text:
# References

Harmonics on the quantum Euclidean space related
to the quantum orthogonal group

N. Z. Iorgov and A. U. Klimyk

Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kiev 03143, Ukraine

## Abstract

The aim of this paper is to study harmonic polynomials on the quantum Euclidean space $`E_q^N`$ generated by elements $`x_i`$, $`i=1,2,\mathrm{},N`$, on which the quantum group $`SO_q(N)`$ acts. The harmonic polynomials are defined as solutions of the equation $`\mathrm{\Delta }_qp=0`$, where $`p`$ is a polynomial in $`x_i`$, $`i=1,2,\mathrm{},N`$, and the $`q`$-Laplace operator $`\mathrm{\Delta }_q`$ is determined in terms of the differential operators on $`E_q^N`$. The projector $`𝖧_m:𝒜_m_m`$ is constructed, where $`𝒜_m`$ and $`_m`$ are the spaces of homogeneous of degree $`m`$ polynomials and homogeneous harmonic polynomials, respectively. By using these projectors, a $`q`$-analogue of the classical zonal polynomials and associated spherical polynomials with respect to the quantum subgroup $`SO_q(N2)`$ are constructed. The associated spherical polynomials constitute an orthogonal basis of $`_m`$. These polynomials are represented as products of polynomials depending on $`q`$-radii and $`x_j`$, $`x_j^{}`$, $`j^{}=Nj+1`$. This representation is in fact a $`q`$-analogue of the classical separation of variables. The dual pair $`(U_q(\mathrm{sl}_2),U_q(\mathrm{so}_n))`$ is related to the action of $`SO_q(N)`$ on $`E_q^N`$. Decomposition into irreducible constituents of the representation of the algebra $`U_q(\mathrm{sl}_2)\times U_q(\mathrm{so}_n)`$ defined by the action of this algebra on the space of all polynomials on $`E_q^N`$ is given.

I. INTRODUCTION

The Laplace operator, harmonic polynomials and related separations of variables are of a great importance in classical analysis. They are closely related to the rotation group $`SO(N)`$ and its subgroups (see, for example, , chapter 10).

Harmonic polynomials are defined by the equation $`\mathrm{\Delta }p=0`$, where $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$ is the Laplace operator and $`p`$ belongs to the space $``$ of polynomials on the Euclidean space $`E_N^N`$. The space $``$ of all harmonic polynomials on $`E_N`$ decomposes as a direct sum of the subspaces $`_m`$ of homogeneous harmonic polynomials of degree $`m`$: $`=_{m=0}^{\mathrm{}}_m`$. The Laplace operator $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$ on the Euclidean space $`E_N`$ commutes with the natural action of the rotation group $`SO(N)`$ on this space. This means that the subspaces $`_m`$ are invariant with respect to $`SO(N)`$. The irreducible representation $`T_m`$ of the group $`SO(N)`$ with highest weight $`(m,0,\mathrm{},0)`$ is realized on $`_m`$.

The Laplace operator $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$ permits separation of variables on the space $`_m`$. In other words, there exist different coordinate systems (spherical, polyspherical) on $`E_N`$ and for each of them it is possible to find the corresponding basis of the space of solutions of the equation $`\mathrm{\Delta }p=0`$ consisting of products of functions depending on separated variables. To different coordinate systems there correspond different separations of variables. From the other side, to different coordinate systems there correspond different chains of subgroups of the group $`SO(N)`$ (see , chapter 10, for detail of this correspondence). The basis of the space $`_m`$ in separated variables (for a fixed coordinate system) consists of products of Jacobi polynomials multiplied by $`r^{2m}`$, where $`r`$ is the radius. These polynomials (considered only on the sphere $`S^{N1}`$) are matrix elements of the class 1 (with respect to the subgroup $`SO(N1)`$) irreducible representations $`T_m`$ of $`SO(N)`$ belonging to the zero column.

Many new directions of contemporary mathematical physics are related to quantum groups and noncommutative geometry. It is natural to generalize the theory described above to noncommutative spaces. Such generalizations can be of a great importance for further development of some branches of mathematical and theoretical physics related to noncommutative geometry.

The aim of this paper is to construct a $`q`$-deformation of some aspects of the classical theory described above. In the $`q`$-case, instead of the Euclidean space we have the quantum Euclidean space. It is defined in terms of the associative algebra $`𝒜`$ generated by the elements $`x_1,x_2,\mathrm{},x_N`$ satisfying the certain defining relations. These elements play a role of Cartesian coordinates of $`E_N`$.

The $`q`$-Laplace operator $`\mathrm{\Delta }_q`$ on $`𝒜`$ is defined in terms of $`q`$-derivatives (see formula (17) below). Instead of the group $`SO(N)`$ we have the quantum group $`SO_q(N)`$ or the corresponding quantum algebra $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$. In our exposition it is more convenient to deal with the algebra $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$. The $`q`$-harmonic polynomials on the quantum Euclidean space are defined as elements $`p`$ of $`𝒜`$ (that is, polynomials in quantum coordinates $`x_1,x_2,\mathrm{},x_N`$) for which $`\mathrm{\Delta }_qp=0`$. By using the algebra $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$ or the quantum group $`SO_q(N)`$ it is possible to construct for $`q`$-harmonic polynomials the theory similar to the theory for classical harmonic polynomials described above. Namely, we construct projectors $`𝖧_m:𝒜_m_m`$, where $`𝒜_m`$ and $`_m`$ are the subspaces of homogeneous (of degree $`m`$) polynomials in $`𝒜`$ and in the space $``$ of all $`q`$-harmonic polynomials from $`𝒜`$, respectively. Using these projectors we construct in $`_m`$ a $`q`$-analogue of associated spherical harmonics with respect to the quantum subgroup $`SO_q(N2)`$. They constitute an orthogonal basis of the space $`_m`$ corresponding to the chain of the quantum subgroups

$$SO_q(N)SO_q(N2)SO_q(N4)\mathrm{}SO_q(3)(\mathrm{or}SO_q(2)).$$

Here we obtain a $`q`$-analogue of the corresponding spherical separated coordinates. Our construction is similar to one used by us in  for the case of quantum complex vector space with the quantum unitary group $`U_q(N)`$ as a quantum motion group.

The operator $`\mathrm{\Delta }_q`$ and the operator $`\widehat{Q}`$ of multiplication by the squared $`q`$-radius together with the certain operator equivalent to operator of homogeneity degree on the sets of homogeneous polynomials generate the quantum algebra $`U_q(\mathrm{sl}_2)`$. Thus, the algebra $`U_q(\mathrm{sl}_2)\times U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$ acts on the space $`𝒜`$. We decompose this representation into irreducible ones. The pair $`(U_q(\mathrm{sl}_2),U_q(\mathrm{so}_N))`$ constitutes a dual pair of quantum algebras which is a $`q`$-analogue of the corresponding classical dual pair.

Our constructions use essentially the results of paper , where the operator $`\mathrm{\Delta }_q`$ and the spaces $`_m`$ were defined.

Everywhere below we suppose that $`q`$ is not a root of unity. We shall use two different definitions of $`q`$-numbers:

$$[a]=\frac{1q^a}{1q},[a]_q=\frac{q^aq^a}{qq^1}.$$

It is necessary to pay attention which of these definitions is used in each concrete case.

II. THE QUANTUM ALGEBRAS $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$ AND THE QUANTUM EUCLIDEAN SPACE

It is well known that the rotation group $`SO(N)`$ naturally acts on the $`N`$-dimensional Euclidean space $`E_N`$. All this machinery (the group $`SO(N)`$, the Euclidean space $`E_N`$, the action of $`SO(N)`$ on $`E_N`$, etc) can be quantized. As a result, we have a ”quantum” action of the quantum rotation group $`SO_q(N)`$ on the quantum Euclidean space (see ). The quantum Euclidean space $`E_q^N`$ is defined by means of the algebra of polynomials $`𝒜_q[x_1,x_2,\mathrm{},x_N]`$ in noncommutative elements $`x_1,x_2,\mathrm{},x_N`$ which are called quantum Cartesian coordinates (see  and ). The number $`N`$ can be even or odd and we represent it as $`N=2n`$ or $`N=2n+1`$, respectively. Moreover, for $`j=1,2,\mathrm{},N`$ we shall use the notation $`j^{}=Nj+1`$.

The algebra $`𝒜`$ is the associative algebra generated by elements $`x_1,x_2,\mathrm{},x_N`$ satisfying the defining relations

$$x_ix_j=qx_jx_i,i<j\mathrm{and}ij^{},$$
$`(1)`$
$$x_i^{}x_ix_ix_i^{}=\frac{qq^1}{q^{\rho _i1}+q^{\rho _i+1}}\underset{j=i+1}{\overset{(i+1)^{}}{}}x_jx_j^{}q^{\rho _j^{}},i<n,$$
$`(2)`$
$$x_n^{}x_nx_nx_n^{}=(q^{1/2}q^{1/2})x_{n+1}^2\mathrm{if}N=2n+1,$$
$`(3)`$
$$x_n^{}x_n=x_nx_n^{}\mathrm{if}N=2n,$$
$`(4)`$
where

$$(\rho _1,\mathrm{},\rho _{2n+1})=(n\frac{1}{2},n\frac{3}{2},\mathrm{},\frac{1}{2},0,\frac{1}{2},\mathrm{},n+\frac{1}{2})\mathrm{if}N=2n+1,$$

$$(\rho _1,\mathrm{},\rho _{2n})=(n1,n2,\mathrm{},1,0,0,1,\mathrm{},n+1)\mathrm{if}N=2n.$$

The set of monomials $`𝐱^\nu :=x_1^{\nu _1}x_2^{\nu _2}\mathrm{}x_N^{\nu _N}`$, $`\nu _i=0,1,2\mathrm{}`$, form a basis of the algebra $`𝒜`$ (see ).

The vector space of the algebra $`𝒜`$ can be represented as a direct sum of the vector subspaces $`𝒜_m`$ consisting of homogeneous polynomials of homogeneity degree $`m`$, $`m=0,1,2,\mathrm{}`$:

$$𝒜=\underset{m=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}𝒜_m.$$

A $``$-operation (that is, an involutive algebra anti-automorphism) can be defined on the algebra $`𝒜`$ turning it into a $``$-algebra. This $``$-operation is uniquely determined by the relations $`x_i^{}=q^{\rho _i^{}}x_i^{}`$, $`i=1,2,\mathrm{},N`$.

The quantum rotation group $`SO_q(N)`$ and the corresponding quantized universal enveloping algebra $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$ act on the algebra $`𝒜`$. These actions are determined by each other. It will be convenient for us to use the action of the algebra $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$. The last algebra is the Hopf algebra generated by the elements $`K_i,K_i^1,E_i,F_i`$, $`i=1,2,\mathrm{},n`$, satisfying the certain defining relations (see, for example, section 6.1.3 in ), where $`n`$ is an integral part of $`N/2`$. The algebra $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$ is supplied by the Hopf algebra operations. We adopt these operations determined in . The action of $`XU_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$ on an element $`a𝒜`$ will be denoted as $`X\mathrm{}a`$.

