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Let $\mathfrak {g}$ be a Lie bialgebra. Then $\mathfrak {g}^{\ast}$ is also a Lie bialgebra which is dual to $\mathfrak {g}.$ Let the brackets on $\mathfrak {g}$ and $\mathfrak {g}^{\ast}$ be denoted by $b$ and $b'$ respectively. Then how to define the coadjoint action of $\mathfrak {g}^{\ast}$ on $\mathfrak {g}\ $? I am familiar with the coadjoint action of $\mathfrak {g}$ on $\mathfrak {g}^{\ast}$ which is defined as follows $:$

Given $x \in \mathfrak {g}$ we define $ad_{b}^{\ast} (x) = (ad_{b} (-x))^{\ast}.$ In terms of the pairing $(\cdot, \cdot)$ between $\mathfrak {g}$ and $\mathfrak {g}^{\ast}$ coadjoint action takes the following form $:$

$$\left (ad_{b}^{\ast} (x) (\alpha), y \right ) = \left (\alpha, -ad_{b} (x) (y) \right ) = - \alpha (b(x,y)).$$ Now how to define coadjoint action of $\mathfrak {g}^{\ast}$ on $\mathfrak {g}\ $? In one of the books on Poisson structures I have come across that it is being defined in terms of the pairing $(\cdot, \cdot)$ as follows $:$ $$\left (b' (\xi, \eta) , x \right ) = - \left (\eta, ad_{b'}^{\ast} (\xi) (x) \right ).$$ Now $ad_{b'} (\xi) \in \text {End} (\mathfrak {g}^{\ast \ast}).$ Then how can it act upon $x \in \mathfrak {g}\ $?

I am clueless at this stage. Any help in this regard would be warmly appreciated.

Thanks for your time.

ACB
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  • $\mathfrak{g}^{\ast \ast}$ is canonically isomorphic to $\mathfrak{g}$ (I assume $\mathfrak{g}$ is finite-dimensional here). – Qiaochu Yuan Jan 30 '23 at 21:10
  • @QiaochuYuan$:$ That means if $\varphi : \mathfrak {g} \longrightarrow \mathfrak {g}^{\ast \ast}$ is the canonical isomorphism given by $x \mapsto (f \mapsto f(x))$ then do you mean that $$\text {ad}{b'}^{\ast} (\xi) = \varphi^{-1} \circ \left (\text {ad}{b'} (-\xi) \right )^{\ast} \circ \varphi\ ?$$ – ACB Jan 31 '23 at 15:47
  • @QiaochuYuan$:$ I think that I got it now. – ACB Jan 31 '23 at 16:17

1 Answers1

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As @Qiaochu Yuan pointed out it turns out that $$\text {ad}_{b'}^{\ast} (\xi) = \varphi^{-1} \circ \left (\text {ad}_{b'} (-\xi) \right )^{\ast} \circ \varphi$$ where $\varphi : \mathfrak {g} \longrightarrow \mathfrak {g}^{\ast \ast}$ is the canonical isomorphism given by $\varphi (x) (f) = f(x)$ for all $x \in \mathfrak {g}$ and $f \in \mathfrak {g}^{\ast}.$ Now let us compute $\left (\eta, \text {ad}_{b'}^{\ast} (\xi) (x) \right ).$ We have $$\begin{align*} \left (\eta, \text {ad}_{b'}^{\ast} (\xi) (x) \right ) & = \eta \left (\text {ad}_{b'}^{\ast} (\xi) (x) \right ) \\ & = \eta \left (\varphi^{-1} \left (\varphi (x) \circ \text {ad}_{b'} (-\xi) \right ) \right ) \end{align*}$$

Now $\varphi (x) \circ \text {ad}_{b'} (-\xi) \in \mathfrak {g}^{\ast \ast}.$ Since $\varphi$ is an isomorphism (in particular, onto) there exists $y \in \mathfrak {g}$ such that $\varphi (y) = \varphi (x) \circ \text {ad}_{b'} (-\xi).$ So we have $$\begin{align*} \left (\eta, \text {ad}_{b'}^{\ast} (\xi) (x) \right ) & = \eta (y) \\ & = \varphi (y) (\eta) \\ & = \left (\varphi (x) \circ \text {ad}_{b'} (-\xi) \right ) (\eta) \\ & = \varphi (x) (b'(-\xi, \eta)) \\ & = - b'(\xi, \eta) (x) \\ & = - (b'(\xi, \eta), x) \end{align*}$$ as required.

ACB
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  • @Qiaochu Yuan$:$ Please have a look at my answer. I think this is what you meant to say. – ACB Feb 01 '23 at 05:23