Spherical Functions on a Group of p-adic Type

Arun Ram
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
University of Melbourne
Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
aram@unimelb.edu.au

Last update: 13 February 2014

Chapter II: Groups of p-adic type

Root systems

Let A be a real vector space of finite dimension l>0, and x,y a positive definite scalar product on A. Let A* be the dual vector space. Then the scalar product defines an isomorphism of A onto A*, and hence a scalar product a,b on A*. For each non-zero aA* let aA be the image of 2a/a,a under this isomorphism. Let ha denote the kernel of a, and let wa be the reflection in the hyperplane ha: wa(x)=x-a (x)a (xA). We make wa act also on A*, by transposition: wa(b)=bwa.

A root system Σ0 in A* is a subset Σ0 of A* satisfying the following axioms:

(RS 1) Σ0 is finite, spans A* and does not contain 0;
(RS 2) aΣ0wa(Σ0)=Σ0;
(RS 3) a,bΣ0a(b).

We shall assume throughout that Σ0 is reduced:

(RS 4) If a,bΣ0 are proportional, then b=±a;
and irreducible:
(RS 5) If Σ0=Σ1Σ2 such that a1,a2=0 for all a1Σ1 and a2Σ2, then either Σ1 or Σ2 is empty.

The elements of Σ0 are called roots. The group W0 generated by the reflections wa (aΣ0) is a finite group of isometries of A, called the Weyl group of Σ0. The connected components of the set A-aΣ0ha are open simplicial cones called the chambers of Σ0. These chambers are permuted simply transitively by W0, and the closure of each chamber is a fundamental region for W0.

Choose a chamber C0. This choice determines a set Π0 of l roots such that C0 is the intersection of the open half-spaces {xA:a(x)>0} for aΠ0. The elements of Π0 are called the simple roots (relative to the chamber C0). A root b is said to be positive or negative according as it is positive or negative on C0. Let Σ0+ (resp. Σ0-) denote the set of positive (resp. negative) roots.

Each root b can be expressed as a linear combination of the simple roots: b=aΠ0 maa with coefficients ma all of the same sign. The integer ma, the sum of the coefficients, is called the height of b. There is a unique root (the 'highest root') whose height is maximal.

Let C0 denote the 'obtuse cone' C0= { xA:x,y 0for allyC0 } . If xC0 and wW0, then x-wxC0.

A subset Φ0 of Σ0 is said to be closed if a,bΦ0and a+bΣ0 a+b Φ0. Suppose Φ0 is closed and Φ0-Φ0=. Then there exists wW0 such that wΦ0Σ0+.

The Weyl group W0 is generated by the reflections wa for aΠ0. Hence any wW can be written as a product w=w1wr, where wi=wai and aiΠ0 (1ir). If the number of factors wi is as small as possible, then w1wr is a reduced word for w, and r is the length of w, written l(w). The length of w is also equal to the number of positive roots b such that w-1b is negative. More precisely, these roots are bi=w1wi-1ai (1ir). (All this of course is relative to the choice of the chamber C0.)

In particular, there exists a unique element w0 of W0 which sends every positive root to a negative root. This leads to the following result, which will be useful later:

The positive roots can be arranged in a sequence (b1,,bn) such that for each r=0,1,,n the set of roots { -b1,-b2,, -br,br+1, br+2,,bn } is the set of positive roots relative to some chamber Cr.

Proof.

Affine roots

We retain the notation of (2.1). For each aΣ0 and k we have an affine-linear function a+k on A (namely, xa(x)+k). Let Σ={a+k:aΣ0,k}. The elements of Σ are called affine roots. We shall denote them by Greek letters α,β,. If α is an affine root, so are -α and α+k for all integers k. If α=a+k then a (Σ0) is the gradient of α (in the usual sense of elementary calculus).

For each αΣ, let hα be the (affine) hyperplane on which α vanishes, and let wα be the reflection in hα. (From now on, only the affine structure and not the vector-space structure of A will come into play). The group W generated by the wα as α runs through Σ is an infinite group of displacements of A, called the Weyl group of Σ or the affine Weyl group. W0 is the subgroup of W which fixes the point 0. The translations belonging to W form a free abelian group T of rank l, and W is the semi-direct product of T and W0.

