Coxeter element and particle masses

Abstract

Let $\mathfrak{g}$ be a simple Lie algebra of rank $r$ over $\mathbb{C}$, $\mathfrak{h} \subset \mathfrak{g}$ a Cartan subalgebra. We construct a family of $r$ commuting Hermitian operators acting on $\mathfrak{h}$ whose eigenvalues are equal to the coordinates of the eigenvectors of the Cartan matrix of $\mathfrak{g}$.

To Joseph Bernstein on his 70th birthday