$. We have two cases:

a) $`p_j=p`$. Then the last part of the statement $`S_r`$ implies that the vertex $`v`$ does not belong to $`\chi _r`$. We add the monomial $`n`$ to $`\chi _r`$ and increase $`p_j`$ by one (we have already identified it with $`v`$).

b) $`p_j<p`$. Then by $`S_r`$ there exists a vertex $`w`$ in $`\chi _r`$ of type $`n`$ with no incoming arrows of color $`j`$. We change the decomposition $`D_j`$ by switching the vertices $`v`$ and $`w`$ and identify $`n`$ with the new $`v`$. We also increase $`p_j`$ by one. (Thus, in this case we do not add $`n`$ to $`\chi _r`$.)

In both cases, the statement $`S_{r+1}`$ follows.

Since the set of weights of monomials occuring in $`\chi _q(V)`$ is contained in a finite set $`\lambda _1,\lambda _2,\mathrm{},\lambda _N`$, the statement $`S_N`$ proves the first part of the theorem.

Corollary 4.5 then implies the second part of the theorem. ∎

We plan to use the above algorithm to compute explicitly the $`q`$–characters of the fundamental representations of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ and to obtain their decompositions under $`U_q𝔤`$.

###### Remark 5.10.

There is a similar algorithm for computing the ordinary characters of finite-dimensional $`𝔤`$–modules (equivalently, $`U_q𝔤`$–modules). That algorithm works for those representations (called miniscule) whose characters do not contain dominant weights other than the highest weight (for other representations the algorthim does not work). However, there are very few miniscule representations for a general simple Lie algebra $`𝔤`$. In contrast, in the case of quantum affine algebras there are many representations whose characters do not contain any dominant monomials except for the highest weight monomials (for example, all fundamental representations), and our algorithm may be applied to them.∎

## 6. The fundamental representations

In this section we prove several theorems about the irreducibility of tensor products of fundamental representations.

### 6.1. Reducible tensor products of fundamental representations and poles of $`R`$-matrices

In this section we prove that the reducibility of a tensor product of the fundamental representations is always caused by a pole in the $`R`$-matrix.

We say that a monomial $`m`$ has positive lattice support with base $`a`$ if $`m`$ is a product $`Y_{i,aq^n}^{\pm 1}`$ with $`n0`$.

###### Lemma 6.1.

All monomials in $`\chi _q(V_{\omega _i}(a))`$ have positive lattice support with base $`a`$.

###### Proof.

For $`U_q\widehat{𝔰𝔩}_2`$, the statement follows from the explicit formula $`(`$4.2$`)`$ for $`\chi _q(V_1(a))`$. The $`q`$–character of any irreducible representation $`V`$ of $`U_q\widehat{𝔰𝔩}_2`$ is a subsum of a product of the $`q`$–characters of $`V_1(b)`$’s. Moreover, this subsum includes the highest monomial. Hence if the highest weight monomial of $`\chi _q(V)`$ has positive lattice support with base $`a`$, then so do all monomials in $`\chi _q(V)`$.

Now consider the case of general $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$. Suppose there exists a monomial in $`\chi =\chi _q(V_{\omega _i}(a))`$, which does not have positive lattice support with base $`a`$. Let $`m`$ be a highest among such monomials (with respect to the partial ordering by weights).

By Corollary 4.5, the monomial $`m`$ is not dominant. In other words, if we rewrite $`m`$ as a product of $`Y_{i,b}^{\pm 1}`$, we will have at least one generator in negative power, say $`Y_{i_0,b_0}^1`$.