For each aΣ0 let ta=wa wa+1T. The ta (aΠ0) are a basis of T. We have ta(0)=a, and the mapping TA defined by tt(0) maps T isomorphically onto the lattice spanned by the a for aΣ0.

The affine Weyl group acts on Σ by transposition: if wW, αΣ then w(α) is defined to be αw-1.

The connected components of the set A-αΣhα are open rectilinear l-simplexes called the chambers of Σ. The chambers are permuted simply transitively by W, and the closure of each chamber is a fundamental region for W. The (non-empty) faces of the chambers are locally closed simplexes, called facets. Each point xA lies in a unique facet F. The subgroup of W which fixes x also fixes each point of F.

Choose a chamber C. This choice determines a set Π of l+1 affine roots, such that C is the intersection of the open half-spaces {xA:α(x)>0} for αΠ. The affine roots belonging to Π are called the simple affine roots (relative to the chamber C).

The affine Weyl group W is generated by the relations wα for αΠ. As in the case of W0, we define the length l(w) of an element w of W. The length of w is also equal to the number of affine roots α which are positive on C and negative on wC, i.e. to the number of hyperplanes hα which separate C and wC.

If F is a facet of C, then the subgroup of W which fixes a point of F is generated by the wα (αΠ) which fix x.

We shall need the following result later:

Let Φ be a set of affine roots whose gradients are all positive and distinct. Then there exists a translation tT such that each αΦ is positive on t(C0).

Proof.

For later use, it will be convenient to choose C to be the unique chamber of Σ which is contained in the cone C0 and has the origin 0 as one vertex. The following lemma presupposes this choice of C.

For each wW, let Φw be the set of affine roots which are positive on C and negative on wC.

Let w be an element of W such that CwC0. Then for all wW0 we have Φww= ΦwwΦw.

Proof.

Before going any further, it may be helpful to have a concrete example of the set-up so far:

(Root system of type Al).

Let A be the set of all x=(x0,,xl)l+1 such that i=0lxi=0. The scalar product is x,y=xiyi. Let ei be the ith coordinate function on A (ei(x)=xi) and let Σ0= {ei-ej:ij}. Then Σ0 satisfies (RS 1)-(RS 5). The Weyl group W0 acts by permuting the coordinates x0,,xl of xA, hence is isomorphic to the symmetric group Sl+1, of order (l+1)!. We may take the chamber C0 to be C0= { xA:x0>x1> >xl } and the simple roots are then ei-1-ei (1il). The chamber C is the open simplex C= { xA:1+xl>x0 >x1>>xl } .

BN-pairs

Let G be a group, B and N subgroups of G, and R a subset of the coset space N/(BN). The pair (B,N) is a BN-pair in G (or a Tits system) if it satisfies the following four axioms:

(BN 1) G is generated by B and N, and H=BN is normal in N.
(BN 2) R generates the group W=N/H and each rR has order 2.
(BN 3) rBwBwBBrwB, for all rR and wW.
(BN 4) rBrB, for each rR.

The group W=N/H is the Weyl group of (B,N). The elements of W are cosets of H, and an expression such as BwB is to be read in the usual sense as a product of subsets of G. If S is a subset of W, then BSB means wSBwB.

One shows that the set R is uniquely determined by B and N: namely an element wW belongs to R if and only if BBwB is a group. The elements of R are called the distinguished generators of W.

The axioms (BN 1)-(BN 4) have the following consequences. The proofs may be found in [Bou1968].

2.3.1 G=BWB, and the mapping wBwB is a bijection of W onto the double coset space B\G/B.

2.3.2 For each subset S of R let WS be the subgroup of W generated by S, and let PS=BWSB. Then PS is a subgroup of G.

2.3.3 The mapping SPS is an inclusion-preserving bijection of the set of subsets of R onto the set of subgroups of G containing B.

2.3.4 If S, S are subsets of R, and PS is conjugate to PS, then S=S.

2.3.5 If S, S are subsets of R, and wW, then PSwPS=B WSwWSB.

2.3.6 Each PS is its own normalizer in G.

2.3.7 If rR and wW and l(rw)>l(w), then BrwB=BrB·BwB. (The length l(w) of wW is defined as the length of a reduced word in the generating set R, just as in (2.1) and (2.2).)

