Three-dimensional conformal theories with six supersymmetries and SU(4) R-symmetry describing stacks of M2-branes are here proposed to be related to generalized Jordan triple systems. Writing the four-index structure constants in an appropriate form,
the Chern-Simons part of the action immediately suggests a connection to such triple systems. In contrast to the previously considered three-algebras, the additional structure of a generalized Jordan triple system is associated to a graded Lie algebra, which corresponds to an extension of the gauge group. In this note we show that the whole theory with six manifest supersymmetries can be naturally expressed in terms of such a graded Lie algebra. Also the BLG theory with eight supersymmetries is included as a special case.
We present a construction which associates an infinite sequence of Kac-Moody algebras, labeled by a positive integer n, to one single Jordan algebra. For n=1, this reduces to the well known Kantor-Koecher-Tits construction. Our generalization utilize
s a new relation between different generalized Jordan triple systems, together with their known connections to Jordan and Lie algebras. Applied to the Jordan algebra of hermitian 3x3 matrices over the division algebras R, C, H, O, the construction gives the exceptional Lie algebras f4, e6, e7, e8 for n=2. Moreover, we obtain their infinite-dimensional extensions for n greater or equal to 3. In the case of 2x2 matrices the resulting Lie algebras are of the form so(p+n,q+n) and the concomitant nonlinear realization generalizes the conformal transformations in a spacetime of signature (p,q).
