Twisted loop groups and their affine flag varieties

We develop a theory of affine flag varieties and of their Schubert varieties for reductive groups over a Laurent power series local field k((t)) with k a perfect field. This can be viewed as a generalization of the theory of affine flag varieties for loop groups to a “twisted case”; a consequence of our results is that our construction also includes the flag varieties for Kac–Moody Lie algebras of affine type. We also give a coherence conjecture on the dimensions of the spaces of global sections of the natural ample line bundles on the partial flag varieties attached to a fixed group over k((t)) and some applications to local models of Shimura varieties.     

Weights of mixed tilting sheaves and geometric Ringel duality

We describe several general methods for calculating weights of mixed tilting sheaves. We introduce a notion called “non-cancellation property” which implies a strong uniqueness of mixed tilting sheaves and enables one to calculate their weights effectively. When we have a certain Radon transform, we prove a geometric analogue of Ringel duality which sends tilting objects to projective objects. We apply these methods to (partial) flag varieties and affine (partial) flag varieties and show that the weight polynomials of mixed tilting sheaves on flag and affine flag varieties are essentially given by Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials. This verifies a mixed geometric analogue of a conjecture by W. Soergel in [10].      

From moment graphs to intersection cohomology

We describe a method of computing equivariant and ordinary intersection cohomology of certain varieties with actions of algebraic tori, in terms of structure of the zero- and one-dimensional orbits. The class of varieties to which our formula applies includes Schubert varieties in flag varieties and affine flag varieties. We also prove a monotonicity result on local intersection cohomology stalks. Received: 9 November 2000 / Published online: 24 September 2001     

Degenerate Affine Flag Varieties and Quiver Grassmannians

We study finite dimensional approximations to degenerate versions of affine flag varieties using quiver Grassmannians for cyclic quivers. We prove that they admit cellular decompositions parametrized by affine Dellac configurations, and that their irreducible components are normal Cohen-Macaulay varieties with rational singularities.

     

Dimensions of some affine Deligne-Lusztig varieties

This paper concerns the dimensions of certain affine Deligne-Lusztig varieties, both in the affine Grassmannian and in the affine flag manifold. Rapoport conjectured a formula for the dimensions of the varieties Xμ(b) in the affine Grassmannian. We prove his conjecture for b in the split torus; we find that these varieties are equidimensional; and we reduce the general conjecture to the case of superbasic b. In the affine flag manifold, we prove a formula that reduces the dimension question for Xx(b) with b in the split torus to computations of dimensions of intersections of Iwahori orbits with orbits of the unipotent radical. Calculations using this formula allow us to verify a conjecture of Reuman in many new cases, and to make progress toward a generalization of his conjecture.     

On the Finitization of the Gordon Identities

In this paper we prove an identity generalizing the Andrews-Gordon identity. We also discuss the meaning of our formula from the viewpoints of geometry of affine flag varieties and of geometry of polyhedra.     

Representation formula for discrete indefinite affine spheres

We present a representation formula for discrete indefinite affine spheres via loop group factorizations. This formula is derived from the Birkhoff decomposition of loop groups associated with discrete indefinite affine spheres. In particular we show that a discrete indefinite improper affine sphere can be constructed from two discrete plane curves.     

On the flatness of local models for the symplectic group

We investigate the bad reduction of certain Shimura varieties (associated to the symplectic group). More precisely, we look at a model of the Shimura variety at a prime p, with parahoric level structure at p. We show that this model is flat, as conjectured by Rapoport and Zink (Ann. of Math. Stud. 141 (1996)), and that its special fibre is reduced.A crucial ingredient is Faltings’ theorem on the normality of Schubert varieties in the affine flag variety.     

Appendix: On parahoric subgroups

We give the proofs of some simple facts on parahoric subgroups and on Iwahori Weyl groups used in [T. Haines, The base change fundamental lemma for central elements in parahoric Hecke algebras, preprint, 2008; G. Pappas, M. Rapoport, Twisted loop groups and their affine flag varieties, Adv. Math. 219 (2008) 118–198; M. Rapoport, A guide to the reduction modulo p of Shimura varieties, Astérisque 298 (2005) 271–318].     

Varieties of Birkhoff Systems Part II

This is the second part of a two-part paper on Birkhoff systems. A Birkhoff system is an algebra that has two binary operations ? and + , with each being commutative, associative, and idempotent, and together satisfying x?(x + y) = x+(x?y). The first part of this paper described the lattice of subvarieties of Birkhoff systems. This second part continues the investigation of subvarieties of Birkhoff systems. The 4-element subdirectly irreducible Birkhoff systems are described, and the varieties they generate are placed in the lattice of subvarieties. The poset of varieties generated by finite splitting bichains is described. Finally, a structure theorem is given for one of the five covers of the variety of distributive Birkhoff systems, the only cover that previously had no structure theorem. This structure theorem is used to complete results from the first part of this paper describing the lower part of the lattice of subvarieties of Birkhoff systems.     