Buildings

Let G be a group with BN-pair (B,N) as in (2.3). We shall assume now that the Weyl group of (B,N) 'is' an affine Weyl group W in the sense of (2.2). More precisely, we shall suppose we are given a reduced irreducible root system Σ0 in a Euclidean space A, a chamber C for the associated affine root system Σ, and a homomorphism ν of N onto the affine Weyl group W such that

(1) Ker(ν)=H
so that we may identify (via ν) the Weyl group N/H of (B,N) with the Weyl group W of Σ;
(2) under this identification, the distinguished generators of N/H are
the reflections in the walls of the chamber C; in other words, R={wα:αΠ}.

The conjugates of B in G are called Iwahori subgroups of G. A parahoric subgroup of G is a proper subgroup containing an Iwahori subgroup. From the properties of BN-pairs recalled in (2.3), each parahoric subgroup P is conjugate to PS for some proper subset S of R, and S is uniquely determined by P.

We set up a one-one correspondence SF between the subsets S of R and the facets F of the chamber C as follows. To a facet F corresponds the set of all wαR which fix F. In this correspondence, C; R; and S a vertex of CC is a maximal proper subset of R.

If SF we write PF for PS.

Each parahoric subgroup P determines uniquely a facet F(P) of C: namely F(P)=FP is conjugate to PF.

The building associated with the given BN-pair structure on G is the set of all pairs (P,x) where P is a parahoric subgroup of G, and x is a point in the facet F(P).

With each parahoric subgroup P we associate the subset (P) of , where (P)= { (P,x):xF(P) } . (P) is called a facet of , of type F(P), In particular, if P is an Iwahori subgroup, (P) is a chamber of . If P is parahoric, there are only finitely many parahoric subgroups Q containing P, and we define (P)= QP(Q). In this way the building may be regarded as a geometrical simplicial complex, the (P) being the 'open' simplexes and the (P) the 'closed' simplexes.

The group G acts on by inner automorphisms: g(P,x)=(gPg-1,x).

Apartments

Consider the following subset 𝒜0 of : 𝒜0=wW (wBw-1). Equivalently, 𝒜0 is the union of the facets n(P) where nN and PB.

Remark. Since we have identified N/H with W by means of the isomorphism induced by ν, expressions such as wPw-1 are meaningful, where wW and P is a subgroup of G containing B. Hence W acts on 𝒜0: w(P,x)=(wPw-1,x)=(nPn-1,x) for any nN such that ν(n)=w.

There exists a unique bisection j:A𝒜0 such that

(1) for each facet F of C and each xF, j(x)=(PF,x);
(2) jw=wj for all wW.

Proof.

If g𝒜0=𝒜0 then j-1(g|𝒜0)jW.

Proof.

The subcomplexes g𝒜0 of , as g runs through G, are called the apartments of the building . If 𝒜=g𝒜0 is an apartment, we may transport the Euclidean structure of A to 𝒜 via the bijection (g|𝒜0)j. If also 𝒜=g𝒜0, then it follows from (2.4.2) that the two mappings (g|𝒜0)j and (g|𝒜0)j differ by an element of W, and hence we have a well-defined structure of Euclidean space on each apartment 𝒜, and in particular a distance d𝒜(x,y) defined for x,y𝒜.

Thus the building may be thought of as obtained by sticking together many copies of the Euclidean space A.

Any two facets of are contained in a single apartment.

Proof.

G is transitive on the set of pairs (𝒷,𝒜), where 𝒜 is an apartment and 𝒷 is a chamber in 𝒜.

Proof.

Let 𝒜, 𝒜 be, two apartments and let 𝒷 be a chamber contained in 𝒜𝒜. Then there exists a unique bijecton ρ:𝒜𝒜 such that

(1) There exists gG such that ρx=gx for all x𝒜;
(2) ρx=x for all x𝒷.
Moreover, ρx=x for all x𝒜𝒜, and d𝒜(x,y)=d𝒜(ρx,ρy) for all x,y𝒜.

Proof.