Write $`\tau _{i_0}(\chi )`$ in the form $`(`$4.4$`)`$. The monomial $`\tau _{i_0}(m)`$ can not be among the monomials $`\{m_pN_p\}`$, since $`m`$ contains $`Y_{i_0,b_0}^1`$. Therefore $`\tau _{i_0}(m)=m_{p_0}N_{p_0}\overline{M}_{r_0,p_0}`$ for some $`\overline{M}_{r_0,p_0}1`$, which is a product of factors $`\overline{A}_{i,c}^1`$. Let $`m_1`$ be a monomial in $`\chi `$, such that $`\tau _{i_0}(m_1)=m_{p_0}N_{p_0}`$. Then by Lemma 3.6, $`m=m_1M_{r_0,p_0}`$, where $`M_{r_0,p_0}`$ is obtained from $`\overline{M}_{r_0,p_0}`$ by replacing all $`\overline{A}_{i,c}^1`$ with $`A_{i,c}^1`$.

By construction, the weight of $`m_1`$ is higher than the weight of $`m`$, so by our assumption, $`m_1`$ has positive lattice support with base $`a`$. But then $`m_{p_0}`$ also has positive lattice support with base $`a`$. Therefore all monomials in $`m_{p_0}(1+_r\overline{M}_{r,p})`$ have positive lattice support with base $`a`$. This implies that $`M_{r_0,p_0}`$, and hence $`m=m_1M_{r_0,p_0}`$, has positive lattice support with base $`a`$. This is a contradiction, so the lemma is proved. ∎

###### Remark 6.2.

From the proof of Lemma 6.1 is clear that the only monomial in $`\chi _q(V_{\omega _i}(a))`$ which contains $`Y_{j,aq^n}^{\pm 1}`$ with $`n=0`$ is the highest weight monomial $`Y_{i,a}`$.∎

Let $`V`$ be a $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$–module with the $`q`$–character $`\chi _q(V)`$. Define the oriented graph $`\mathrm{\Gamma }_V`$ as follows. The vertices of $`\mathrm{\Gamma }_V`$ are monomials in $`\chi _q(V)`$ with multiplicities. Thus, there are $`\mathrm{dim}V`$ vertices. We denote the monomial corresponding to a vertex $`\alpha `$ by $`m_\alpha `$. We draw an arrow from the vertex $`\alpha `$ to the vertex $`\beta `$ if and only if $`m_\beta =m_\alpha A_{i,x}^1`$ for some $`iI`$, $`x^\times `$.

If $`V`$ is an irreducible $`U_q\widehat{𝔰𝔩}_2`$–module, then the graph $`\mathrm{\Gamma }_V`$ is connected. Indeed, every irreducible $`U_q\widehat{𝔰𝔩}_2`$–module is isomorphic to a tensor product of evaluation modules. The graph associated to each evaluation module is connected according to the explicit formulas for the corresponding $`q`$–characters (see formula (4.3) in \[FR2\]). Clearly, a tensor product of two modules with connected graphs also has a connected graph.

###### Lemma 6.3.

Let $`\alpha \mathrm{\Gamma }_V`$ be a vertex with no incoming arrows. Then $`m_\alpha `$ is a dominant monomial.

###### Proof.

Let $`\alpha `$ contain $`Y_{i,b}^1`$ for some $`iI`$, $`b^\times `$. We write the restricted $`q`$–character $`\tau _i(\chi _q(V))`$ in the form $`(`$4.4$`)`$, where each $`m_p(1+_r\overline{M}_{r,p})`$ is a $`q`$–character of an irreducible $`U_{q_i}\widehat{𝔰𝔩}_2`$ module.

The monomial $`\tau _i(m)`$ contains $`Y_{i,b}^1`$ and therefore can not be among the monomials $`\{m_pN_p\}`$. But the graphs of irreducible $`U_q\widehat{𝔰𝔩}_2`$–modules are connected. So we obtain that $`\tau _i(m)=\tau _i(A_{i,c}^1)\tau _i(m^{})`$ for some monomial $`m^{}`$ in $`\chi _q(V)`$, and some $`c^\times `$. By Lemma 3.6, we have $`m=A_{i,c}^1m^{}`$ which is a contradiction. ∎

Now Corollary 4.5 implies:

###### Corollary 6.4.

The graphs of all fundamental representations are connected.