A $``$-operation can also be introduced on $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$ (see, for example, ) which determines the compact form of $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$. We denote this compact form by $`U_q(\mathrm{so}(N))`$. The action of $`U_q(\mathrm{so}(N))`$ on the $``$-algebra $`𝒜`$ is compatible with the $``$-action, that is, $`(Xa)^{}=S(X)^{}a^{}`$ for $`XU_q(\mathrm{so}(N))`$ and $`a𝒜`$, where $`S`$ is the antipode on $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$ (see ).

The action of $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$ on $`𝒜`$ is explicitly given in , Lemma 2.5. For $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_{2n+1})`$ and $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_{2n})`$, the action of elements $`E_k`$ and $`F_k`$, $`k=1,2,\mathrm{},n1`$, are determined as

$$E_k𝐱^\nu =[\nu _{k+1}]_qq^{\nu _k\nu _{k+1}+1}𝐱^{\nu +\epsilon _k\epsilon _{k+1}}[\nu _k^{}]_qq^{\nu _k\nu _{k+1}\nu _k^{}+\nu _{(k+1)^{}}+1}𝐱^{\nu +\epsilon _{(k+1)^{}}\epsilon _k^{}},$$

$$F_k𝐱^\nu =[\nu _k]_qq^{\nu _k+\nu _{k+1}\nu _{(k+1)^{}}+\nu _k^{}+1}𝐱^{\nu \epsilon _k+\epsilon _{k+1}}[\nu _{(k+1)^{}}]_qq^{\nu _{(k+1)^{}}+\nu _k^{}+1}𝐱^{\nu \epsilon _{(k+1)^{}}+\epsilon _k^{}}.$$

The action of elements $`E_n`$ and $`F_n`$ are given by the formulas

$$E_n𝐱^\nu =[\nu _{n+1}]q^{\nu _n\nu _{n+1}+3/2}𝐱^{\nu +\epsilon _n\epsilon _{n+1}}[\nu _{n+2}]_qq^{\nu _n\nu _{n+2}+1}𝐱^{\nu +\epsilon _{n+1}\epsilon _{n+2}},$$

$$F_n𝐱^\nu =[\nu _n]_qq^{\nu _n+\nu _{n+2}+1/2}𝐱^{\nu \epsilon _n+\epsilon _{n+1}}[\nu _{n+1}]q^{\nu _{n+1}+\nu _{n+2}+1}𝐱^{\nu \epsilon _{n+1}+\epsilon _{n+2}}$$

if $`N=2n+1`$ and by the formulas

$$E_n𝐱^\nu =[\nu _{n+1}]_qq^{\nu _{n1}\nu _{n+1}+1}𝐱^{\nu +\epsilon _{n1}\epsilon _{n+1}}[\nu _{n+2}]_qq^{\nu _{n1}+\nu _n2\nu _{n+1}\nu _{n+2}+1}𝐱^{\nu +\epsilon _n\epsilon _{n+2}},$$

$$F_n𝐱^\nu =[\nu _{n1}]_qq^{\nu _{n1}2\nu _n+\nu _{n+1}+\nu _{n+2}+1}𝐱^{\nu \epsilon _{n1}+\epsilon _{n+1}}[\nu _n]_qq^{\nu _n+\nu _{n+2}+1}𝐱^{\nu \epsilon _n+\epsilon _{n+2}}$$

if $`N=2n`$. In these formulas $`\epsilon _i`$ is the vector with $`i`$th coordinate equal to 1 and all others equal to 0.

The monomials $`𝐱^\nu `$ are weight vectors with respect to the action of $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$ on $`𝒜`$. We represent weights $`\lambda `$ in the well known orthogonal coordinate system, that is, as $`\lambda =\mu _1\epsilon _1+\mu _2\epsilon _2+\mathrm{}+\mu _n\epsilon _n`$ (in this system highest weights are given by the coordinates $`\mu _1,\mu _2,\mathrm{},\mu _n`$ such that $`\mu _1\mu _2\mathrm{}`$). The weight of the monomial $`𝐱^\nu `$ is

$$\lambda =(\nu _1\nu _1^{})\epsilon _1+(\nu _2\nu _2^{})\epsilon _2+\mathrm{}+(\nu _n\nu _n^{})\epsilon _n.$$

The action of the element $`K_i`$, $`i<n`$, on the monomial $`𝐱^\nu `$ is given by the formula

$$K_i𝐱^\nu =q^{(\nu _i\nu _i^{})(\nu _{i+1}\nu _{(i+1)^{}})}𝐱^\nu .$$

Moreover, in the algebra $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$ there exist elements $`\widehat{K}_i`$, $`i=1,2,\mathrm{},n`$, such that

$$\widehat{K}_i𝐱^\nu =q^{(\nu _i\nu _i^{})}𝐱^\nu .$$
$`(5)`$
A differential calculus is developed on the quantum Euclidean space which is determined by the $`R`$-matrix of the quantum algebra $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$. There exist different formulations for this differential calculus. We adopt the definition of the differential operators $`_i`$, $`i=1,2,\mathrm{},N`$, used in . These operators act on the monomials $`𝐱^\nu `$ as

$$_k𝐱^\nu =[\nu _k]_qq^{\nu _{k+1}+\mathrm{}+\nu _1^{}}𝐱^{\nu \epsilon _k},kn,$$
$`(6)`$
$$_{n+1}𝐱^\nu =[\nu _{n+1}]q^{\nu _n^{}+\mathrm{}+\nu _1^{}}𝐱^{\nu \epsilon _{n+1}},\mathrm{if}N=2n+1,$$

$$_k^{}𝐱^\nu =[\nu _k^{}]_qq^{\nu _k^{}+\nu _{(k1)^{}}\mathrm{}+\nu _1^{}}𝐱^{\nu \epsilon _k^{}}+$$

$$\underset{j=k+1}{\overset{n}{}}[\nu _j]_q[\nu _j^{}]_q(qq^1)q^{\rho _k\rho _j}q^{d_{kj}}𝐱^{\nu +\epsilon _k\epsilon _j\epsilon _j^{}}+$$

$$+[\nu _{n+1}1][\nu _{n+1}]\frac{qq^1}{1+q}q^{\rho _k+2}q^{e_k}𝐱^{\nu +\epsilon _k2\epsilon _{n+1}},kn,$$
$`(7)`$
where $`d_{kj}=\nu _k+\mathrm{}+\nu _{j1}+\nu _{(j1)^{}}+\mathrm{}+\nu _1^{}`$ and $`e_k=(\nu _k+\mathrm{}+\nu _1^{})2\nu _{n+1}`$. The last summand in (7) must be omitted for $`N=2n`$. The operators $`_i`$, $`i=1,2,\mathrm{},N`$, satisfy the relations

$$_i_j=q^1_j_ii<j,ij^{},$$
$`(8)`$
$$_i^{}_i_i_i^{}=\frac{qq^1}{q^{\rho _i1}+q^{\rho _i+1}}\underset{k=i+1}{\overset{(i+1)^{}}{}}_k_k^{}q^{\rho _k},i<n,$$
$`(9)`$
$$_n^{}_n_n_n^{}=(q^{1/2}q^{1/2})_{n+1}^2\mathrm{if}N=2n+1,$$
$`(10)`$
$$_n^{}_n=_n_n^{}\mathrm{if}N=2n.$$

The operators $`_k`$ and the operators $`\widehat{x}_i`$ of left multiplication by $`x_i`$ satisfy certain relations which can be represented by means of the quantum $`R`$-matrix of the algebra $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$. These relations are given in . We need the following ones:

$$_k\widehat{x}_k=\widehat{x}_k_kq^{\delta _{kk^{}}1}(qq^1)\underset{j<k}{}\widehat{x}_j_j+(qq^1)\sigma _kq^{2\rho _k^{}}\widehat{x}_k^{}_k^{}+c,k=1,2,\mathrm{}N,$$
$`(11)`$
$$_k\widehat{x}_j=\widehat{x}_j_k+(qq^1)\sigma _{kj}q^{\rho _j^{}\rho _k}\widehat{x}_k^{}_j^{},kj,j^{},$$
$`(12)`$
$$_k\widehat{x}_k^{}=q\widehat{x}_k^{}_k,kk^{},c\widehat{x}_k=q\widehat{x}_kc,c_k=q^1_kc,$$
$`(13)`$
where $`\sigma _k=1`$ if $`k>k^{}`$ and $`\sigma _k=0`$ otherwise, $`\sigma _{kj}=1`$ if $`k>j^{}`$ and $`\sigma _{kj}=0`$ otherwise, $`c`$ is the linear operator which acts on the monomials $`𝐱^\nu `$ as $`c𝐱^\nu =q^{\nu _1+\mathrm{}+\nu _1^{}}𝐱^\nu `$.

III. SQUARED $`q`$-RADIUS AND $`q`$-LAPLACE OPERATOR

The element

$$Q=\underset{i=1}{\overset{N}{}}q^{\rho _i^{}}x_ix_i^{}$$
$`(14)`$
of the algebra $`𝒜`$ is called the squared $`q`$-radius on the quantum Euclidean space. It is an important element in $`𝒜`$. It is shown in  that the center of $`𝒜`$ is generated by $`Q`$.

Using relations between the elements $`x_j`$ it is shown that

$$Q=(1+q^{N2})\left(\underset{i=1}{\overset{n}{}}q^{\rho _i^{}}x_ix_i^{}+\frac{q}{q+1}x_{n+1}^2\right)\mathrm{if}N=2n+1,$$

$$Q=(1+q^{N2})\underset{i=1}{\overset{n}{}}q^{\rho _i^{}}x_ix_i^{}\mathrm{if}N=2n.$$

We shall also use the elements

$$Q_j=\underset{i=j}{\overset{j^{}}{}}q^{\rho _i^{}}x_ix_i^{},1<jn,$$
$`(15)`$
which are squared $`q`$-radii for the subalgebras $`_q[x_j,\mathrm{},x_j^{}]`$. They satisfy the relations

$$Q_jQ_k=Q_kQ_j,x_ix_i^{}=q^{\rho _i}\left(\frac{Q_i}{1+q^{N2i}}\frac{Q_{i+1}}{1+q^{N2i2}}\right),1in,$$

$$x_iQ_j=q^2Q_jx_i,x_i^{}Q_j=q^2Q_jx_i^{}\mathrm{for}i<j,x_iQ_j=Q_jx_i\mathrm{for}jij^{}.$$

It can be checked by direct computation that

$$x_1^kx_1^{}^k=Q_{}^{}{}_{1}{}^{k}(Q_2^{}/Q_1^{};q^2)_k,$$
$`(16)`$
where $`Q_1^{}=q^{\rho _1^{}}Q_1/(1+q^{N2})`$, $`Q_2^{}=q^{\rho _1^{}}Q_2/(1+q^{N4})`$ and

$$(a;q)_s=(1a)(1aq)\mathrm{}(1aq^{s1}).$$

To the element (15) there corresponds the operator $`\widehat{Q}`$ on $`𝒜`$ defined as

$$\widehat{Q}=\underset{i=1}{\overset{N}{}}q^{\rho _i^{}}\widehat{x}_i\widehat{x}_i^{},$$

where $`\widehat{x}_i`$ is the operator of left multiplication by $`x_i`$. It is clear that $`\widehat{Q}:𝒜_m𝒜_{m+2}`$.

We also consider on $`𝒜`$ the operator

$$\mathrm{\Delta }_q=\underset{i=1}{\overset{N}{}}q^{\rho _i}_i_i^{}$$
$`(17)`$
which is called the $`q`$-Laplace operator on the quantum Euclidean space. We have $`\mathrm{\Delta }_q:𝒜_m𝒜_{m2}`$.