Retraction of the building onto an apartment

Let 𝒜 be an apartment and 𝒷 a chamber in 𝒜. Then there exists a unique mapping ρ:𝒜 such that, for all apartments 𝒜 containing 𝒷, ρ|𝒜 is the bisection 𝒜𝒜 of (2.4.5).

Proof.

The mapping ρ of (2.4.7) is called the retraction of onto 𝒜 with centre 𝒷. It has the following properties:

(1) ρx=x for all x𝒜.
(2) For each facet in , ρ| is an affine isometry of onto ρ.
(3) If x𝒷, then ρ-1(x)={x}.

Proof.

(i) There exists a unique function d:×+ such that d|𝒜×𝒜 is the metric d𝒜, for each apartment 𝒜 in .
(ii) If ρ is a retraction of onto an apartment 𝒜 as in (2.4.6), then d(ρ(x),ρ(y))d(x,y) for all x,y.
(iii) d is a G-invariant metric on .

Proof.

Let x,y. Then there is a unique geodesic joining x to y.

Proof.

It follows from (2.4.9) that the straight line segment [xy] lies in all apartments containing x and y.

is complete with respect to the metric d.

Proof.

Fixed point theorem

A subset X of is convex if x,yX[xy]X.

Let X be a bounded non-empty subset of . Then the group of isometries γ of such that γ(X)X has a fixed point in the closure of the convex hull of X.

For the proof we shall require the following lemma:

Let x,y,z and let m be the midpoint of [xy]. Then d(z,x)2+ d(z,y)2 2d(z,m)2+ 12d(x,y)2.

Proof.

Proof of 2.4.11.

A subset M of G is said to be bounded if MX is bounded for all bounded subsets X of .

M is bounded M intersects only finitely many double cosets BwB (wW).

Proof.

Let ρ be the retraction of onto the apartment 𝒜0 with centre 𝒷0=(B). Then X is bounded ρX is bounded ρX is contained in a finite union of closed chambers 𝒷 of 𝒜0. Hence M is bounded M𝒷 is bounded, for each chamber 𝒷𝒜0M𝒷0 is bounded.

If mM, define wmW by the relation mBwmB. Then M𝒷0 is bounded mMwm𝒷0 is bounded the set {wm:mM} is finite M intersects only finitely many BwB.

A subgroup Γ of Γ is bounded Γ is contained in a parahoric subgroup.

Proof.

Let x. Then X=Γx is bounded. Applying the fixed point theorem (2.4.11), we see that there exists y such that Γy=y. If y lies in the facet (P), then Γ normalizes the parahoric subgroup P and hence ΓP by (2.3.6).

Replacing Γ by a conjugate, we may assume that ΓPS, where S is a proper subset of R={wα:αΠ}. Now PS=BWSB, and WS is finite because SR. Hence Γ is bounded by (2.4.13).

Every bounded subgroup of G is contained in a maximal bounded subgroup. The maximal bounded subgroups are precisely the maximal parahoric subgroups of G, and form l+1 conjugacy classes, corresponding to the vertices of the chamber C.

Groups with affine root structure

(a) Universal Chevalley groups

We retain the notation of (2.1) and (2.2). Let L= { uA*:u(a) for allaΣ0 } . Then L is a lattice of rank l (=dimA) in A*, containing Σ0.

Let 𝓀 be any field, and 𝓀+,𝓀× the additive and multiplicative groups of 𝓀. Associated with the pair (Σ0,𝓀) there is a universal Chevalley group G=G(Σ0,𝓀). We shall not go into the details of the construction of G, for which we refer to Steinberg [Ste1967]. All we shall say here is that G is generated by elements ua(ξ) (aΣ0,ξ𝓀) and contains elements h(χ) (χHom(L,𝓀×)) with various relations between the u's and the h's. In particular, each ua is an injective homomorphism of 𝓀+ into G, and h is an injective homomorphism of Hom(L,𝓀×) into G.

If Σ0 is the root system of type Al (2.2.3) then the universal Chevalley group G(Σ0,𝓀) is the special linear group SLl+1(𝓀). In this case the ua(ξ) and h(χ) may be taken as follows:

If a=ei-ej (ij) then ua(ξ)=1+ξEij, where 1 is the unit matrix and Eij is the matrix with 1 in the (i,j) place and 0 elsewhere. h(χ) is the diagonal matrix with χ(e0),,χ(el) in order down the diagonal.

