The commutative nonassociative algebra of metric curvature tensors

Abstract

The space of tensors of metric curvature type on a Euclidean vector space carries a two-parameter family of orthogonally invariant commutative nonassociative multiplications invariant with respect to the symmetric bilinear form determined by the metric. For a particular choice of parameters these algebras recover the polarization of the quadratic map on metric curvature tensors that arises in the work of Hamilton on the Ricci flow. Here these algebras are studied as interesting examples of metrized commutative algebras and in low dimensions they are described concretely in terms of nonstandard commutative multiplications on self-adjoint endomorphisms. The algebra of curvature tensors on a 3-dimensional Euclidean vector space is shown isomorphic to an orthogonally invariant deformation of the standard Jordan product on $3 \times 3$ symmetric matrices. This algebra is characterized up to isomorphism in terms of purely algebraic properties of its idempotents and the spectra of their multiplication operators. On a vector space of dimension at least 4, the subspace of Weyl (Ricci-flat) curvature tensors is a subalgebra for which the multiplication endomorphisms are trace-free and the Killing type trace-form is a multiple of the nondegenerate invariant metric. This subalgebra is simple when the Euclidean vector space has dimension greater than 4. In the presence of a compatible complex structure, the analogous result is obtained for the subalgebra of Kähler Weyl curvature tensors. It is shown that the anti-self-dual Weyl tensors on a 4-dimensional vector space form a simple 5-dimensional ideal isometrically isomorphic to the trace-free part of the Jordan product on trace-free $3 \times 3$ symmetric matrices.

Axial algebras of Jordan and Monster type

“…This includes the link to VOAs and physics, but also recently discovered connections to analysis and other areas of mathematics. In particular, Tkachev [69] found that algebras arising in the global geometry and regularity theory of non-linear PDEs are axial algebras for suitable compact fusion laws, and similarly Fox [17] shows axial properties of the algebra of curvature tensors. Another recent development that we do not cover is the theory of decomposition algebras [13] due to De Medts, Peacock, Shpectorov and Van Couwenberghe, which generalises the axial setup even further and provides a categorical point of view.…”