A proof of the first Kac-Weisfeiler conjecture in large characteristics

Abstract

In 1971, Kac and Weisfeiler made two influential conjectures describing the dimensions of simple modules of a restricted Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$. The first predicts the maximal dimension of simple $\mathfrak{g}$-modules and in this paper we apply the Lefschetz principle and classical techniques from Lie theory to prove this conjecture for all restricted Lie subalgebras of $\mathfrak{gl}_n(k)$ whenever $k$ is an algebraically closed field of characteristic $p \gg n$. As a consequence we deduce that the conjecture holds for the the Lie algebra of a group scheme when specialised to an algebraically closed field of almost any characteristic. In the appendix to this paper, written by Akaki Tikaradze, a short proof of the first Kac--Weisfeiler conjecture is given for the Lie algebra of group scheme over a finitely generated ring $R \subseteq \mathbb{C}$, after base change to a field of large positive characteristic.