The important property of the operators $`\widehat{Q}`$ and $`\mathrm{\Delta }_q`$ is that they commute with the action of the algebra $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$ on $`𝒜`$ (see ).

The operators $`\widehat{Q}`$ and $`\mathrm{\Delta }_q`$ satisfy the relations

$$\mathrm{\Delta }_q\widehat{Q}^kq^{2k}\widehat{Q}^k\mathrm{\Delta }_q=\widehat{Q}^{k1}q^{N+3}[2k][N+2k+2\gamma 2]\frac{(1+q^{N2})^2}{(1+q)^2},$$
$`(18)`$
$$\mathrm{\Delta }_q(Q^k)=Q^{k1}q^{N+3}[2k][N+2k2]\frac{(1+q^{N2})^2}{(1+q)^2}$$
$`(19)`$
where $`\gamma `$ is the operator acting on the monomials $`𝐱^\nu `$ as $`\gamma 𝐱^\nu =(\nu _1+\mathrm{}+\nu _N)𝐱^\nu `$ (see ). We shall also use the following formula from :

$$\mathrm{\Delta }_q(𝐱^\nu )=(1+q^{N2})q^{\nu _1+\mathrm{}+\nu _1^{}1}\times $$

$$\times \left(\underset{j=1}{\overset{n}{}}[\nu _j]_q[\nu _j^{}]_qq^{\rho _j}q^d𝐱^{\nu \epsilon _j\epsilon _j^{}}+[\nu _{n+1}1][\nu _{n+1}]\frac{q^e}{1+q}𝐱^{\nu 2\epsilon _{n+1}}\right),$$
$`(20)`$
where $`d=\nu _1+\mathrm{}+\nu _{j1}+\nu _{(j1)^{}}+\mathrm{}+\nu _1^{}`$, $`e=\nu _1+\mathrm{}+\nu _1^{}2\nu _{n+1}+2`$, and the last summand must be omitted for $`N=2n`$.

IV. $`q`$-HARMONIC POLYNOMIALS

A polynomial $`p𝒜`$ is called $`q`$-harmonic if $`\mathrm{\Delta }_qp=0`$. The linear subspace of $`𝒜`$ consisting of all $`q`$-harmonic polynomials is denoted by $``$. If $`_m=𝒜_m`$, then $`_m`$ is the subspace of $``$ consisting of all homogeneous of degree $`m`$ harmonic polynomials.

Proposition 1 . If $`m2`$, then the space $`𝒜_m`$ can be represented as the direct sum

$$𝒜_m=_mQ𝒜_{m2}.$$
$`(21)`$
We shall need the following consequences of the decomposition (21):

Corollary 1. If $`p_m`$, then $`p`$ cannot be represented as $`p=Q^kp^{}`$, $`k0`$, with some polynomial $`p^{}𝒜`$.

Corollary 2. The space $`𝒜_m`$ decomposes into the direct sum $`𝒜_m=_{j=0}^{m/2}Q^j_{m2j}`$, where $`m/2`$ is the integral part of the number $`m/2`$.

Corollary 3. For dimension of the space of $`q`$-harmonic polynomials $`_m`$ we have the formula

$$\mathrm{dim}_m=\frac{(m+N3)!(2m+N2)}{(N2)!m!}.$$

Corollary 4. The linear space $``$ can be represented in the form of a direct sum

$$=\underset{m=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}_m.$$

Corollary 1 is a direct consequence of formula (21). Corollary 2 easily follows from repeated application of (21). Corollary 3 is proved in the same way as in the classical case (see, for example, , Chap. 10). For this we note that

$$dim𝒜_m=\frac{(N+m1)!}{(N1)!m!}.$$

Hence, for $`dim_m=dim𝒜_mdim𝒜_{m2}`$ we obtain the expression stated in the corollary. In order to prove Corollary 4 we note that any $`p`$ can be represented as $`p=_mp_m`$, $`p_m𝒜_m`$. We have $`\mathrm{\Delta }_qp=_m\mathrm{\Delta }_qp_m=0`$. Since $`\mathrm{\Delta }_qp_m`$, $`m=0,1,2,\mathrm{}`$, have different homogeneity degrees, it follows from the last equality that $`\mathrm{\Delta }_qp_m=0`$ for all values of $`m`$. Thus, $`=_{m=0}^{\mathrm{}}_m`$.

Remark: If $`n=2`$, then $`𝒜`$ consists of all polynomials in commuting elements $`x_1`$ and $`x_1^{}x_2`$. In this case, the space $``$ of $`q`$-harmonic polynomials has a basis consisting of the polynomials

$$1,x_1^k,x_1^{}^k,k=1,2,\mathrm{}.$$
$`(22)`$
Proposition 2. The linear space isomorphism $`𝒜[Q]`$ is true, where $`[Q]`$ is the space of all polynomials in $`Q`$.

This proposition follows from Corollary 2.

The decomposition $`𝒜[Q]`$ is a $`q`$-analogue of the theorem on separation of variables for Lie groups in an abstract form (see ). It follows from this decomposition that

$$𝒜[Q][Q]\underset{m0}{}_m=\underset{m0}{}\left([Q]_m\right).$$
$`(23)`$
Since the operator $`\mathrm{\Delta }_q`$ commutes with the action of the algebra $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_n)`$ the subspaces $`_m`$ are invariant with respect to the action of this algebra. It is proved in  that the irreducible representation $`T_m`$ of $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$ with highest weight $`(m,0,\mathrm{},0)`$ is realized on $`_m`$.

We denote by $`𝒜^{U_q(\mathrm{so}_r)}`$ the space of elements of $`𝒜`$ consisting of invariant elements with respect to the action of $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_r)`$. We have $`𝒜^{U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)}=[Q]`$ (see ). In what follows we shall consider the subalgebra $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_{N2})`$ generated by the elements $`H_i,E_i,F_i`$, $`i=2,3,\mathrm{},n`$.

Proposition 3. We have

$$𝒜^{U_q(\mathrm{so}_{N2})}\underset{k,l}{}[Q_2]x_1^kx_1^{}^l\underset{k,l}{}[Q]x_1^kx_1^{}^l.$$

Proof. In order to prove this proposition we note that for $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_{N2})`$-module $`𝒜`$ we have

$$𝒜=_q[x_1,x_2,\mathrm{},x_N]=\underset{k,l}{}_q[x_2,x_3,\mathrm{},x_{N1}]x_1^kx_N^l.$$

The action of $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_{N2})`$ on monomials $`x_1^kx_N^l`$ is trivial. Moreover, $`_q[x_2,x_3,\mathrm{},x_{N1}]^{U_q(\mathrm{so}_{N2})}=[Q_2]`$. Since $`Q=c_1Q_2+c_2x_1x_N`$, where $`c_1`$ and $`c_2`$ are constants, we have $`𝒜^{U_q(\mathrm{so}_{N2})}_{k,l}[Q_2]x_1^kx_N^l_{k,l}[Q]x_1^kx_N^l`$. Proposition is proved.

V. THE DUAL PAIR $`(U_q(\mathrm{sl}_2),U_q(\mathrm{so}_N))`$

The formulas

$$ke=q^2ek,kf=q^2fk,effe=\frac{kk^1}{qq^1}$$
$`(24)`$
determine the quantum algebra $`U_q(\mathrm{sl}_2)`$ generated by the elements $`k,k^1,e,f`$. Let $`(𝒜)`$ be the space of linear operators on the algebra $`𝒜`$. It was shown in  that the operators

$$\omega (k)=q^{N/2}q^\gamma ,\omega (e)=\widehat{Q},\omega (f)=\mathrm{\Delta }_qq^\gamma \frac{q^{N/2}}{(1+q^{N2})^2}$$
$`(25)`$
satisfy relations (24). This means that the algebra homomorphism $`\omega :U_q(\mathrm{sl}_2)(𝒜)`$, uniquely determined by formulas (25), is a representation of $`U_q(\mathrm{sl}_2)`$.

Since the operators $`\omega (k)`$, $`\omega (e)`$, $`\omega (f)`$ commute with the operators $`L(X)`$, $`XU_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$, we can introduce the representation $`\omega \times L`$ of the algebra $`U_q(\mathrm{sl}_2)\times U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$ on $`𝒜`$, where $`L`$ is the above defined natural action of $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$ on $`𝒜`$. This representation is reducible. Let us decompose it into irreducible constituents.

By (23), we have $`𝒜=_{m0}([Q]_m)`$. The subspaces $`[Q]_m`$ are invariant under $`U_q(\mathrm{sl}_2)\times U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$, since the space $`[Q]`$ is elementwise invariant under $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$, and for $`f[Q]`$ and $`h_m_m`$ we have

$$\omega (e)(f(Q)h_m)=Qf(Q)h_m,$$
$`(26)`$
$$\omega (f)(Q^rh_m)=[r]_q[r+m+(N/2)1]_qQ^{r1}h_m,$$
$`(27)`$
$$\omega (k)(Q^rh_m)=q^{2r+m+N/2}(Q^rh_m)$$
$`(28)`$
(we used formula (18) for obtaining (27)). These formulas show that $`U_q(\mathrm{sl}_2)`$ acts on $`[Q]`$ and $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$ acts on $`_m`$. However, this action of $`U_q(\mathrm{sl}_2)`$ depends on the component $`_m`$. Taking the basis

$$|r:=[r+m+(N/2)1]_q!^1Q^r,r=0,1,2,\mathrm{},$$

in the space $`[Q]`$, we find from (26)–(28) that

$$\omega (k)|r=q^{2r+m+N/2}|r\omega (f)|r=[r]_q|r1,$$

$$\omega (e)|r=[r+m+N/2]_q|r+1.$$

Comparing this representation with the known irreducible representations of $`U_q(\mathrm{sl}_2)`$ (see, for example, ) we derive that the irreducible representation of $`U_q(\mathrm{sl}_2)`$ of the discrete series with lowest weight $`m+N/2`$ is realized on the component $`[Q]`$ of the space $`[Q]_m`$. We denote this representation of $`U_q(\mathrm{sl}_2)`$ by $`D_{m+N/2}`$.

Thus, we have derived that on the subspace $`[Q]_m𝒜`$ the irreducible representation $`D_{m+N/2}\times T_m`$ of the algebra $`U_q(\mathrm{sl}_2)\times U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$ acts. This means that for the reducible representation $`\omega L`$ we have the following decomposition into irreducible components:

$$\omega \times L=\underset{m=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}D_{m+N/2}\times T_m,$$

that is, each irreducible representation of $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$ in this decomposition determines uniquely the corresponding irreducible representation of $`U_q(\mathrm{sl}_2)`$ and vise versa. This means that $`U_q(\mathrm{sl}_2)`$ and $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$ constitute a dual pair under the action on $`𝒜`$. It is a $`q`$-analogue of the well known classical dual pair $`(\mathrm{sl}_2,\mathrm{so}_N)`$ (see, for example, , Chapter 12).

