Embeddings of the Racah Algebra into the Bannai-Ito Algebra

Abstract: Embeddings of the Racah algebra into the Bannai-Ito algebra are proposed in two realizations. First, quadratic combinations of the Bannai-Ito algebra generators in their standard realization on the space of polynomials are seen to generate a central extension of the Racah algebra. The result is also seen to hold independently of the realization. Second, the relationship between the realizations of the Bannai-Ito and Racah algebras by the intermediate Casimir operators of the $\mathfrak{osp}(1|2)$ and $\mathfrak{su}(1,1)$ Racah problems is established. Equivalently, this gives an embedding of the invariance algebra of the generic superintegrable system on the two-sphere into the invariance algebra of its extension with reflections, which are respectively isomorphic to the Racah and Bannai-Ito algebras.