W-graphs and Gyoja's W-graph algebra

Abstract: Let $(W,S)$ be a finite Coxeter group. Kazhdan and Lusztig introduced the concept of $W$-graphs and Gyoja proved that every irreducible representation of the Iwahori-Hecke algebra $H(W,S)$ can be realized as a $W$-graph. Gyoja defined an auxiliary algebra for this purpose which -- to the author's best knowledge -- was never explicitly mentioned again in the literature after Gyoja's proof (although the underlying ideas were reused). The purpose of this paper is to resurrect this $W$-graph algebra and study its structure and its modules. A new explicit description of it as a quotient of a certain path algebra is given. A general conjecture is proposed that -- if it turns out to be true -- would imply strong restrictions on the structure of $W$-graphs. This conjecture is then proven for Coxeter groups of type $I_2(m)$, $B_3$ and $A_1$ -- $A_4$.