VI. RESTRICTION OF $`q`$-HARMONIC POLYNOMIALS ONTO THE QUANTUM SPHERE

The associative algebra $`(S_q^{N1})`$ generated by the elements $`x_1,\mathrm{},x_N`$ satisfying the relations (1)–(3) and the relation $`Q=1`$ is called the algebra of functions on the quantum sphere $`S_q^{N1}`$ (see  and , Chap. 11). It is clear that the following canonical algebra isomorphism has place:

$$(S_q^{N1})𝒜/,$$

where $``$ is the two-sided ideal of $`𝒜`$ generated by the element $`Q1`$. We denote by $`\tau `$ the canonical algebra homomorphism

$$\tau :𝒜𝒜/(S_q^{N1}).$$

This homomorphism is called the restriction of polynomials of $`𝒜`$ onto the quantum sphere $`S_q^{N1}`$.

It was shown in  that $`\tau :(S_q^{N1})`$ is a one-to-one mapping, that is, the restriction of a $`q`$-harmonic polynomial to the sphere $`S_q^{N1}`$ determines this polynomial uniquely. This statement allows us to determine a scalar product on $``$. For this, we use the invariant functional $`h`$ on the quantum sphere $`S_q^{N1}`$ defined in . In order to give this functional we introduce the linear subspace $`(\tau 𝒜)^0`$ of $`(S_q^{N1})`$ spanned by the elements $`\tau 𝐱^\nu `$ such that

$$\nu _1=\nu _1^{},\mathrm{},\nu _n=\nu _n^{},\nu _{n+1}=2m,m=0,1,2,\mathrm{},$$

(for $`N=2n`$ the last condition must be omitted). The functional $`h`$ vanishes on the elements $`\tau 𝐱^\nu (\tau 𝒜)^0`$ and on the monomials $`\tau 𝐱^\nu (\tau 𝒜)^0`$ it is given by the formula

$$h(\tau 𝐱^\nu )=\frac{(q^2;q^2)_{\nu _1}\mathrm{}(q^2;q^2)_{\nu _n}(q^1;q^2)_m(1+q)^m}{q^{(\rho _1\nu _1+\mathrm{}+\rho _n\nu _n)+m}(1+q^{N2})^{\nu _1+\mathrm{}+\nu _n+m}(q^N;q^2)_{\nu _1+\mathrm{}+\nu _n+m}},$$

where, as before, $`m=0`$ for $`N=2n`$. The following assertions (similar to ones proved in  for the case of the quantum group $`U_q(N)`$) are true:

(a) The subalgebra $`(\tau 𝒜)^0`$ is a commutative algebra generated by $`Q_{n1}`$, $`Q_{n2},\mathrm{},Q_1`$ and also by $`x_{n+1}^2`$ if $`N=2n+1`$.

(b) The algebra $`(\tau 𝒜)^0`$ is isomorphic to the polynomial algebra in $`n1`$ commuting indeterminates if $`N=2n`$ and in $`n`$ commuting indeterminates if $`N=2n+1`$ .

A scalar product $`,`$ on $``$ is introduced by the formula:

$$p_1,p_2=h((\tau p_1)^{}(\tau p_2)),$$
$`(29)`$
where $`a^{}`$ determines an element conjugate to $`a𝒜`$ under action of the $``$-operation introduced in section 2.

Proposition 4. We have $`_m_r`$ if $`mr`$.

Proof follows from the fact that $`(\tau p_1)^{}(\tau p_2)(\tau 𝒜)^0`$ if $`p_1_m`$, $`p_2_r`$, and $`mr`$.

VII. THE PROJECTION $`𝒜_m_m`$

Let us go back to the decomposition (21) and construct the projector

$$𝖧_m:𝒜_m=_mQ𝒜_{m2}_m.$$

We present this projector in the form

$$𝖧_mp=\underset{k=0}{\overset{m/2}{}}\alpha _k\widehat{Q}^k\mathrm{\Delta }_q^kp,\alpha _k,p𝒜_m,$$
$`(30)`$
where $`m/2`$ is the integral part of the number $`m/2`$. Let us show that the summands on the right hand side are linearly independent at least for one nontrivial $`p𝒜_m`$ (in this case the coefficients $`\alpha _k`$ are determined uniquely up to a common constant). Let $`p=x_{n+1}^m`$ if $`N=2n+1`$. Using formula (20) we derive that

$$\mathrm{\Delta }_q^k(x_{n+1}^m)=q^k\left(\frac{1+q^{N2}}{1+q}\right)^k\frac{[m]!}{[m2k]!}x_{n+1}^{m2k},2km,$$
$`(31)`$
where $`[m]!=[1][2]\mathrm{}[m]`$. Then the right hand side of (30) is a linear combination of the elements $`Q^kx_{n+1}^{m2k}`$, $`k=1,2,\mathrm{},m/2`$. It is easy to see that these elements are linearly independent. If $`N=2n`$, then instead of $`p=x_{n+1}^m`$ we take $`p=x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}`$ and make the same reasoning (see these calculation in the next section).

We have to calculate values of the coefficients $`\alpha _k`$ in (30). In order to do this, we act by the operator $`\mathrm{\Delta }_q`$ upon both sides of (30) and use the relation (18). Under this action, the left hand side vanishes. Equating the right hand side to 0 and taking into account that the elements $`\widehat{Q}^k\mathrm{\Delta }_q^{k+1}p`$, $`k=1,2,\mathrm{},m/2`$, are linearly independent for generic elements $`p𝒜_m`$ , we derive the recurrence relation

$$q^{N2k+5}\frac{(1+q^{N2})^2}{(1+q)^2}[2k][N+2m2k2]\alpha _k+\alpha _{k1}=0$$

for $`\alpha _k`$ which gives

$$\alpha _k=(1)^kq^{(N4)k+k^2}\frac{(1+q)^{2k}}{(1+q^{N2})^{2k}}\frac{[N+2m2k4]!!}{[2k]!![N+2m4]!!},$$

where $`[s]!!=[s][s2][s4]\mathrm{}[2](\mathrm{or}[1])`$ for $`s0`$ and $`[0]!!=1`$. Using the relations

$$[2k]!!=\frac{(q^2;q^2)_k}{(1q)^k},\frac{[N+2m2k4]!!}{[N+2m4]!!}=\frac{(1q)^k}{(q^{N+2m2k2};q^2)_k},$$

$$(q^{N+2m2k2};q^2)_k=(q^{N2m+4};q^2)_kq^{2kk(k1)}(q^{N+2m2})^k,$$

we derive that

$$\alpha _k=\frac{q^{2k^22mkk}(1q^2)^{2k}}{(1+q^{N2})^{2k}(q^{N2m+4};q^2)_k(q^2;q^2)_k}.$$
$`(32)`$
Note that the coefficients $`\alpha _k`$ are determined by the recurrence relation uniquely up to a common constant. In (30) we have chosen this constant in such a way that $`𝖧_mp=p`$ for $`p_m`$. This means that $`𝖧_m^2=𝖧_m`$.

Proposition 5. The operator $`𝖧_m`$ commutes with the action of $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$.

Proof. This assertion follows from the fact that the action of $`XU_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$ commutes with $`\widehat{Q}`$ and $`\mathrm{\Delta }_q`$. Proposition is proved.

The operator $`𝖧_m`$ can be used for obtaining explicit forms of $`q`$-harmonic polynomials. As an example, we derive here formulas for harmonic projection of the polynomial $`x_{n+1}^m𝒜_m`$ when $`N=2n+1`$. For this we use formula (31) for $`\mathrm{\Delta }_q^k(x_{n+1}^m)`$. Since

$$\frac{[m]!}{[m2k]!}=\frac{(q^{m2k+2};q^2)_k(q^{m2k+1};q^2)_k}{(1q)^{2k}}.$$

$$(q^{m2k+2};q^2)_k=(1)^kq^{mkk(k1)}(q^m;q^2)_k,$$

$$(q^{m2k+1};q^2)_k=(1)^kq^{mkk^2}(q^{m+1};q^2)_k$$

we derive that

$$\mathrm{\Delta }_q^k(x_{n+1}^m)=\left(\frac{1+q^{N2}}{1+q}\right)^k\frac{q^{2mk2k^2+2k}}{(1q)^{2k}}(q^m;q^2)_k(q^{m+1};q^2)_kx_{n+1}^{m2k}.$$

Using the expression (30) for $`𝖧_mx_{n+1}^m`$ and formula (32) for coefficients $`\alpha _k`$ we obtain

$$𝖧_mx_{n+1}^m=x_{n+1}^m\underset{k=0}{\overset{m/2}{}}\frac{(q^m;q^2)_k(q^{m+1};q^2)_k}{(q^2;q^2)_k(q^{N2m+4};q^2)_k}(aQx_{n+1}^2)^k,$$
$`(33)`$
where

$$a=\frac{q(1+q)}{1+q^{N2}}.$$

Note that we used $`x_{n+1}^2`$ in (33). However, since there exists the multiplier $`x_{n+1}^m`$ before the sign of sum, negative powers of $`x_{n+1}`$ in fact are absent.

The expression (33) for $`𝖧_mx_{n+1}^m`$ can be represented in terms of the basic hypergeometric function $`{}_{2}{}^{}\varphi _{1}^{}`$ (see  for the definition of this function):

$$𝖧_mx_{n+1}^m=x_{n+1}^m{}_{2}{}^{}\varphi _{1}^{}(q^m,q^{m+1};q^{N2m+4}:q^2,aQx_{n+1}^2).$$

Using the definition

$$P_k^{(\alpha ,\beta )}(x;q)={}_{2}{}^{}\varphi _{1}^{}(q^k,q^{\alpha +\beta +k+1};q^{\alpha +1};q,qx)$$

of the little $`q`$-Jacobi polynomials we can represent $`𝖧_mx_{n+1}^m`$ in the form

$$𝖧_mx_{n+1}^m=x_{n+1}^mP_{m/2}^{(\frac{N}{2}+m+1,\frac{N3}{2})}\left(\frac{1+q}{q(1+q^{N2})}Qx_{n+1}^2\right)$$

if $`m`$ is even and in the form

$$𝖧_mx_{n+1}^m=x_{n+1}^mP_{(m1)/2}^{(\frac{N}{2}+m+1,\frac{N3}{2})}\left(\frac{1+q}{q(1+q^{N2})}Qx_{n+1}^2\right)$$

if $`m`$ is odd.

Up to a constant the restriction of the expression for $`𝖧_mx_{n+1}^m`$ to $`S_q^{N1}`$ was found (by other method: as a zonal spherical function with respect to a certain ideal) in . It was expressed in term of the big $`q`$-Jacobi polynomials which in fact are the basic hypergeometric functions $`{}_{3}{}^{}\phi _{2}^{}`$ of the argument $`q`$. Thus, we found another expression for these zonal spherical functions.

VIII. ZONAL POLYNOMIALS WITH RESPECT TO $`SO_q(N2)`$

A polynomial $`\phi `$ of the space $`_m`$ is called zonal with respect to the quantum subgroup $`SO_q(N2)`$ (or with respect to the subalgebra $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_{N2})`$) if it is invariant with respect to action of elements $`XU_q(\mathrm{so}_{N2})`$. In order to find zonal polynomials $`\phi _m`$ we have to take polynomials $`p𝒜_m`$ invariant with respect to the subalgebra $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_{N2})`$ and to act on them by the projection $`𝖧_m`$.

It follows from Proposition 3 that in the space $`𝒜_m`$ there exist $`m+1`$ elements which are $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_{N2})`$-invariant and linearly independent over $`[Q]`$. They coincide with $`x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}`$, $`m_1+m_1^{}=m`$. Therefore, $`𝖧_m(x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}})`$, $`m_1+m_1^{}=m`$, are zonal polynomials with respect to $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_{N2})`$. Let us find explicit form of these polynomials.