Now suppose that the field 𝓀 carries a discrete valuation v, i.e. a surjective homomorphism v:𝓀× such that v(ξ+η)min(v(ξ),v(η)) for all ξ,η𝓀 (conventionally v(0)=+). We consider certain subgroups of the Chevalley group G=G(Σ0,𝓀).

First, let Z be the subgroup consisting of the h(χ) and let N be the normalizer of Z. Then there is a canonical isomorphism N/ZW0, and one can show that this lifts uniquely to a homomorphism ν of N onto the affine Weyl group W. The restriction of ν to is described as follows. If χHom(L,𝓀×) then vχ is a homomorphism L, which defines a linear form A*, hence a vector in A. Then ν(h(χ)) is translation by this vector, and this translation belongs to W. We have ν(Z)=T and Z=ν-1(T), where T is as before the translation subgroup of W. The kernel H of ν is the set of all h(χ) such that χ(L) is contained in the group of units of 𝓀.

Next, for each αΣ we have a subgroup Uα of G, defined as follows. If α=a+k, then Ua+k= { ua(χ):ξ𝓀 andv(ξ)k } . If Φ is any subset of Σ, we denote by UΦ the subgroup of G generated by the Uα such that αΦ, and by PΦ the subgroup generated by UΦ and H. Then the triple (N,ν,(Uα)αΣ) has the following properties, for all nN and α,βΣ:

(I) nUαn-1= Uν(n)α.
From this it follows that H normalizes each Uα, hence each UΦ. Consequently PΦ=H· UΦ=UΦ ·H.
(II) If k is a positive integer, then Uα+k is a proper subgroup of Uα, and k0Uα+k={1}.
From this it follows that for each aΣ0, the union of the Ua+r, r is a group, which we denote by U(a). (In the present situation U(a)=ua(𝓀+).)

The next three properties relate to a pair of subgroups Uα and Uβ in the following situations: (III) β+α is a positive constant; (IV) β+α=0; (V) neither β+α nor β-α is constant (i.e. the hyperplanes hα, hβ are not parallel).

(III) If β=-α+k with k>0, then P{α,β}=UαHUβ.
(IV) P{α,-α} (Uα·ν-1(wα)·Uα) (UαHU-α+1) .

For α,βΣ let [α,β] denote the set of all γΣ of the form mα+nβ with m, n positive integers, and let [Uα,Uβ] be the subgroup of G generated by all commutators (u,v)=uvu-1v-1 with uUα and vUβ. Then from Chevalley's commutator relations we have

(V) If hα and hβ are not parallel, then [Uα,Uβ]U[α,β].

Let U+=U(a):aΣ0+ be the subgroup generated by the U(a) with a positive, and likewise U-=U(a):aΣ0-. Then

(VI) U+ZU-={1}.

Finally,

(VII) G is generated by N and the Uα (αΣ).

(b) Simply-connected simple algebraic groups

As before let 𝓀 be a field with a discrete valuation v, and assume now that 𝓀 is complete with respect to v, with perfect residue field.

Let 𝒢 be a simply-connected simple linear algebraic group defined over 𝓀. Let 𝒮 be a maximal 𝓀-split torus in 𝒢, and let 𝒵,𝒩 be the centralizer and normalizer respectively of 𝒮 in 𝒢. Let G=𝒢(𝓀) be the group of 𝓀-rational points of 𝒢. Then one of the main results of the structure theory of Bruhat and Tits ([BTi1966], [BTi1967]) is:

There exists a reduced irreducible root system Σ0, subgroups N and Uα (αΣ) of G, and a surjective homomorphism ν:NW such that the triple (N,ν,(Uα)αΣ) satisfies (I)-(VII) above.

In fact one takes N=𝒩(𝓀), Z=𝒵(𝓀), and H=Ker(ν) is the set of all z𝒵(𝓀) such that v(χ(z))=0 for all characters χ of 𝒵. W0 is the relative Weyl group of 𝒢 with respect to 𝒮, but Σ0 is not in general the relative root system, even if the latter is reduced. But every aΣ0 is proportional to a root of G relative to 𝒮, and conversely.