Cohomology of tilting modules over quantum groups and t-structures on derived categories of coherent sheaves

The paper is concerned with cohomology of the small quantum group at a root of unity, and of its upper triangular subalgebra, with coefficients in a tilting module. It turns out to be related to irreducible objects in the heart of a certain t-structure on the derived category of equivariant coherent sheaves on the Springer resolution, and to equivariant coherent IC sheaves on the nil-cone. The support of the cohomology is described in terms of cells in affine Weyl groups. The basis in the Grothendieck group provided by the cohomology modules is shown to coincide with the Kazhdan-Lusztig basis, as predicted by J. Humphreys and V. Ostrik. The proof is based on the results of [ABG ], [AB] and [B], which allow us to reduce the question to purity of IC sheaves on affine flag varieties. To the memory of my father     

Toric P-difference varieties

In this paper, we introduce the concept of P-difference varieties and study the properties of toric P-difference varieties. Toric P-difference varieties are analogues of toric varieties in difference algebraic geometry. The category of affine toric P-difference varieties with toric morphisms is shown to be antiequivalent to the category of affine P [x]-semimodules with P [x]-semimodule morphisms. Moreover, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the irreducible invariant P-difference subvarieties of an affine toric P-difference variety and the faces of the corresponding affine P [x]-semimodule. We also define abstract toric P-difference varieties by gluing affine toric P-difference varieties. The irreducible invariant P-difference subvariety-face correspondence is generalized to abstract toric P-difference varieties. By virtue of this correspondence, a divisor theory for abstract toric P-difference varieties is developed.     

Bounds on Weights of Nearby Cycles and Wakimoto Sheaves on Affine Flag Manifolds

We study certain nearby cycles sheaves on an affine flag manifold which arise naturally in the Beilinson–Gaitsgory deformation of the affine flag manifold to the affine Grassmannian. We study the multiplicity functions we introduced in an earlier paper, which encode the data of the Jordan-Hölder series. We prove the multiplicity functions are polynomials in q, and we give a sharp bound for their degrees. Our results apply as well to the nearby cycles in the p-adic deformation of Laumon–Haines–Ngô, and also to Wakimoto sheaves.     

Restriction varieties and geometric branching rules

This paper develops a new method for studying the cohomology of orthogonal flag varieties. Restriction varieties are subvarieties of orthogonal flag varieties defined by rank conditions with respect to (not necessarily isotropic) flags. They interpolate between Schubert varieties in orthogonal flag varieties and the restrictions of general Schubert varieties in ordinary flag varieties. We give a positive, geometric rule for calculating their cohomology classes, obtaining a branching rule for Schubert calculus for the inclusion of the orthogonal flag varieties in Type A flag varieties. Our rule, in addition to being an essential step in finding a Littlewood–Richardson rule, has applications to computing the moment polytopes of the inclusion of SO(n) in SU(n), the asymptotic of the restrictions of representations of SL(n) to SO(n) and the classes of the moduli spaces of rank two vector bundles with fixed odd determinant on hyperelliptic curves. Furthermore, for odd orthogonal flag varieties, we obtain an algorithm for expressing a Schubert cycle in terms of restrictions of Schubert cycles of Type A flag varieties, thereby giving a geometric (though not positive) algorithm for multiplying any two Schubert cycles.     

Equivariant Pieri Rule for the homology of the affine Grassmannian

An explicit rule is given for the product of the degree two class with an arbitrary Schubert class in the torus-equivariant homology of the affine Grassmannian. In addition a Pieri rule (the Schubert expansion of the product of a special Schubert class with an arbitrary one) is established for the equivariant homology of the affine Grassmannians of SL _n and a similar formula is conjectured for Sp _2n and SO _2n+1. For SL _n the formula is explicit and positive. By a theorem of Peterson these compute certain products of Schubert classes in the torus-equivariant quantum cohomology of flag varieties. The SL _n Pieri rule is used in our recent definition of k-double Schur functions and affine double Schur functions.     

Equivariant deformations of the affine multicone over a flag variety

We prove that the invariant Hilbert scheme parameterising the equivariant deformations of the affine multicone over a flag variety is, under certain hypotheses, an affine space. More specifically, we obtain that the isomorphism classes of equivariant deformations of such a multicone are in correspondence with the orbits of a well-determined wonderful variety.     

On secant dimensions and identifiability of flag varieties

We investigate the secant dimensions and the identifiability of flag varieties parametrizing flags of subspaces of a fixed vector space. We give numerical conditions ensuring that secant varieties of flag varieties have the expected dimension, and that a general point on these secant varieties is identifiable.     

Varieties of Birkhoff Systems Part I

A Birkhoff system is an algebra that has two binary operations ? and + , with each being commutative, associative, and idempotent, and together satisfying x?(x + y) = x+(x?y). Examples of Birkhoff systems include lattices, and quasilattices, with the latter being the regularization of the variety of lattices. A number of papers have explored the bottom part of the lattice of subvarieties of Birkhoff systems, in particular the role of meet and join distributive Birkhoff systems. Our purpose in this note is to further explore the lattice of subvarieties of Birkhoff systems. A primary tool is consideration of splittings and finite bichains, Birkhoff systems whose join and meet reducts are both chains. We produce an infinite family of subvarieties of Birkhoff systems generated by finite splitting bichains, and describe the poset of these subvarieties. Consideration of these splitting varieties also allows us to considerably extend knowledge of the lower part of the lattice of subvarieties of Birkhoff systems     

Relations de récurrence à coefficients aléatoires et lois stables

We consider a multivariate affine stochastic recursion and the corresponding Birkhoff sum along a trajectory. Under a condition on the law of coefficients which is generic, we show that the above sum, suitably normalized, converges in distribution to a stable law, depending essentially on the multiplicative part of the relation. The proof is based on the spectral properties of the associated Markov operator, and on the homogeneity at infinity of the stationary measure.