Using formula (20) we find that

$$\mathrm{\Delta }_q^k(x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}})=(1+q^{N2})^kq^{(mk)k}q^{(nϵ)k}\frac{[m_1]_q![m_1^{}]_q!}{[m_1k]_q![m_1^{}k]_q!}x_1^{m_1k}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}k},$$
$`(34)`$
where $`ϵ=1`$ for $`N=2n`$ and $`ϵ=\frac{1}{2}`$ for $`N=2n+1`$. Since

$$\frac{[m_1]_q!}{[m_1k]_q!}=q^{(2m_1k+1)k/2}\frac{(q^{2m_1};q^2)_k}{(qq^1)^k},$$

we have

$$\mathrm{\Delta }_q^k(x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}})=(1+q^{N2})^kq^{2(mk)k}q^{(n+3+ϵ)k}\frac{(q^{2m_1};q^2)_k(q^{2m_1^{}};q^2)_k}{(1q^2)^{2k}}x_1^{m_1k}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}k}.$$

Now using formulas (30) and (32) we derive that

$$\phi _{m_1m_1^{}}^m𝖧_m(x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}})=\underset{k=0}{\overset{\mathrm{min}(m_1,m_1^{})}{}}C_{m_1m_1^{}}^kQ^kx_1^{m_1k}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}k},$$
$`(35)`$
where

$$C_{m_1m_1^{}}^k=\frac{(q^{2m_1};q^2)_k(q^{2m_1^{}};q^2)_k}{(q^2;q^2)_k(q^{N2m+4};q^2)_k}\frac{q^{(n+2+ϵ)k}}{(1+q^{N2})^k}.$$
$`(36)`$
Using formula (16) the polynomials $`\phi _{m_1m_1^{}}^m`$ can be represented as

$$\phi _{m_1m_1^{}}^m=x_1^{m_1m_1^{}}\underset{k=0}{\overset{m_1^{}}{}}C_{m_1m_1^{}}^kQ^kQ_{}^{}{}_{}{}^{k}(Q_2^{}/Q^{};q^2)_{m^{}k}$$
$`(35^{})`$
if $`m_1m_1^{}`$ and as

$$\phi _{m_1m_1^{}}^m=\left(\underset{k=0}{\overset{m_1}{}}C_{m_1m_1^{}}^kQ^kQ_{}^{}{}_{}{}^{k}(Q_2^{}/Q^{};q^2)_{m^{}k}\right)x_1^{}^{m_1^{}m_1}$$
$`(35^{\prime \prime })`$
if $`m_1^{}m_1`$, where $`Q^{}Q_1^{}`$ and $`Q_2^{}`$ are such as in (16).

Theorem 1. The zonal polynomials $`\phi _{m_1m_1^{}}^m`$, $`m_1+m_1^{}=m`$, of $`_m`$ are orthogonal with respect to the scalar product introduced in section VI. These polynomials constitute a full set of zonal polynomials in the space $`_m`$

Proof. We have $`\widehat{K}_1(x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}})=q^{m_1m_1^{}}(x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}})`$, that is, the monomials $`x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}`$, $`m_1+m_1^{}=m`$, are eigenfunctions of the operator defined by the action of $`\widehat{K}_1`$ on $`𝒜`$ which belong to different eigenvalues. Since the projection $`𝖧_m:𝒜_m_m`$ commutes with the action of $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$, then $`\widehat{K}_1\phi _{m_1m_1^{}}^m=q^{m_1m_1^{}}\phi _{m_1m_1^{}}^m`$. The scalar product of section VI is defined in terms of the invariant functional, that is, this scalar product is invariant with respect to the action of $`\widehat{K}_i`$, $`i=1,2,\mathrm{},n`$. Since the zonal polynomials $`\phi _{m_1m_1^{}}^m`$, $`m_1+m_1^{}=m`$, belong to different eigenvalues of $`\widehat{K}_1`$, they are orthogonal. Theorem is proved.

It is possible to define zonal polynomials of the space $`_m`$ with respect to the subalgebra $`A:=U_q(\mathrm{so}_2)\times U_q(\mathrm{so}_{N2})`$, where $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_2)`$ is the subalgebra of $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)`$ generated by the element $`\widehat{K}_1`$. Then the following assertions are true.

Theorem 2. The subspace of zonal polynomials of the space $`_m`$ with respect to the subalgebra $`A`$ is not more than one-dimensional. The space $`_m`$ contains a zonal polynomial if and only if $`m`$ is even. This zonal polynomial coincides with the polynomial $`\phi _{m/2,m/2}^m`$ given by formula (35).

Proof easily follows from the above results.

IX. ASSOCIATED SPHERICAL POLYNOMIALS WITH RESPECT TO $`SO_q(N2)`$

The aim of this section is to construct an orthogonal basis of the space $`_m`$ of homogeneous $`q`$-harmonic polynomials which corresponds to the chain

$$U_q(\mathrm{so}_N)U_q(\mathrm{so}_{N2})\mathrm{}U_q(\mathrm{so}_3)(\mathrm{or}U_q(\mathrm{so}_2)).$$

This basis is a $`q`$-analogue of the set of associated spherical harmonics on the classical Euclidean space which are products of Jacobi polynomials and correspond to the chain of the subgroups $`SO(N)SO(2)\times SO(N2)\mathrm{}`$ (see , Chap. 10). The basis elements give solutions of the equation $`\mathrm{\Delta }_qp=0`$ in ”separated coordinates”. So, we obtain a $`q`$-analogue of the classical separation of variables.

Let us note that

$$\mathrm{\Delta }_q\mathrm{\Delta }_q^{(N)}=\underset{j=1}{\overset{N}{}}q^{\rho _j}_j_j^{}=(q^{\rho _1}_1_1^{}+q^{\rho _1^{}}_1^{}_1)+\mathrm{\Delta }_q^{(N2)},$$
$`(37)`$
where $`\mathrm{\Delta }_q^{(N2)}`$ is the $`q`$-Laplace operator on the subspace $`𝒜^{(N2)}_q[x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{}]`$. We also have from (9) that

$$_1^{}_1_1_1^{}=\frac{qq^1}{q^{\rho _11}+q^{\rho _1+1}}\mathrm{\Delta }_q^{(N2)}.$$
$`(38)`$
Let $`p(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})`$ be a polynomial of $`𝒜`$ which does not depend on $`x_1`$ and $`x_1^{}x_N`$. Then it is easy to see from (6) that $`_1p(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})=0`$.

Lemma 1. Let $`p(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})𝒜`$ and $`\mathrm{\Delta }_q^{(N2)}p=0`$. Then $`_1^{}p=0`$ and $`\mathrm{\Delta }_qp=0`$.

Proof. Let $`p(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})`$ is harmonic with respect to $`\mathrm{\Delta }_q^{(N2)}`$, that is $`\mathrm{\Delta }_q^{(N2)}p=0`$. Then due to (38) we have $`_1_1^{}p=0`$, and $`\mathrm{\Delta }_qp=0`$ by (37). From formula (7) for $`_1^{}`$, it follows that $`_1^{}p=x_1p^{}(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})`$, where $`p^{}(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})`$ is a polynomial in $`x_2,x_3,\mathrm{},x_2^{}`$. Let us show that from $`_1_1^{}p=0`$ the equality $`_1^{}p=0`$ follows. Indeed, due to (6) we have $`0=_1_1^{}p=_1x_1p^{}=\stackrel{~}{p}(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})`$, where $`\stackrel{~}{p}(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})`$ is some polynomial in $`x_2,x_3,\mathrm{},x_2^{}`$ which is a linear combination (with nonvanishing coefficients) of the same monomials as $`p^{}`$ does. Moreover, if $`p^{}0`$ then $`\stackrel{~}{p}0`$. Since $`\stackrel{~}{p}=0`$ then $`p^{}=0`$ and we have $`_1^{}p=x_1p^{}(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})=0`$. It proves the lemma.

Lemma 2. If $`p(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})𝒜`$, then

$$\mathrm{\Delta }_q^{(N2)}(x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}p(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{}))=x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}\mathrm{\Delta }_q^{(N2)}p(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{}).$$
$`(39)`$
If $`p(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})`$ is $`\mathrm{\Delta }_q^{(N2)}`$-harmonic, then

$$\mathrm{\Delta }_q(x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}p(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{}))=(q^{\rho _1}+q^{\rho _1})_1^{}_1x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}p(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{}).$$
$`(40)`$
Proof. Since $`_1\widehat{x}_1^{}=q\widehat{x}_1^{}_1`$, $`_2\widehat{x}_1=\widehat{x}_1_2`$, $`_1p(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})=0`$, and

$$_2\widehat{x}_1^{}=\widehat{x}_1^{}_2+(qq^1)q^{\rho _1\rho _2}\widehat{x}_2^{}_1$$

(see formulas (11)-(13)) we obtain

$$_2(x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}p(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{}))=\widehat{x}_1^{m_1}_2(x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}p(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{}))$$

$$=\widehat{x}_1^{m_1}(\widehat{x}_1^{}_2+(qq^1)q^{\rho _1\rho _2}\widehat{x}_2^{}_1)x_1^{}^{m_1^{}1}p(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})$$

$$=\widehat{x}_1^{m_1}\widehat{x}_1^{}^{m_1^{}}_2p(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{}).$$

Analogously, using relation (12) we derive that

$$_2^{}(x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}p(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{}))=\widehat{x}_1^{m_1}_2^{}(x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}p(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{}))$$

$$=\widehat{x}_1^{m_1}(\widehat{x}_1^{}_2^{}+(qq^1)q^{\rho _1\rho _2^{}}\widehat{x}_2_1)(x_1^{}^{m_1^{}1}p(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{}))$$

$$=\widehat{x}_1^{m_1}\widehat{x}_1^{}^{m_1^{}}_2^{}p(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{}).$$

We have the same results when $`_2`$ and $`_2^{}`$ are replaced by $`_i`$ and $`_i^{}`$, $`i=3,4,\mathrm{}`$. This leads to the relation (39). If $`p`$ is $`\mathrm{\Delta }_q^{(N2)}`$-harmonic, then it follows from (38) that $`(_1^{}_1_1_1^{})x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}p(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})=0`$. From here and from (37) we derive that

$$\mathrm{\Delta }_q(x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}p)=(q^{\rho _1}_1_1^{}+q^{\rho _1^{}}_1^{}_1)(x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}p)=(q^{\rho _1}+q^{\rho _1^{}})_1^{}_1(x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}p)$$

and the relation (40) is proved. Lemma is proved.