If 𝒢 is split over 𝓀 (i.e. if 𝒮 is a maximal torus of 𝒢) then we are back in the situation of (a) above.

If 𝓀 is a p-adic field (i.e. if the residue field of 𝓀 is finite) then G=𝒢(𝓀) inherits a topology from 𝓀 for which G is a locally compact topological group. If K is a suitably chosen maximal compact subgroup of G, then as we shall see later (3.3.7) the algebra (G,K) is commutative, and the theory of zonal spherical functions on G relative to K is almost entirely a consequence of the properties (I)-(VII) listed above. We shall therefore take these properties as a set of axioms:

Let Σ0 be a reduced irreducible root system and let Σ, W be the associated affine root system and affine Weyl group, as in (2.2). An affine root structure of type Σ0 on a group G is a triple (N,ν,(Uα)αΣ), where N and the Uα are subgroups of G, and ν is a homomorphism of N onto W, satisfying (I)-(VII) above.

Cartan and Iwasawa decompositions

In this section G is a group endowed with an affine root structure (N,ν,(Uα)αΣ) of type Σ0 (2.5.3). We shall develop some consequences of the axioms (I)-(VII).

Let Φ be a subset of Σ such that

(1) if α,βΦ and α+βΣ, then α+β-kΦ for some k0;
(2) if α,βΦ and αβ, then the hyperplanes hα,hβ are not parallel.
Let UΦ be the subgroup of G generated by the Uα, αΦ. Then every element of UΦ can be written uniquely in the form u1ur, where uiUαi (1ir) and α1,,αr are the elements of Φ in any fixed order.

Proof.

Let X be a group with subgroups X1,,Xr such that

(1) X=X1X2Xr with uniqueness of expression;
(2) XiXi+1Xr is a normal subgroup of X, for i=1,2,,r.
If p is any permutation of {1,2,,r}, then X=Xp(1)Xp(2)Xp(r) with uniqueness of expression.

U+=aΣ0+U(a) with uniqueness of expression, the positive roots being taken in any fixed order. Likewise U-=aΣ0-U(a).

Proof.

If S is any subset of A, let (S) denote the set of all αΣ which are 0 on S. Then the subgroups U(S), P(S) are defined.

Let aΣ0. If there is an affine root with gradient a belonging to (S), there is a least such affine root, say α: α(S) and α-1(S). Let U(S),a a denote the corresponding subgroup Uα of G. If there is no affine root with gradient a belonging to (S), define U(S),a to be {1}. Let U(S)+ (resp. U(S)-) be the group generated by the U(S),a with aΣ0+ (resp. aΣ0-).

Suppose S has non-empty interior. Then P(S)= U(S)+H U(S)-.

Proof.

If αΣ then UαP(S)α(S).

Proof.

We shall now show that the group G carries two BN-pair structures, one with Weyl group W and the other with Weyl group W0 (2.6.8) and (2,6.9). To establish these results we need a couple of preliminary lemmas.

(1) If αΣ, then U-α-U-α+1Uα·ν-1(wα)·Uα.
(2) If aΣ0, then U-aUa·ν0-1(wa)·Ua.

(Here ν0 is the epimorphism NW0 obtained by composing ν:NW with the epimorphism WW0 defined by the semi-direct decomposition W=T·W0.)

Proof.

Let B=P(C) and let B0±=ZU±. Since Z normalizes U+, B0+ is a subgroup of G, and is the semidirect product of Z and U+ by axiom (VI). Similarly for B0-.

(1) If αΠ and nαν-1(wα), then BnαB=BnαUα.
(2) If aΠ0 and naν0-1(wa), then B0+naB0+=B0+naUa.

Proof.

Let B=P(C). Then (B,N) is a BN-pair in G. We have BN=H, so that ν induces an isomorphism of N/(BN) onto the affine Weyl group W. The distinguished generators of N/(BN) correspond under this isomorphism to the reflections in the walls of the chamber C.

Proof.

It follows that all the results of (2.4) are applicable in the present situation. The group B=P(C) and its conjugates are the Iwahori subgroups of G; the groups P(F) and their conjugates, where F is a facet of C, are the parahoric subgroups.