Let a monomial $`m`$ have lattice support with base $`a`$. We call $`m`$ right negative if the factors $`Y_{i,aq^k}`$ appearing in $`m`$, for which $`k`$ is maximal, have negative powers.

###### Lemma 6.5.

All monomials in the $`q`$–character of the fundamental representation $`V_{\omega _i}(a)`$, except for the highest weight monomial, are right negative.

###### Proof.

Let us show first that from the highest weight monomial $`m_+`$ there is only one outgoing arrow to the monomial $`m_1=m_+A_{i,aq_i}^1`$. Indeed, the weight of a monomial that is connected to $`m_+`$ by an arrow has to be equal to $`\omega _i\alpha _j`$ for some $`jI`$. The restriction of $`V_{\omega _i}(a)`$ to $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ is isomorphic to the direct some of its $`i`$th fundamental representation $`V_{\omega _i}`$ and possibly some other irreducible representations with dominant weights less than $`\omega _i`$. However, the weight $`\omega _i\alpha _j`$ is not dominant for any $`i`$ and $`j`$. Therefore this weight has to belong to the set of weights of $`V_{\omega _i}`$, and the multiplicity of this weight in $`V_{\omega _i}(a)`$ has to be the same as that in $`V_{\omega _i}`$. It is clear that the only weight of the form $`\omega _i\alpha _j`$ that occurs in $`V_{\omega _i}`$ is $`\omega _i\alpha _i`$, and it has multiplicity one. By Theorem 4.1, this monomial must have the form $`m_1=m_+A_{i,aq_i}^1`$.

Now, the graph $`\mathrm{\Gamma }_{V_{\omega _i}(a)}`$ is connected. Therefore each monomial $`m`$ in $`\chi _q(V_{\omega _i}(a))`$ is a product of $`m_1`$ and factors $`A_{j,b}^1`$. Note that $`m_1`$ is right negative and all $`A_{j,b}^1`$ are right negative (this follows from the explicit formula (2.15)). The product of two right negative monomials is right negative. This implies the lemma. ∎

###### Remark 6.6.

It follows from the proof of the lemma that the rightmost factor of each non-highest weight monomial occurring in $`\chi _q(V_{\omega _i}(a))`$ equals $`Y_{j,aq^n}^1`$, where $`n2r_i`$.∎

Recall the definition of the normalized $`R`$–matrix $`\overline{R}_{V,W}(z)`$ from Section 2.3. The following theorem was conjectured, e.g., in \[AK\].

###### Theorem 6.7.

Let $`\{V_k\}_{k=1,\mathrm{},n}`$, where $`V_k=V_{\omega _{s(k)}}(a_k)`$, be a set of fundamental representations of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$. The tensor product $`V_1\mathrm{}V_n`$ is reducible if and only if for some $`i,j\{1,\mathrm{},n\},ij`$, the normalized $`R`$–matrix $`\overline{R}_{V_i,V_j}(z)`$ has a pole at $`z=a_j/a_i`$.

###### Proof.

The “if” part of the Theorem is obvious. Let us explain the case when $`n=2`$. Let $`\sigma :V_1V_2V_2V_1`$ be the transposition. By definition of $`\overline{R}_{V_1,V_2}(z)`$, the linear map $`\sigma \overline{R}_{V_1,V_2}(z)`$ is a homomorphism of $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$–modules $`V_1V_2V_2V_1`$. Therefore if $`\overline{R}_{V_1,V_2}(z)`$ has a pole at $`z=a_2/a_1`$, then $`V_1V_2`$ is reducible. It is easy to generalize this argument to general $`n`$.

Now we prove the “only if” part.

If the product $`V_1\mathrm{}V_n`$ is reducible, then the product of the $`q`$–characters $`_{i=1}^n\chi _q(V_i)`$ contains a dominant monomial $`m`$ that is different from the product of the highest weight monomials. Therefore $`m`$ is not right negative and $`m`$ is a product of some monomials $`m_i^{}`$ from $`\chi _q(V_i)`$. Hence at least one of the factors $`m_i^{}=m_i`$ must be the highest weight monomial and it has to cancel with the rightmost $`Y_{i,b}^1`$ appearing in, say, $`m_j^{}`$.