Proposition 6. Let $`hh(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})`$ be a $`\mathrm{\Delta }_q^{(N2)}`$-harmonic polynomial of degree $`l`$. Then

$$\mathrm{\Delta }_q(x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}h)=(q^{\rho _1}+q^{\rho _1})[m_1]_q[m_1^{}]_qq^{m_1+m_1^{}1}x_1^{m_11}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}1}h.$$
$`(41)`$
Proof. Using (40) and then (1), (6), (13), we derive that

$$\mathrm{\Delta }_q(x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}h(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{}))=(q^{\rho _1}+q^{\rho _1})[m_1]_qq^{m_1^{}+m_1+l1}x_1^{m_11}_1^{}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}h(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{}).$$
$`(42)`$
By (11) we have for $`_1^{}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}h`$ the expression

$$_1^{}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}h(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})=(q^1x_1^{}_1^{}(qq^1)\underset{j<N}{}\widehat{x}_j_j$$

$$+(qq^1)\widehat{x}_1_1q^{2\rho _1}+c)x_1^{}^{m_1^{}1}h(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})$$

$$=\left(q\widehat{x}_1^{}_1^{}(qq^1)E+q^{m_1^{}1+l}\right)x_1^{}^{m_1^{}1}h(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{}),$$
$`(43)`$
where $`E=_{k=1}^N\widehat{x}_k_k`$. It is proved by using the relation between $`\widehat{x}_i`$ and $`_j`$ that

$$E\widehat{x}_k=q^1\widehat{x}_kE+\frac{qq^1}{1+q^{N2}}q^{N\rho _k2}\widehat{Q}_k^{}+\widehat{x}_kc$$

(see also , Proposition 2.9). Then

$$E(x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}h(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{}))=(q^1\widehat{x}_1^{}E+x_1^{}q^{l+m_1^{}1})x_1^{}^{m_1^{}1}h(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})$$

$$=(q^{l+m_1^{}1}+q^{l+m_1^{}3}+\mathrm{}+q^{lm_1^{}+1})x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}h(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})+q^{m_1^{}}\widehat{x}_1^{}^{m_1^{}}Eh(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{}).$$

By direct calculation it is proved that

$$E=\frac{cc^1}{qq^1}+\frac{qq^1}{(1+q^{N2})^2}q^{N1}\widehat{Q}\mathrm{\Delta }_qc^1$$

(see also ). Since $`h_l`$, then $`Eh=[l]_qh`$. Now we have for $`E\widehat{x}_1^{}^{m_1^{}}h`$ the expression

$$E(x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}h(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{}))=(q^l[m_1^{}]_q+q^{m_1^{}}[l]_q)x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}h(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})=[m_1^{}+l]_qx_1^{}^{m_1^{}}h(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{}).$$

Therefore, returning to (43) we obtain

$$_1^{}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}h(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})=\left(q\widehat{x}_1^{}_1^{}+q^{m_1^{}1+l}(qq^1)[m_1^{}1+l]_q\right)x_1^{}^{m_1^{}1}h(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})$$

$$=(q\widehat{x}_1^{}_1^{}+q^{m_1^{}l+1})x_1^{}^{m_1^{}1}h(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{}).$$

Applying this relation for $`x_1^{}^{m_1^{}1}h`$, $`x_1^{}^{m_1^{}2}h,\mathrm{},x_1^{}h`$ and Lemma 1 we receive

$$_1^{}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}h(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})=(q^{1m_1^{}l}+q^{1m_1^{}l+2}+\mathrm{})x_1^{}^{m_1^{}1}h(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})$$

$$+q^{m_1^{}}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}_1^{}h(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{})=q^l[m_1^{}]_qx_1^{}^{m_1^{}1}h(x_2,\mathrm{},x_2^{}).$$

Now using (42) we derive (41). Proposition is proved.

Let $`h_l_l^{(N2)}`$, where $`_l^{(N2)}`$ is the space of $`\mathrm{\Delta }_q^{(N2)}`$-harmonic polynomials in $`x_2,x_3,\mathrm{},x_2^{}`$. Then $`x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}h_l𝒜_m`$, $`m=m_1+m_1^{}+l`$. Using formula (41), in the same way as in the case of formula (34), we find that

$$\mathrm{\Delta }_q^k(x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}h_l)=(1+q^{N2})^kq^{(m_1+m_1^{}k)k}q^{(nϵ)k}\frac{[m_1]_q![m_1^{}]_q!}{[m_1k]_q![m_1^{}k]_q!}x_1^{m_1k}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}k}h_l,$$
$`(44)`$
where $`ϵ=1`$ for $`N=2n`$ and $`ϵ=\frac{1}{2}`$ for $`N=2n+1`$. Now using formulas (30) and (32) we derive that

$$𝖧_m(x_1^{m_1}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}}h_l)=t_{m_1m_1^{}}^{N,m}h_l,$$
$`(45)`$
where

$$t_{m_1m_1^{}}^{N,m}=\underset{k=0}{\overset{\mathrm{min}(m_1,m_1^{})}{}}C_{m_1m_1^{}}^{m,k}Q^kx_1^{m_1k}x_1^{}^{m_1^{}k},$$
$`(46)`$
$$C_{m_1m_1^{}}^{m,k}=\frac{(q^{2m_1};q^2)_k(q^{2m_1^{}};q^2)_k}{(q^2;q^2)_k(q^{N2m+4};q^2)_k}\frac{q^{(n+ϵ2l+2)k}}{(1+q^{N2})^k}.$$

By means of formula (16) the polynomials $`t_{m_1m_1^{}}^{N,m}`$ can be represented in the form similar to (35) and (35<sup>′′</sup>).

Proposition 7. The space $`_m`$ can be represented as the orthogonal sum

$$_m=\underset{m_1,m_1^{}}{}t_{m_1m_1^{}}^{N,m}_{mm_1m_1^{}}^{(N2)},$$
$`(47)`$
where $`_{mm_1m_1^{}}^{(N2)}`$ is the space of $`\mathrm{\Delta }_q^{(N2)}`$-harmonic polynomials in $`x_2,x_3,\mathrm{},x_2^{}`$ and summation is over all nonnegative values of $`m_1`$ and $`m_1^{}`$ such that $`mm_1m_1^{}0`$.

Proof. The subspaces $`t_{m_1m_1^{}}^{N,m}_{mm_1m_1^{}}^{(N2)}`$ from (47) do not pairwise intersect and elements from different subspaces are linearly independent. Therefore, on the right hand side of (47) we have a direct sum. Besides, we have $`_m_{m_1,m_1^{}}t_{m_1m_1^{}}^{N,m}_{mm_1m_1^{}}^{(N2)}`$. By direct computation (by using Corollary 3) we show that dimensions of spaces on both sides of (47) are equal to each other. Now in order to prove our proposition we have to show that the sum on the right hand side is orthogonal.

It is easy to prove that the subspaces on the right hand side of (47) are eigenspaces of operators $`\widehat{K}_i`$, $`in`$, from formula (5) belonging to different eigenvalues. As in the proof of Theorem 1 it follows from here that the sum (47) is orthogonal. Proposition is proved.

Now we apply the decomposition (47) to the subspaces $`_{mm_1m_1^{}}^{(N2)}`$ and obtain

$$_m=\underset{m_1,m_1^{}}{}\underset{m_2,m_2^{}}{}t_{m_1m_1^{}}^{N,m}t_{m_2m_2^{}}^{N2,l}_{lm_2m_2^{}}^{(N4)},l=mm_1m_1^{},$$

where $`_{lm_2m_2^{}}^{(N4)}`$ are the subspaces of homogeneous $`q`$-harmonic polynomials in $`x_3,x_4,\mathrm{},x_3^{}`$. Continuing such decompositions we obtain the decomposition

$$_m=\underset{𝐦,𝐦^{},k}{}\mathrm{\Xi }_{𝐦,𝐦^{},k}(x_1,\mathrm{},x_1^{})$$
$`(48)`$
if $`N=2n`$ and the decomposition

$$_m=\underset{𝐦,𝐦^{},\sigma }{}\mathrm{\Xi }_{𝐦,𝐦^{},\sigma }(x_1,\mathrm{},x_1^{})$$
$`(49)`$
if $`N=2n+1`$, where $`𝐦=(m_1,m_2,\mathrm{},m_{n1})`$, $`𝐦^{}=(m_1^{},m_2^{},\mathrm{},m_{n1}^{})`$ in the first case, $`𝐦=(m_1,m_2,\mathrm{},m_n)`$, $`𝐦^{}=(m_1^{},m_2^{},\mathrm{},m_n^{})`$ in the second case and $`m_j`$ are nonnegative integers, $`k`$ take integral values, and $`\sigma =0`$ or 1. The basis $`q`$-harmonic polynomials $`\mathrm{\Xi }_{𝐦,𝐦^{},k}(x_1,\mathrm{},x_1^{})`$ of $`_m`$ are given by the formula

$$\mathrm{\Xi }_{𝐦,𝐦^{},k}(x_1,\mathrm{},x_1^{})=t_{m_1m_1^{}}^{N,m}t_{m_2m_2^{}}^{N2,mm_1m_1^{}}\mathrm{}t_{m_{n1}m_{n1}^{}}^{4,m_{i=1}^{n2}m_i_{i=1}^{n2}m_i^{}}t^{2,k}$$
$`(50)`$
if $`N=2n`$ and by the formula

$$\mathrm{\Xi }_{𝐦,𝐦^{},\sigma }(x_1,\mathrm{},x_1^{})=t_{m_1m_1^{}}^{N,m}t_{m_2m_2^{}}^{N2,mm_1m_1^{}}\mathrm{}t_{m_nm_n^{}}^{3,m_{i=1}^{n1}m_i_{i=1}^{n1}m_i^{}}x_{n+1}^\sigma $$
$`(51)`$
if $`N=2n+1`$. In (50), $`t^{2,k}=x_n^k`$ if $`k>0`$, $`t^{2,k}=1`$ if $`k=0`$, and $`t^{2,k}=x_n^{}^k`$ if $`k<0`$. Note that the integers $`k`$, $`\sigma `$, $`𝐦=(m_1,m_2,\mathrm{})`$ and $`𝐦^{}=(m_1^{},m_2^{},\mathrm{})`$ take such values that

$$m_1+m_1^{}+m_2+m_2^{}+\mathrm{}+m_{n1}+m_{n1}^{}+k=m$$
$`(52)`$
for $`N=2n`$ and

$$m_1+m_1^{}+m_2+m_2^{}+\mathrm{}+m_n+m_n^{}+\sigma =m$$
$`(53)`$
for $`N=2n+1`$. Besides, conditions like the condition $`mm_1m_1^{}0`$ of Proposition 7 must be fulfilled on each step.

Theorem 3. If $`N=2n`$ then the polynomials (50) for which the equality (52) is satisfied constitute an orthogonal basis of the space $`_m`$. If $`N=2n+1`$ then the polynomials (51) for which the equality (53) is satisfied constitute an orthogonal basis of the space $`_m`$.

Proof. The fact that the polynomials (50) for $`N=2n`$ and the polynomials (51) for $`N=2n+1`$ constitute a basis of $`_m`$ was proved above. Orthogonality of basis elements is proved in the same method as in Theorem 1. Theorem is proved.

