Through the 1990s, a circle of ideas emerged relating three very different kinds of objects associated to a complex semisimple Lie algebra: nilpotent orbits, representations of a Weyl group, and primitive ideals in an enveloping algebra. The principal aim of this book is to collect together the important results concerning the classification and properties of nilpotent orbits, beginning from the common ground of basic structure theory. The techniques used are elementary and in the toolkit of any graduate student interested in the harmonic analysis of representation theory of Lie groups. The book develops the Dynkin-Konstant and Bala-Carter classifications of complex nilpotent orbits, derives the Lusztig-Spaltenstein theory of induction of nilpotent orbits, discusses basic topological questions, and classifies real nilpotent orbits. The classical algebras are emphasized throughout; here the theory can be simplified by using the combinatorics of partitions and tableaux. The authors conclude with a survey of advanced topics related to the above circle of ideas. This book is the product of a two-quarter course taught at the University of Washington.

* First of three independent, self-contained volumes under the general title, "Lie Theory," featuring original results and survey work from renowned mathematicians. * Contains J. C. Jantzen's "Nilpotent Orbits in Representation Theory," and K.-H. Neeb's "Infinite Dimensional Groups and their Representations." * Comprehensive treatments of the relevant geometry of orbits in Lie algebras, or their duals, and the correspondence to representations. * Should benefit graduate students and researchers in mathematics and mathematical physics.

This volume, a celebration of Anthony Joseph’s fundamental influence on classical and quantized representation theory, explores a wide array of current topics in Lie theory by experts in the area. The chapters are based on the 2017 sister conferences titled “Algebraic Modes of Representations,” the first of which was held from July 16-18 at the Weizmann Institute of Science and the second from July 19-23 at the University of Haifa. The chapters in this volume cover a range of topics, including: Primitive ideals Invariant theory Geometry of Lie group actions Quantum affine algebras Yangians Categorification Vertex algebras This volume is addressed to mathematicians who specialize in representation theory and Lie theory, and who wish to learn more about this fascinating subject.

This book is an introduction to semisimple Lie algebras. It is concise and informal, with numerous exercises and examples.

This is the second volume of the new subseries "Invariant Theory and Algebraic Transformation Groups". The aim of the survey by A. Bialynicki-Birula is to present the main trends and achievements of research in the theory of quotients by actions of algebraic groups. This theory contains geometric invariant theory with various applications to problems of moduli theory. The contribution by J. Carrell treats the subject of torus actions on algebraic varieties, giving a detailed exposition of many of the cohomological results one obtains from having a torus action with fixed points. Many examples, such as toric varieties and flag varieties, are discussed in detail. W.M. McGovern studies the actions of a semisimple Lie or algebraic group on its Lie algebra via the adjoint action and on itself via conjugation. His contribution focuses primarily on nilpotent orbits that have found the widest application to representation theory in the last thirty-five years.