Let B0+=ZU+. Then (B0+,N) is a BN-pair in G. We have B0+N=Z, so that ν0 induces an isomorphism of N/(B0+N) onto the Weyl group W0. The distinguished generators of N/(B0+N) correspond under this isomorphism to the reflections in the walls of the cone C0.

Proof.

Remark. Of course there is a corresponding result for B0-=ZU-,

G=BnB0+.

Proof.

Let T+ (resp. T++) be the set of all translations tT such that t(0)C0 (resp. t(0)C0). Let Z+=ν-1(T+), Z++=ν-1(T++), so that Z+ and Z++ are semigroups contained in Z.

Also let K denote the maximal parahoric subgroup P(0).

(1) (Cartan decomposition) G=KZ++K, and the mapping tK·ν-1(t)·K is a bijection of T++ onto K\G/K.
(2) (Iwasawa decomposition) G=KZU-, and the mapping tK·ν-1(t)·U- is a bijection of T onto K\G/U-.
(3) If z1Z++ and z2Z are such that Kz1KKz2U-=, then z1z2-1Z+.
(4) If zZ++, then KzKKzU-=Kz.

Proof.

Groups of p-adic type

Let G be an 'abstract' group with affine root structure (N,ν,(uα)αΣ) of type Σ0. Now suppose in addition that G carries a Hausdorff topology compatible with its group structure such that

(VIII) N and the Uα are closed subgroups of G;
(IX) B is a compact open subgroup of G.

A Hausdorff topological group carrying an affine root structure satisfying axioms (I)-(IX) inclusive will be called a simply-connected group of p-adic type. If 𝓀 is a p-adic field (i.e. a locally compact field which is neither discrete nor connected) then 𝓀 is complete with respect to a discrete valuation, and the residue field is finite. The universal Chevalley group G(Σ0,𝓀), and more generally the group of 𝓀-rational points of a simply-connected simple linear algebraic group defined over 𝓀, then inherits a topology from 𝓀 which satisfies (VIII) and (IX).

The two new axioms have the following consequences:

H is open in N and compact.

Proof.

A closed subset M of G is compact if and only if M meets only finitely
many cosets BwB.

Proof.

Comparing (2.7.2) with (2.4.13), we see that a subset M of G is bounded in the sense of (2.4) if and only if M has compact closure. Hence, from (2.4.15):

Every compact subgroup of G is contained in a maximal compact
subgroup. The maximal compact subgroups are precisely the maximal parahoric
 subgroups, and form (l+1) conjugacy classes. All parahoric subgroups are
open and compact. G itself is locally compact, but not compact.

The last two assertions follow from the facts that a parahoric subgroup is a finite union of double cosets BwB, and that G itself is not.

For each αΣ, the index (Uα:Uα+1) is finite, and Uα is compact.

Proof.

(1) For each aΣ0, the group U(a) is closed in G, and for each affine
root α with gradient a, Uα is an open compact subgroup of U(a).
(2) U+ is a closed subgroup of G and U(C0) is an open compact subgroup of U+.

Proof.

B0+=ZU+ is locally compact.

Proof.

Consider again the group G=SLl+1(𝓀) (2.5.1) where 𝓀 is now a p-adic field. Let be the ring of integers, 𝓅 the maximal ideal of 
and 𝓀=/𝓅 the (finite) residue field. is a compact open subring of 𝓀.

G is a closed subset of 𝓀(l+1)2, hence is locally compact (and totally disconnected). The maximal compact subgroup K may be taken to be SLl+1(). Let G=SLl+1(k), then the projection of onto k induces an epimorphism π:KG. Let B be the group of upper triangular matrices in G, then B=π-1(B) is an Iwahori subgroup of G. B0+ is the group of upper triangular matrices in G, and Z is the diagonal matrices.

Notes and references

This is a typed version of the book Spherical Functions on a Group of p-adic Type by I. G. Macdonald, Magdalen College, University of Oxford. This book is copyright the University of Madras, Madras 5, India and was first published November 1971.

Published by the Ramanujan Institute, University of Madras, and printed at the Baptist Mission Press, 41A Acharyya Jagadish Bose Road, Calcutta 17, India.

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