It is interesting to have explicit formulas how the generators $`K_i,E_i,F_i`$ of $`U_q(\mathrm{so}_n)`$ act on the basis elements of Theorem 3. However, derivation of these formulas are very awkward and the formulas are not simple. We shall consider them in a separate paper.


format: text

text:
# Advances in String Theory in Curved Backgrounds : A Synthesis Report

## 1 Multistring Solutions: A new feature for strings in curved backgrounds

The discovery of the multistring property   in the propagation of strings in curved spacetimes is the consequence of several developments :
(i) The classical string equations of motion plus the string constraints were shown to be exactly integrable in D-dimensional De Sitter spacetime and equivalent to a sinh-Gordon model with a Hamiltonian unbounded from below . Generalization of this result including the Cosh-Gordon and Liouville equations, for strings and multistrings in constant curvature spacetimes have been given in ref .
(ii)  Exact  string solutions were systematically found by soliton methods using the linear system associated to the problem (the so-called dressing method in soliton theory) . In particular, exact circular string solutions were found in terms of elementary  and elliptic functions .
(iii) All these solutions describe one string, several strings or even an infinite number of different and independent strings. A single world-sheet simultaneously describes  many  different strings. This new feature appears as a consequence of the coupling of the strings with the spacetime geometry. Here, interaction among the strings (like splitting and merging) is neglected, the only interaction is with the curved background.
Different types of behaviour appear in the multistring solutions. For some of them the energy and proper size are bounded (“stable strings”) while for many others the energy and proper size blow up for large radius of the universe (“unstable strings”).
In all these works, strings are test objects propagating on the given fixed backgrounds. The string energy momentum tensor was computed and the string equation of state derived from the string dynamics in cosmological and black hole spacetimes. Strings obey the perfect fluid relation

$$p=(\gamma 1)\rho $$

with three different behaviours :
(i) Unstable for large R, with negative pressure;
(ii) Dual for small R, with positive pressure, (as radiation);
(iii) Stable for large R, with vanishing pressure, (as cold matter).
We find the back reaction effect of these strings on the spacetime . This is achieved by considering selfconsistently the strings as matter sources for the Einstein equations, as well as for the complete effective string equations, for cosmological spacetimes at the classical level. The selfconsistent solution of the Einstein-Friedman equations for string dominated universes exhibits the realistic matter dominated behaviour for large times and the radiation dominated behaviour for early times. That is, the standard cosmological evolution is well generated by strings. It must be noticed that there is no satisfactory derivation of inflation in the context of the effective string equations. De Sitter universe does not emerge as solution of the effective string equations. The effective string action (whatever be the dilaton, its potential and the central charge term) is not the appropriate framework in which to address the question of string driven inflation.
More recently, , new classes of exact multistring solutions were found. The multistring solutions were classified and their physical properties described.
In Anti de Sitter spacetime, the solutions describe an infinity number of infinitely long stationary strings of equal energy but different pressures. In De Sitter spacetime, outside the horizon, they describe infinitely many dynamical strings, infalling non radially, scattering at the horizon and going back to spatial infinity in different directions. For special values of the constant of motion, there are families of solutions with selected finite numbers of different and independent strings. The strings appear distributed in packets, the number of strings in each packet, the number of “turns” or “festoons” in each string is precisely determined and solely dictated by the dynamics, exactly solved in terms of elliptic functions.
In Black hole spacetimes, (without cosmological constant) no multistring solutions are found . In the Schwarzschild black hole, inside the horizon, the string infalls, with indefinitely growing size and energy, into the r=0 singularity and the string motion stops there.
In the (2+1)- black hole anti-de Sitter background, the string stops at r=0 with finite length ; the reason being that the point r=0 is not a strong curvature singularity in the (2+1)-black hole anti- de Sitter spacetime. Outside the horizon, in this spacetime, the multistring solution describes infinitely many, infinitely long open strings.

## 2 The String Mass Spectrum in the presence of Cosmological Constant

The string mass spectrum in the presence of a cosmological constant (for both de Sitter and Anti de Sitter spacetimes) was found in ref., . New features as compared to the string spectrum in flat spacetime appear, as a fine structure effect (splitting of levels) at all the states beyond the graviton, (in both de Sitter (dS) and AntideSitter (AdS) spacetimes), and the absence of a critical Hagedorn temperature in AdS spacetime (the partition function for a gas of strings in AdS spacetime is well defined for all temperature).
The presence of a cosmological constant reduces (although do not totally removes) the degeneracy of states as compared with flat Minkowski spacetime. In AdS spacetime, the density of states $`\rho `$(m) grows like $`\mathrm{exp}`$\[($`\mathrm{\Lambda }`$ m)$`^{\frac{1}{2}}`$\], (while, as is known, in Minkowski spacetime, $`\rho `$(m) grows like the Exponential of the mass m).
The high mass spectrum changes drastically with respect to flat Minkowski spacetime. The level spacing grows with the eigenvalue of the number operator, N, in AdS spacetime, while is approximatively constant (although smaller than in Minkowski spacetime and slightly decreasing) in dS spacetime.
There is an infinite number of states with arbitrarily high mass in AdS space time, while in dS there is a finite number of oscillating states only.
The string mass has been expressed in terms of the Casimir operator C = Lμν Lμν of the O(3,1) De Sitter group \[O(2,2) group in Anti deSitter . See also section 3 below.

## 3 Spatial Curvature Effects

The effects of the spatial curvature on the classical and quantum string dynamics is studied in ref.. The general solution of the circular string motion in static Robertson-Walker spacetimes with closed or open sections has been found . This is given closely and completely in terms of elliptic functions.
The back reaction effect of these strings on the spacetime is found : the self-consistent solution to the Einstein equations is a spatially closed (K$`>`$0) spacetime with a selected value of the curvature index K, K = (G/$`\alpha `$’)$`^{\frac{2}{3}}`$ (the scale factor is normalized to unity). No self-consistent solutions with K$`<`$0 exist.
We semiclassically quantize the circular strings and find the mass m in each case. For K$`>`$0, the very massive strings, oscillating on the full hypersphere, have

$$𝐦^2\mathrm{𝐊𝐍}^\mathrm{𝟐},(𝐍ϵ𝐍_0)$$

independent of $`\alpha `$’ and the level spacing grows with n, while the strings oscillating on one hemisphere (without crossing the equator) have

$$𝐦^2\alpha ^{}𝐍$$

and a finite number of states N $``$ 1/(K$`\alpha `$’).
For K $`<`$0, there are infinitely many strings states with masses

$$𝐦\mathrm{log}𝐦𝐍,$$

that is the level spacing grows slower than N.
The stationary string solutions as well as the generic string fluctuations around the center of mass are also found and analyzed in closed form.

## 4 Classical String Splitting

We find exact solutions of the string equations of motion and constraints describing the classical splitting of a string into two . For the same Cauchy data, the strings which split have smaller action that the string without splitting. This phenomenon is already present in flat space- time. The splitting process takes place in real (lorentzian signature spacetime).
The solutions in which the string splits are perfectly natural within the classical theory of strings. There is no need of extra interactions, (nor extra terms in the action to produce splitting). The difference with the non splitting solutions is on the boundary conditions.
The mass, energy and momentum carried out by the strings are computed. We show that the splitting solution describes a natural decay process of one string of mass M into two strings with a smaller total mass and some kinetic energy. The standard non-splitting solution is contained as a particular case.
We also described the splitting of a closed string in the background of a singular gravitational plane wave, and showed how the presence of the strong gravitational field increases (and amplifies by an overall factor) the negative difference between the action of the splitting and non-splitting solutions.

## 5 General String Evolution in Constant Curvature Space-Times

In ref. , we have found that the fundamental quadratic form of the classical string propagation in (2+1)-dimensional constant curvature spacetimes, solves the sinh-Gordon equation, the cosh-Gordon equation, or the Liouville equation. In both de Sitter and anti-de Sitter spacetimes, (as well as in the 2+1 black hole anti-de Sitter spacetime), all three equations must be included to cover the generic string dynamics. This is particularly enlightening since generic properties of the string evolution can be thus directly extracted from the properties of these three equations and their associated Hamiltonians or potentials, irrespective of any solution.
These results complete and generalize our previous results on this topic since (until now, only the sinh-Gordon sector in de Sitter spacetime was known).
We also construct new classes of multistring solutions, in terms of elliptic functions, to all three equations in both de Sitter and anti de Sitter spacetimes, which generalize our previous ones.
These results can be straighforwardly generalized to constant curvature spacetimes of arbitrary dimension, by replacing the sinh-Gordon equation, the cosh-Gordon equation, and the Liouville equation by their higher dimensional generalizations.
Our results indicate the existence of various kinds of dualities relating the different sectors and their solutions in de Sitter and anti-de Sitter spacetimes : in the sinh-Gordon sector of de Sitter spacetime, small strings are dual (that is, under S $``$ 1/S, S being the proper string size, they are mapped to large strings). And, similarly, in the sinh-Gordon sector of anti-de Sitter spacetime. Furthermore, in the cosh-Gordon sector, small (large) strings in de Sitter spacetime are dual to large (small) strings in the anti-de Sitter spacetime.

## 6 Conformal Invariance Effects

Classical and quantum strings in the conformally invariant background corresponding to the $`SL(2R)`$ WZWN model has been studied in ref . This background is locally anti-de Sitter spacetime with non-vanishing torsion. Conformal invariance is expressed as the torsion being parallelizing; and the precise effect of the conformal invariance on the dynamics of both circular and generic classical strings has been extracted .
In particular, the conformal invariance gives rise to a repulsive interaction of the string with the background which precisely cancels the dominant attractive term arising from gravity.
We perform both semi-classical and canonical string quantization, in order to see the effect of the conformal invariance of the background on the string mass spectrum. Both approaches yield that the high-mass states are governed by

$$mHN(NN_0,N\mathrm{`}\mathrm{`}\mathrm{large}^{\prime \prime }),$$

where m is the string mass and H is the Hubble constant.
It follows that the level spacing grows proportionally to N :

$$\frac{d(m^2\alpha ^{^{}})}{dN}N,$$

while the string entropy goes like

$$S\sqrt{m}.$$

Moreover, it follows that there is no Hagedorn temperature, so that the partition function is well defined for any positive temperature.
All results are compared with the analogue results in anti-de Sitter spacetime, which is a nonconformal invariant background.
It appears that conformal invariance simplifies the mathematics of the problem but the physics remains mainly unchanged. Differences between conformal and non-conformal backgrounds only appear in the intermediate region of the string mass spectrum, but these differences are minor. For low and high masses, the string mass spectra in conformal and non-conformal backgrounds are identical.
Interestingly enough, conformal invariance fixes the value of the spacetime curvature to be $`69/(26\alpha ^{^{}})`$.
It has been known for some time that the SL(2,R) WZWN model reduces to Liouville theory. In ref  we give a direct and physical derivation of this result based on the classical string equations of motion and the proper string size. This allows us to extract precisely the physical effects of the metric and antisymmetric tensor, respectively, on the exact string dynamics in the SL(2,R) background. Also the general solution to the proper string size has been found .
We show that the antisymmetric tensor (corresponding to conformal invariance) generally gives rise to repulsion, and it precisely cancels the dominant attractive term arising from the metric. Both the sinh-Gordon and the cosh-Gordon sectors of the string dynamics in non-conformally invariant AdS spacetime reduce here to the Liouville equation (with different signs of the potential), while the original Liouville sector reduces to the free wave equation.
Only the very large classical string size is affected by the torsion. Medium and small size string behaviors are unchanged.
We also find illustrative classes of string solutions in the SL(2,R) background: dynamical closed as well as stationary open spiralling strings, for which the effect of torsion is somewhat like the effect of rotation in the metric. Similarly, the string solutions in the 2+1 BH-AdS background with torsion and angular momentum are fully analyzed .