According to Lemma 6.1, $`m_j^{}=m_jM`$ where $`M`$ is a product of $`A_{s,a_jq^n}^1`$. By our assumption, the maximal $`n_0`$ occurring among $`n`$ is such that $`a_jq^{n_0}=a_iq_i^1`$. Using Lemma 2.6 we obtain that one of the diagonal entries of $`\overline{R}_{V_i,V_j}`$ has a factor $`1/(1a_ia_j^1z)`$, which can not be cancelled. Therefore $`\overline{R}_{V_i,V_j}`$ has a pole at $`z=a_j/a_i`$. This proves the “only if” part. Moreover, we see that the pole necessarily occurs in a diagonal entry. ∎

### 6.2. The lowest weight monomial

Our next goal is to describe (see Proposition 6.15 below) the possible values of the spectral parameters of the fundamental representations for which the tensor product is reducible.

First we develop an analogue of the formalism of Section 4 from the point of view of the lowest weight monomials. Recall the involution $`II,i\overline{i}`$ from Section 1.2. According to Theorem 1.3(3), there is a unique lowest weight monomial $`m_{}`$ in $`\chi _q(V_{\omega _i}(a))`$, and its weight is $`\omega _{\overline{i}}`$.

###### Lemma 6.8.

The lowest weight monomial of $`\chi _q(V_{\omega _i}(a))`$ equals $`Y_{\overline{i},aq^{r^{}h^{}}}^1`$.

###### Proof.

By Lemma 5.6, $`m_{}`$ must be antidominant. Thus, by Lemma 6.1, $`m_{}=Y_{\overline{i},aq^{n_i}}^1`$ for some $`n_i>0`$.

Recall the automorphism $`w_0`$ defined in $`(`$1.7$`)`$. The module $`V_{\omega _{\overline{i}}}(a)`$ is obtained from $`V_{\omega _i}(a)`$ by pull-back with respect to $`w_0`$. From the interpretation of the $`q`$–character in terms of the eigenvalues of $`\mathrm{\Phi }_i^\pm (u)`$, it is clear that the $`q`$–character of $`V_{\omega _{\overline{i}}}(a)`$ is obtained from the $`q`$–character of $`V_{\omega _i}(a)`$ by replacing each $`Y_{j,b}^{\pm 1}`$ by $`Y_{\overline{j},b}^{\pm 1}`$. Therefore we obtain: $`n_i=n_{\overline{i}}`$.

Consider the dual module $`V_{\omega _i}(a)^{}`$. By Theorem 1.3(3), its highest weight equals $`\omega _{\overline{i}}`$. Hence $`V_{\omega _i}(a)^{}`$ is isomorphic to $`V_{\omega _{\overline{i}}}(b)`$ for some $`b^\times `$. Since $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ is a Hopf algebra, the module $`V_{\omega _i}(a)^{}V_{\omega _i}(a)^{}`$ contains a one–dimensional trivial submodule. Therefore the product of the corresponding $`q`$–characters contains the monomial $`m=1`$. According to Lemma 6.5, it can be obtained only as a product of the highest weight monomial in one $`q`$–character and the lowest monomial in another. Therefore, $`b=aq^{\pm n_i}`$.

In the same way we obtain that $`V_{\omega _{\overline{i}}}(a)^{}`$ is isomorphic to $`V_{\omega _i}(aq^{\pm n_i})`$.

From formula $`(`$1.6$`)`$ for the square of the antipode, we obtain that the double dual, $`V_{\omega _i}(a)^{}`$, is isomorphic to $`V_{\omega _i}(aq^{2r^{}h^{}})`$. Since $`n_i>0`$, we obtain that $`n_i=r^{}h^{}`$. ∎

Having found the lowest weight monomial in the $`q`$–characters of the fundamental representations, we obtain using Theorem 1.3 the lowest weight monomial in the $`q`$–character of any irreducible module.

