Regular subalgebras and nilpotent orbits of real graded Lie algebras

For a semisimple Lie algebra over the complex numbers, Dynkin (1952) developed an algorithm to classify the regular semisimple subalgebras, up to conjugacy by the inner automorphism group. For a graded semisimple Lie algebra over the complex numbers, Vinberg (1979) showed that a classification of a certain type of regular subalgebras (called carrier algebras) yields a classification of the nilpotent orbits in a homogeneous component of that Lie algebra. Here we consider these problems for (graded) semisimple Lie algebras over the real numbers. First, we describe an algorithm to classify the regular semisimple subalgebras of a real semisimple Lie algebra. This also yields an algorithm for listing, up to conjugacy, the carrier algebras in a real graded semisimple real algebra. We then discuss what needs to be done to obtain a classification of the nilpotent orbits from that; such classifications have applications in differential geometry and theoretical physics. Our algorithms are implemented in the language of the computer algebra system GAP, using our package CoReLG; we report on example computations

A constructive method for decomposing real representations

A constructive method for decomposing finite dimensional representations of semisimple real Lie algebras is developed. The method is illustrated by an example. We also discuss an implementation of the algorithm in the language of the computer algebra system {\sf GAP}4.Comment: Final version; to appear in "Journal of Symbolic Computation

A differential operator realisation approach for constructing Casimir operators of non-semisimple Lie algebras

We introduce a search algorithm that utilises differential operator realisations to find polynomial Casimir operators of Lie algebras. To demonstrate the algorithm, we look at two classes of examples: (1) the model filiform Lie algebras and (2) the Schr\"odinger Lie algebras. We find that an abstract form of dimensional analysis assists us in our algorithm, and greatly reduces the complexity of the problem.Comment: 22 page