Elementary Subalgebrs of Lie Algebras

We initiate the investigation of the projective varieties $\mathbb E(r,\mathfrak g)$ of elementary subalgebras of dimension $r$ of a ($p$-restricted) Lie algebra $\mathfrak g$ for various $r \geq 1$. These varieties $\mathbb E(r,\mathfrak g)$ are the natural ambient varieties for generalized support varieties for restricted representations of $\mathfrak g$. We identify these varieties in special cases, revealing their interesting and varied geometric structures. We also introduce invariants for a finite dimensional $\mathfrak u(\mathfrak g)$-module $M$, the local $(r,j)$-radical rank and local $(r,j)$-socle rank, functions which are lower/upper semicontinuous on $\mathbb E(r,\mathfrak g)$. Examples are given of $\mathfrak u(\mathfrak g)$-modules for which some of these rank functions are constant.