The volume is the outcome of the conference "Lie superalgebras," which was held at the Istituto Nazionale di Alta Matematica, in 2012. The conference gathered many specialists in the subject, and the talks held provided comprehensive insights into the newest trends in research on Lie superalgebras (and related topics like vertex algebras, representation theory and supergeometry). The book contains contributions of many leading esperts in the field and provides a complete account of the newest trends in research on Lie Superalgebras.

Lie superalgebras are a natural generalization of Lie algebras, having applications in geometry, number theory, gauge field theory, and string theory. Introduction to Finite and Infinite Dimensional Lie Algebras and Superalgebras introduces the theory of Lie superalgebras, their algebras, and their representations. The material covered ranges from basic definitions of Lie groups to the classification of finite-dimensional representations of semi-simple Lie algebras. While discussing all classes of finite and infinite dimensional Lie algebras and Lie superalgebras in terms of their different classes of root systems, the book focuses on Kac-Moody algebras. With numerous exercises and worked examples, it is ideal for graduate courses on Lie groups and Lie algebras. - Discusses the fundamental structure and all root relationships of Lie algebras and Lie superalgebras and their finite and infinite dimensional representation theory - Closely describes BKM Lie superalgebras, their different classes of imaginary root systems, their complete classifications, root-supermultiplicities, and related combinatorial identities - Includes numerous tables of the properties of individual Lie algebras and Lie superalgebras - Focuses on Kac-Moody algebras

Originating from graduate topics courses given by the first author, this book functions as a unique text-monograph hybrid that bridges a traditional graduate course to research level representation theory. The exposition includes an introduction to the subject, some highlights of the theory and recent results in the field, and is therefore appropriate for advanced graduate students entering the field as well as research mathematicians wishing to expand their knowledge. The mathematical background required varies from chapter to chapter, but a standard course on Lie algebras and their representations, along with some knowledge of homological algebra, is necessary. Basic algebraic geometry and sheaf cohomology are needed for Chapter 10. Exercises of various levels of difficulty are interlaced throughout the text to add depth to topical comprehension. The unifying theme of this book is the structure and representation theory of infinite-dimensional locally reductive Lie algebras and superalgebras. Chapters 1-6 are foundational; each of the last 4 chapters presents a self-contained study of a specialized topic within the larger field. Lie superalgebras and flag supermanifolds are discussed in Chapters 3, 7, and 10, and may be skipped by the reader.

This volume, dedicated to Bertram Kostant on the occasion of his 65th birthday, is a collection of 22 invited papers by leading mathematicians working in Lie theory, geometry, algebra, and mathematical physics. Kostant’s fundamental work in all these areas has provided deep new insights and connections, and has created new fields of research. The papers gathered here present original research articles as well as expository papers, broadly reflecting the range of Kostant’s work.

Lie superalgebras are a natural generalization of Lie algebras, having applications in geometry, number theory, gauge field theory, and string theory. This book develops the theory of Lie superalgebras, their enveloping algebras, and their representations. The book begins with five chapters on the basic properties of Lie superalgebras, including explicit constructions for all the classical simple Lie superalgebras. Borel subalgebras, which are more subtle in this setting, are studied and described. Contragredient Lie superalgebras are introduced, allowing a unified approach to several results, in particular to the existence of an invariant bilinear form on $\mathfrak{g}$. The enveloping algebra of a finite dimensional Lie superalgebra is studied as an extension of the enveloping algebra of the even part of the superalgebra. By developing general methods for studying such extensions, important information on the algebraic structure is obtained, particularly with regard to primitive ideals. Fundamental results, such as the Poincare-Birkhoff-Witt Theorem, are established. Representations of Lie superalgebras provide valuable tools for understanding the algebras themselves, as well as being of primary interest in applications to other fields. Two important classes of representations are the Verma modules and the finite dimensional representations. The fundamental results here include the Jantzen filtration, the Harish-Chandra homomorphism, the Sapovalov determinant, supersymmetric polynomials, and Schur-Weyl duality. Using these tools, the center can be explicitly described in the general linear and orthosymplectic cases. In an effort to make the presentation as self-contained as possible, some background material is included on Lie theory, ring theory, Hopf algebras, and combinatorics.

The representation theory of affine Lie algebras has been developed in close connection with various areas of mathematics and mathematical physics in the last two decades. There are three excellent books on it, written by Victor G Kac. This book begins with a survey and review of the material treated in Kac's books. In particular, modular invariance and conformal invariance are explained in more detail. The book then goes further, dealing with some of the recent topics involving the representation theory of affine Lie algebras. Since these topics are important not only in themselves but also in their application to some areas of mathematics and mathematical physics, the book expounds them with examples and detailed calculations.