## Irreducible Highest Weight Vectors

Let $G$ be an affine, connected, reductive group and $X$ a $G$-module. Choose a maximal torus $T\subseteq G$, a Borel $B\subseteq G$ containing $T$ and let $U$ be the unipotent radical of $B$. Denote by the character group of $T$. Let $\Lambda\subseteq\mathbb{X}$ be the set of dominant weights of $G$ with respect to these choices. We can decompose the graded coordinate ring $\mathbb{C}[X]=\bigoplus_{\lambda\in\Lambda} V_{(\lambda)}$ into its isotypic components $V_{(\lambda)}$ of weight $\lambda$. Let $\Lambda_X=\{ \lambda\in\Lambda \mid V_{(\lambda)}\ne\{0\}\}$ be the set of weights that occur in $\mathbb{C}[X]$. Let $V_{(\lambda)}\cong V_\lambda^{\oplus n_\lambda}$, where $V_\lambda$ is the irreducible module of highest weight $\lambda$. Each $V_\lambda$ has a highest weight vector which is unique up to scaling - let $f_{\lambda 1}, \ldots, f_{\lambda n_\lambda}\in V_{(\lambda)}$ be linearly independent highest weight vectors. Claim. *For each $1\le k\le n_\lambda$, if the function $f:=f_{\lambda k}\in\mathbb{C}[X]$ is reducible, then there exist weights $\lambda_1,\ldots,\lambda_r\in\Lambda_X$ such that $\lambda$ is an $\mathbb N$-linear combination of the $\lambda_i$.* Indeed, about a year ago this statement was completely unclear to me. However, it's actually not that hard to see and I felt like sharing my proof. (more…)

## Python to Batch!

Nikolai asked me how to open a Python interpreter prompt from the console with a certain module already imported. For the record, the Python command line switches tell us that python -i -m module is the way to start the prompt and load module.py. That made me wonder whether I can stuff it all into one batch file, and I came up with the following test.bat:
REM = '''
@COPY %0.bat %0.py
@python %0.py
@DEL %0.py
@goto :eof ::'''
del REM
for k in range(70):
print(k)

That script will ignore the first line because it is a comment, then copy itself to test.py, then launch python with this argument. Afterwards, test.py is deleted and the script terminates without looking at any of the following lines. Note that :: is yet another way to comment in Batch. Python, however, will see a script where the variable REM is defined as a multi-line string and deleted right after that. After this little stub, you can put any python code you want. Well. I thought it was funky.

## Vector Bundles vs Locally Free Sheaves

I wrote a little text that outlines why vector bundles and locally free sheaves are the same thing. This approach is very messy with a lot of gluing, mostly because I did not look at Exercise II.5.18 in Hartshorne right away. The construction given there is much more canonical and preferable over mine. However, I decided to put this online simply because it is different and personally, it gave me a better feeling for why the two notions coincide.