Diagram automorphisms and canonical bases for quantized enveloping algebras

Abstract: Let ${\mathbf U}^-_q$ be the negative part of the quantized enveloping algebra associated to a Kac-Moody algebra ${\mathfrak g}$ of symmetric type, and $\underline{\mathbf U}^-_q$ the algebra corresponding to the orbit algebra ${\mathfrak g}^{\sigma}$ obtained from an admissible diagram automorphism $\sigma$ on ${\mathfrak g}$. Lusztig consructed the canonical basis ${\mathbf B}$ of ${\mathbf U}_q^-$ and the canonical signed basis $\underline{\widetilde{\mathbf B}}$ of $\underline{\mathbf U}_q^-$ by making use of the geometric theory of quivers. He proved that there is a natural bijection $\widetilde{\mathbf B}^{\sigma} \to \widetilde{\underline{\mathbf B}}$. In this paper, assuming the existence of the canonical basis ${\mathbf B}$ of ${\mathbf U}_q^-$, we construct the canonical signed basis $\widetilde{\underline{\mathbf B}}$ of $\underline{\mathbf U}_q^-$, and a natural bijection $\widetilde{\mathbf B}^{\sigma} \to \widetilde{\underline{\mathbf B}}$ by an elementary method.