###### Corollary 6.9.

Let $`V`$ be an irreducible $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$–module. Let the highest weight monomial in $`\chi _q(V)`$ be

$$m_+=\underset{iI}{}\underset{k=1}{\overset{s_k}{}}Y_{i,a_k^{(i)}}.$$

Then the lowest weight monomial in $`\chi _q(V)`$ is given by

$$m_{}=\underset{iI}{}\underset{k=1}{\overset{s_k}{}}Y_{\overline{i},a_k^{(i)}q^{r^{}h^{}}}^1.$$

We also obtain a new proof of the following corollary, which has been previously proved in \[CP1\], Proposition 5.1(b):

###### Corollary 6.10.

$$V_{\omega _i}(a)^{}V_{\omega _{\overline{i}}}(aq^{r^{}h^{}}).$$

Now we are in position to develop the theory of $`q`$–characters based on the lowest weight and antidominant monomials as opposed to the highest weight and dominant ones.

###### Proposition 6.11.

The $`q`$–character of an irreducible finite-dimensional $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$ module $`V`$ has the form

$$\chi _q(V)=m_{}(1+N_p),$$

where $`m_{}`$ is the lowest weight monomial and each $`N_p`$ is a monomial in $`A_{i,c}`$, $`iI`$, $`c^\times `$ (i.e., it does not contain any factors $`A_{i,c}^1`$).

###### Proof.

First we prove the following analogue of formula (4.1):

$$\chi _q(V)=m_{}(1+\underset{p}{}N_p),$$

where each $`N_p`$ is a monomial in $`A_{i,c}^{\pm 1}`$, $`c^\times `$. The proof of this formula is exactly the same as the proof of Proposition 3 in \[FR2\]. The rest of the proof is completely parallel to the proof of Theorem 4.1. ∎

###### Lemma 6.12.

The only antidominant monomial of $`q`$–character of a fundamental representation is the lowest weight monomial.

###### Proof.

The proof is completely parallel to the proof of Lemma 4.5. ∎

###### Lemma 6.13.

All monomials in a $`q`$–character of a fundamental representation are products $`Y_{i,aq^n}^{\pm 1}`$ with $`nr^{}h^{}`$.

###### Proof.

The proof is completely parallel to the proof of Lemma 6.1. ∎

The combination of Lemmas 6.1 and 6.13 yields the following result.

###### Corollary 6.14.

Let the highest weight monomial $`m_+`$ of the $`q`$–character of an irreducible $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$–module $`V`$ be a product of monomials $`m_+^{(i)}`$ which have positive lattice support with bases $`a_i`$. Let $`s_i`$ be the maximal integer $`s`$, such that $`Y_{k,a_iq^s}`$ is present in $`m_+^{(i)}`$ for some $`kI`$. Then any monomial $`m`$ in $`\chi _q(V)`$ can be written as a product of monomials $`m^{(i)}`$, where each $`m^{(i)}`$ is a product of $`Y_{j,a_iq^n}`$ with $`n,0ns_i+r^{}h^{}`$

### 6.3. Restrictions on the values of spectral parameters of reducible tensor products of fundamental representations

It was proved in \[KS\] that $`V_{\omega _i}(a)V_{\omega _j}(b)`$ is irreducible if $`a/b`$ does not belong to a countable set. As M. Kashiwara explained to us, one can show that this set is then necessarily finite. The following proposition, which was conjectured, e.g., in \[AK\], gives a more precise description of this set.

###### Proposition 6.15.

Let $`a_i`$, $`i=1,\mathrm{},n`$, and suppose that the tensor product of fundamental representations $`V_{\omega _{i_1}}(a_1)\mathrm{}V_{\omega _{i_n}}(a_n)`$ is reducible. Then there exist $`mj`$ such that $`a_m/a_j=q^k`$, where $`k`$ and $`2kr^{}h^{}`$.

