Unitary Representations of Noncompact Quantum Groups at Roots of Unity

Abstract

Noncompact forms of the Drinfeld-Jimbo quantum groups U_q(g) with (H_i)* = H_i, (X_i^{+-})* = s_i X_i^{-+} for s_i= +-1 are studied at roots of unity. This covers g = so(n,2p), su(n,p), so*(2l), sp(n,p), sp(l,R), and exceptional cases. Finite-dimensional unitary representations are found for all these forms, for even roots of unity. Their classical symmetry induced by the Frobenius-map is determined, and the meaning of the extra quasi-classical generators appearing at even roots of unity is clarified. The unitary highest weight modules of the classical case are recovered in the limit q -> 1.

23 pages, LaTeX. Typos corrected and some explanations added. To appear in Rev. Math. Phys