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Idempotent structure of Clifford algebras

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Abstract

Spinor spaces can be represented as minimal left ideals of Clifford algebras and they are generated by primitive idempotents. Primitive idempotents of the Clifford algebras R p, q are shown to be products of mutually nonannihilating commuting idempotent % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXafv3ySLgzGmvETj2BSbqefm0B1jxALjhiov2D% aebbfv3ySLgzGueE0jxyaibaiGc9yrFr0xXdbba91rFfpec8Eeeu0x% Xdbba9frFj0-OqFfea0dXdd9vqaq-JfrVkFHe9pgea0dXdar-Jb9hs% 0dXdbPYxe9vr0-vr0-vqpWqaaeaabaGaaiaacaqabeaadaqaaqGaaO% qaamaaleaaleaacaaIXaaabaGaaGOmaaaaaaa!3DBD!\[{\textstyle{1 \over 2}}\]2}}\](1+e T ), where the k=q−r q−p basis elements e T satisfy e T 2=1. The lattice generated by a set of mutually annihilating primitive idempotents is examined. The final result characterizes all Clifford algebras R p, q with an anti-involution such that each symmetric elements is either a nilpotent or then some right multiple of it is a nonzero symmetric idempotent. This happens when p+q<-3 and (p, q)≠(2, 1).

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Lounesto, P., Wene, G.P. Idempotent structure of Clifford algebras. Acta Appl Math 9, 165–173 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00047537

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