###### Proof.

If $`V_{\omega _{i_1}}(a_1)\mathrm{}V_{\omega _{i_n}}(a_n)`$ is reducible, then $`\chi _q(V_{\omega _{i_1}}(a_1))\mathrm{}\chi _q(V_{\omega _{i_n}}(a_n))`$ should contain a dominant term other than the product of the highest weight terms. But for that to happen, for some $`m`$ and $`j`$, there have to be cancellations between some $`Y_{p,a_mq^n}^1`$ appearing in $`\chi _q(V_{\omega _{i_m}}(a_m))`$ and some $`Y_{p,a_jq^l}`$ appearing in $`\chi _q(V_{\omega _{i_j}}(a_j))`$. These cancellations may only occur if $`a_m/a_j=q^{\pm k},k`$, and $`0kr^{}h^{}`$, by Lemmas 6.1 and 6.13. Moreover, $`k2`$ according to Remark 6.6. ∎

Note that combining Theorem 6.7 and Proposition 6.15 we obtain

###### Corollary 6.16.

The set of poles of the normalized $`R`$–matrix $`\overline{R}_{V_{\omega _i}(a),V_{\omega _j}(a)}(z)`$ is a subset of the set $`\{q^k|k,2|k|r^{}h^{}\}`$.

### 6.4. The $`q`$–characters of the dual representations

In this subsection we show a simple way to obtain the $`q`$–character of the dual representation.

Recall that $`𝒦`$ is given by $`(`$5.6$`)`$.

###### Lemma 6.17.

Let $`\chi _1,\chi _2𝒦`$. Assume that all dominant monomials in $`\chi _1`$ are the same as in $`\chi _2`$ (counted with multiplicities). Then $`\chi _1=\chi _2`$.

###### Proof.

Consider $`\chi =\chi _1\chi _2`$. We have $`\chi 𝒦`$ and $`\chi `$ has no dominant monomials. Then $`\chi =0`$ by Lemma 5.6. ∎

Note that the similar statement is true for antidominant monomials.

###### Proposition 6.18.

Let $`V_{\omega _i}(a)`$ be a fundamental representation. Then the $`q`$–character of the dual representation $`V_{\omega _i}(a)^{}V_{\omega _{\overline{i}}}(aq^{r^{}h^{}})`$ is obtained from the $`q`$–character of $`V_{\omega _i}(a)`$ by replacing each $`Y_{i,aq^n}^{\pm 1}`$ by $`Y_{i,aq^n}^1`$.

###### Proof.

Let $`\chi _1=\chi _q(V_{\omega _{\overline{i}}}(aq^{r^{}h^{}}))`$ and $`\chi _2`$ is obtained from $`\chi (V_{\omega _i}(a))`$ by replacing $`Y_{i,aq^n}^{\pm 1}`$ by $`Y_{i,aq^n}^1`$. Then $`\chi _1`$ and $`\chi _2`$ are elements in $`𝒦`$ with the only dominant monomial $`Y_{\overline{i},aq^{r^{}h^{}}}`$ by Corollary 4.5 and Lemma 6.12. Therefore $`\chi _1=\chi _2`$ by Lemma 6.17. ∎

###### Remark 6.19.

One can define a similar procedure for obtaining the $`q`$–character of the dual to any irreducible $`U_q\widehat{𝔤}`$–module $`V`$. Namely, by Theorem 1.3, $`\chi _q(V)`$ is a subsum in the product of $`q`$–characters of fundamental representations. In particular, any monomial $`m`$ in $`\chi _q(V)`$ is a product of monomials $`m^{(i)}`$ from the $`q`$–characters of these fundamental representations and Proposition 6.18 tells us what to do with each $`m^{(i)}`$. This procedure is consistent because $`\chi _q((VW)^{})=\chi _q(V^{})\chi _q(W^{})`$.

Note that under this procedure the dominant monomials go to the antidominant monomials and vice versa.