Vertex operators for imaginary $\mathfrak{gl}_2$ subalgebras in the Monster Lie Algebra

Abstract

The Monster Lie algebra $\mathfrak m$ is a quotient of the physical space of the vertex algebra $V=V^\natural\otimes V_{1,1}$, where $V^\natural$ is the Moonshine module vertex operator algebra of Frenkel, Lepowsky, and Meurman, and $V_{1,1}$ is the vertex algebra corresponding to the rank 2 even unimodular lattice $\textrm{II}_{1,1}$. We construct vertex algebra elements that project to bases for subalgebras of $\mathfrak m$ isomorphic to $\mathfrak{gl}_{2}$, corresponding to each imaginary simple root, denoted $(1,j)$ for $j>0$. Our method requires the existence of pairs of primary vectors in $V^{\natural}$ satisfying some natural conditions, which we prove. We show that the action of the Monster finite simple group $\mathbb{M}$ on the subspace of primary vectors in $V^\natural$ induces an $\mathbb{M}$-action on the set of $\mathfrak{gl}_2$ subalgebras corresponding to a fixed imaginary simple root. We use the generating function for dimensions of subspaces of primary vectors of $V^\natural$ to prove that this action is non-trivial for small values of $j$.