## 7 Strings on plane waves and shock waves. The falling of strings on space-time singularities and its spectrum

In ref. , we studied the dynamics of strings near spacetime singularities.
We considered plane fronted gravitational-wave backgrounds with a singularity of the type $`|U|^\beta `$, $`U`$ being a null coordinate. The case with a $`\delta (U)`$ shock-wave singularity turns out to be similar to the $`\beta `$ = 1 case.
New features in the string behavior appear : when $`\beta `$ 2, the string does not propagate through the gravitational wave and it escapes to infinity grazing the singularity plane $`U`$ = 0; one tranverse coordinate does not oscillate in time (neither classically nor quantum mechanically) and the tunnel effect does not take place.
The expectation value of the mass squared $`M_>^2`$ and mode number $`N_>`$ operators and of the energy-momentum tensor are computed. When the transverse size ($`\rho _0`$) of the gravitational- wave front is infinite, divergences in $`M_>^2`$ and $`N_>`$ appear for $`1\beta <2`$ and 3/2 $`\beta <2`$, respectively.
The short-distance spacetime singularity at $`U`$ = 0 is not responsible for these divergences, but the infinite amount of energy carried by the gravitational wave when $`\rho _0=\mathrm{}`$.
In summary, the propagation of strings through these singular spacetimes is proven to be physically meaningful for $`\beta `$ 2 and $`\beta <`$ 1. And this is also the case for 1 $`\beta <`$ 2.
In conclusion, test strings do propagate consistently in singular plane wave space-times and in shock-wave space-times. We recall that the Klein-Gordon equation (for a point particle) is ill defined in this geometry, whereas the string equations are well behaved , . Analogous conclusions hold for quantum strings in the Schwarzschild geometry where a regular behavior was found at the horizon and at the $`r`$ = 0 singularity . That is, strings feel the space-time singularities much less than point particles.
Furthermore, we would not be surprised by the presence of space-time singularities in string theory as long as one sticks to a geometry description using a metric tensor $`G_{AB}(X)`$ (in spite of the fact that it fulfills the string-corrected Einstein equations). We do not expect that a space-time description in terms of a Riemannian manifold with local coordinates $`X^A`$ will be meaningful at the Planck scale.
In ref.  we fully investigated at the quantum level the nonlinear transformation relating the string operators (zero modes and oscillators) and Fock space states before and after the collision with gravitational shock waves. This throws light on the r$`\widehat{\mathrm{o}}`$le of the space-time geometry in this problem. The treatement was done for a general shock wave space-time of any localized source. We computed the exact expectation values of the total number (N) and mass (M2) operators and show that they are finite.
We study the energy-momentum tensor of the string and compute the exact expectation values of all its components. We analyze vacuum polarization and quadratic fluctuations. All these physical magnitudes are finite.
We express all these quantities in terms of exact integral representations in which the role of the real pole singularities characteristic of the tree level string spectrum (real mass resonances) are clearly exhibited. The presence of such poles is not at all related to the structure of the space-time geometry (which may or may not be singular). Claims on the divergences of the mass $`M^2`$ and total number $`N`$ on these backgrounds(G.T.Horowitz and A.R. Steiff, Phys. Rev. Lett. 64, 260 (1990), Phys. Rev. D42, 1950 (1990)) totally overlocked this problem.

## 8 Minimal String Driven Cosmology and its Predictions

In refs. ,  we constructed a minimal model for the Universe evolution fully extracted from effective String Theory.
By linking this model to a minimal but well established observational information, we proved that it gives realistic predictions on early and current energy density and its results are compatible with General Relativity.
Interestingly enough, this model predicts the current energy density Omega=1 and a lower limit Omega larger or equal 4/9. On the other hand, the energy density at the exit of inflationary stage is also predicted $`\mathrm{Omega}_{\mathrm{infl}}`$ = 1.
This result shows agreement with General Relativity (spatially flat metric gives critical energy density) within an unequivalent Non-Eistenian context (string low energy effective equations).
The order of magnitude of the energy density-dilaton coupled term at the beginning of radiation dominated stage agrees with GUT scale.
Whithout solving the known problems about higher order corrections and graceful exit of inflation, we find this model closer to the observational Universe properties than the current available string cosmology scenarii.
At a more fundamental level, this model is by its construction close to the standard cosmological evolution, and it is driven selfconsistently by the evolution of the string equation of state itself.
The inflationary String Driven stage is able to reach an enough amount of inflation, describing a Big Bang like evolution for the metric.

## 9 The Primordial Gravitational Wave Background in String Cosmology

In ref. we found the spectrum P(w)dw of the gravitational wave background produced in the early universe in string theory.
We work in the framework of String Driven Cosmology, whose scale factors are computed with the low-energy effective string equations as well as selfconsistent solutions of General Relativity with a gas of strings as source.
The scale factor evolution is described by an early string driven inflationary stage with an instantaneous transition to a radiation dominated stage and successive matter dominated stage. This is an expanding string cosmology always running on positive proper cosmic time.
A careful treatment of the scale factor evolution and involved transitions is made. A full prediction of the power spectrum of gravitational waves without any free-parameters is given.
We study and show explicitly the effect of the dilaton field, characteristic to this kind of cosmologies.
We compute the spectrum for the same evolution description with three differents approachs.
Some features of gravitational wave spectra, as peaks and asymptotic behaviours, are found direct consequences of the dilaton involved and not only of the scale factor evolution.

## 10 Non-Singular String-Cosmologies From Exact Conformal Field Theories

In ref.  we constructed non-singular two and three dimensional string cosmologies using the exact conformal field theories corresponding to SO(2,1)/SO(1,1) and SO(2,2)/SO(2,1) coset models.
All semi-classical curvature singularities are canceled in the exact theories for both of these cosets, but some new curvature singularities emerge in the quantum models.
However, considering different patches of the global manifolds, allows the construction of non-singular spacetimes with cosmological interpretation.
In both, two and three dimensions, we constructed non-singular oscillating cosmologies, non-singular expanding and inflationary cosmologies including a de Sitter (exponential) stage with positive scalar curvature. Non-singular contracting and deflationary cosmologies were also constructed.
We analyse these cosmologies in detail with respect to the behaviour of the scale factors, the scalar curvature and the string-coupling.
The sign of the scalar curvature turns out to be changed by the quantum corrections in oscillating cosmologies and evolves with time in the non-oscillating cases.
Similarities between the two and three dimensional cases suggest a general picture for higher dimensional coset cosmologies :
(i) Anisotropy seems to be a generic unavoidable feature,
(ii) cosmological singularities are generically avoided and
(iii) it is possible to construct non-singular cosmologies where some spatial dimensions are experiencing inflation while the others experience deflation.
De Sitter stage can be achieved asymptotically at early times or late times, but there is not a conformal coset model of this type describing a de Sitter background globally.

## 11 Quantum Field Theory, String Temperature and the String Phase of De Sitter Spacetime

The density of mass levels $`\rho `$(m) and the critical temperature for strings in de Sitter space-time were found in ref. .
Quantum Field Theory (QFT) and string theory in de Sitter space have been compared in refs.  and .
A ’Dual’-transform is introduced which relates classical to quantum string lengths, and more generally, QFT and string domains.
Interestingly, the string temperature in De Sitter space turns out to be the Dual transform of the QFT-Hawking-Gibbons temperature.
The quantum back reaction problem for strings in de Sitter space is addressed selfconsistently in the framework of the ’string analogue’ model (or thermodynamical approach), which is well suited to combine QFT and string studies , , .
We find de Sitter space-time is a self-consistent solution of the semiclassical Einstein equations in this framework. Two branches for the scalar curvature R(±) show up : a classical, low curvature solution (-), and a quantum high curvature solution (+), entirely sustained by the strings.
There is a maximal value for the curvature Rmax due to the string back reaction.
Interestingly, our Dual relation manifests itself in the back reaction solutions : the (-) branch is a classical phase for the geometry with intrinsic temperature given by the QFT-Hawking-Gibbons temperature.
The (+) is a stringy phase for the geometry with temperature given by the intrinsic string de Sitter temperature.
2 + 1 dimensions are considered, but conclusions hold generically in D dimensions.

## 12 Hawking Radiation in String Theory and the String Phase of Black Holes

The quantum string emission by Black Holes is computed in the framework of the ’string analogue model’ (or thermodynamical approach), which is well suited to combine QFT and string theory in curved backgrounds (particulary here, as black holes and strings posses intrinsic thermal features and temperatures).
The QFT-Hawking temperature TH is upper bounded by the string temperature TS in the black hole background.
The black hole emission spectrum is an incomplete gamma function of ( TH \- TS).
For T$`{}_{\mathrm{H}}{}^{}`$ TS, the spectrum yields the QFT-Hawking emission.
For TH near to TS, it shows highly massive string states dominate the emission and undergo a typical string phase transition to a microscopic ’minimal’ black hole of mass Mmin or radius rmin (inversely proportional to TS) and string temperature TS.
The semiclassical QFT black hole (of mass M and temperature TH) and the string black hole (of mass Mmin and temperature TS) are mapped one into another by a ’Dual’ transform which links semi classical-QFT and quantum string regimes.
The string back reaction effect (selfconsistent black hole solution of the semiclassical Einstein equations with mass M+ (radius r+) and temperature T+) is computed.
Both, the QFT and string black hole regimes are well defined and bounded: r$`{}_{\mathrm{min}}{}^{}`$ r$`{}_{+}{}^{}`$ rS, M$`{}_{\mathrm{min}}{}^{}`$ M$`{}_{+}{}^{}`$ MS, T$`{}_{\mathrm{min}}{}^{}`$ T$`{}_{+}{}^{}`$ TS.
The string ’minimal’ black hole has a life time $`\tau _{\mathrm{min}}`$ = (K/Gh) TS -3.

## 13 New Dual Relation between Quantum Field Theory Regime and String Regime in Curved Backgrounds

In ref. we introduced a R “Dual” transform which relates Quantum Field Theory and Quantum String regimes, both in a curved background.
This operation maps the characteristic length of one regime into the other and, as a consequence, maps mass domains as well.
The Hawking-Gibbons temperature and the string maximal or critical temperature are dual of each other.
If back reaction of quantum matter is included, Quantum Field and Quantum String phases appear, and duality relations between them manifest as well.
This Duality is shown in two relevant examples : Black Hole and de Sitter space times, and appears to be a generic feature, analogous to the “wave-particle” duality.

## 14 New Coherent String States and Minimal Uncertainty Principle in String Theory.

We study the properties of exact (all level k) quantum coherent states in the context of string theory on a group manifold (WZWN models).
Coherent states of WZWN models may help to solve the unitary problem : Having positive norm, they consistently describe the very massive string states (otherwise excluded by the spin-level condition).
These states can be constructed by (at least) two alternative procedures : (i) as the exponential of the creation operator on the ground state, and (ii) as eigenstates of the annhilation operator. In the $`k\mathrm{}`$ limit, all the known properties of ordinary coherent states of Quantum Mechanics are recovered.
States (i) and (ii) (which are equivalent in the context of ordinary quantum mechanics and string theory in flat spacetime) are not equivalent in the context of WZWN models.
The set (i) was constructed by Larsen and Sanchez in ref. . The construction of states (ii) was provided in ref.  by the same authors. We compare the two sets and discuss their properties.
We analyze the uncertainty relation, and show that states (ii) satisfy automatically the minimal uncertainty condition for any k; they are thus quasiclassical, in some sense more classical than states (i) which only satisfy it in the $`k\mathrm{}`$ limit.
The modification to the Heisenberg relation is given by $`2/k`$, where $``$ is connected to the string energy.