Poisson structures on affine spaces and flag varieties. I. Matrix affine Poisson space

The standard Poisson structure on the rectangular matrix variety Mm,n(C) is investigated, via the orbits of symplectic leaves under the action of the maximal torus T⊂GLm+n(C). These orbits, finite in number, are shown to be smooth irreducible locally closed subvarieties of Mm,n(C), isomorphic to intersections of dual Schubert cells in the full flag variety of GLm+n(C). Three different presentations of the T-orbits of symplectic leaves in Mm,n(C) are obtained: (a) as pullbacks of Bruhat cells in GLm+n(C) under a particular map; (b) in terms of rank conditions on rectangular submatrices; and (c) as matrix products of sets similar to double Bruhat cells in GLm(C) and GLn(C). In presentation (a), the orbits of leaves are parametrized by a subset of the Weyl group Sm+n, such that inclusions of Zariski closures correspond to the Bruhat order. Presentation (b) allows explicit calculations of orbits. From presentation (c) it follows that, up to Zariski closure, each orbit of leaves is a matrix product of one orbit with a fixed column-echelon form and one with a fixed row-echelon form. Finally, decompositions of generalized double Bruhat cells in Mm,n(C) (with respect to pairs of partial permutation matrices) into unions of T-orbits of symplectic leaves are obtained.     

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.     

Singular Poisson-Kähler geometry of Scorza varieties and their secant varieties

Each Scorza variety and its secant varieties in the ambient projective space are identified, in the realm of singular Poisson-Kähler geometry, in terms of projectivizations of holomorphic nilpotent orbits in suitable Lie algebras of hermitian type, the holomorphic nilpotent orbits, in turn, being affine varieties. The ambient projective space acquires an exotic Kähler structure, the closed stratum being the Scorza variety and the closures of the higher strata its secant varieties. In this fashion, the secant varieties become exotic projective varieties. In the rank 3 case, the four regular Scorza varieties coincide with the four critical Severi varieties. In the standard cases, the Scorza varieties and their secant varieties arise also via Kähler reduction. An interpretation in terms of constrained mechanical systems is included.     

A stable range for quadratic forms over commutative rings

A commutative ring A has quadratic stable range 1 (qsr(A) = 1) if each primitive binary quadratic form over A represents a unit. It is shown that qsr(A) = 1 implies that every primitive quadratic form over A represents a unit, A has stable range 1 and finitely generated constant rank projectives over A are free. A classification of quadratic forms is provided over Bezout domains with characteristic other than 2, quadratic stable range 1, and a strong approximation property for a certain subset of their maximum spectrum. These domains include rings of holomorphic functions on connected noncompact Riemann surfaces. Examples of localizations of rings of algebraic integers are provided to show that the classical concept of stable range does not behave well in either direction under finite integral extensions and that qsr(A) = 1 does not descend from such extensions.     

1-Dimensional representations and parabolic induction for W-algebras

A W-algebra is an associative algebra constructed from a reductive Lie algebra and its nilpotent element. This paper concentrates on the study of 1-dimensional representations of W-algebras. Under some conditions on a nilpotent element (satisfied by all rigid elements) we obtain a criterium for a finite dimensional module to have dimension 1. It is stated in terms of the Brundan–Goodwin–Kleshchev highest weight theory. This criterium allows to compute highest weights for certain completely prime primitive ideals in universal enveloping algebras. We make an explicit computation in a special case in type E₈. Our second principal result is a version of a parabolic induction for W-algebras. In this case, the parabolic induction is an exact functor between the categories of finite dimensional modules for two different W-algebras. The most important feature of the functor is that it preserves dimensions. In particular, it preserves one-dimensional representations. A closely related result was obtained previously by Premet. We also establish some other properties of the parabolic induction functor.     

Lyubeznik numbers of projective schemes

Let X be a projective scheme over a field k and let A be the local ring at the vertex of the affine cone of X under some embedding . We prove that, when char(k)>0, the Lyubeznik numbers λi,j(A) are intrinsic numerical invariants of X, i.e., λi,j(A) depend only on X, but not on the embedding.     

Toric degenerations of spherical varieties

We prove that any affine, resp. polarized projective, spherical variety admits a flat degeneration to an affine, resp. polarized projective, toric variety. Motivated by mirror symmetry, we give conditions for the limit toric variety to be a Gorenstein Fano, and provide many examples. We also provide an explanation for the limits as boundary points of the moduli space of stable pairs whose existence is predicted by the Minimal Model Program.     

Motivic zeta functions of abelian varieties, and the monodromy conjecture

We prove for abelian varieties a global form of Denef and Loeser?s motivic monodromy conjecture, in arbitrary characteristic. More precisely, we prove that for every tamely ramified abelian variety A over a complete discretely valued field with algebraically closed residue field, its motivic zeta function has a unique pole at Chai?s base change conductor c(A) of A, and that the order of this pole equals one plus the potential toric rank of A. Moreover, we show that for every embedding of Q? in C, the value exp(2πic(A)) is an ?-adic tame monodromy eigenvalue of A. The main tool in the paper is Edixhoven?s filtration on the special fiber of the Néron model of A, which measures the behavior of the Néron model under tame base change.     

New affine measures of symmetry for convex bodies

Grünbaum introduced measures of symmetry for convex bodies that measure how far a given convex body is from a centrally symmetric one. Here, we introduce new measures of symmetry that measure how far a given convex body is from one with “enough symmetries”.To define these new measures of symmetry, we use affine covariant points. We give examples of convex bodies whose affine covariant points are “far apart”. In particular, we give an example of a convex body whose centroid and Santaló point are “far apart”.     

The iterated Aluthge transforms of a matrix converge

Given an r×r complex matrix T, if T=U|T| is the polar decomposition of T, then, the Aluthge transform is defined byΔ(T)=|T|^1/2U|T|^1/2. Let Δn(T) denote the n-times iterated Aluthge transform of T, i.e., Δ⁰(T)=T and Δn(T)=Δ(Δn−1(T)), n∈N. We prove that the sequence {Δn(T)}_n∈N converges for every r×r matrix T. This result was conjectured by Jung, Ko and Pearcy in 2003. We also analyze the regularity of the limit function.     

A note on the resolvent of a nonnegative matrix and its applications

We prove a conjecture of Dubey et al. on the change in the resolvent of a nonnegative matrix if its entries are decreased, and discuss applications to mathematical economics.     

Small codimension subvarieties in homogeneous spaces

We prove Bertini type theorems for the inverse image, under a proper morphism, of any Schubert variety in an homogeneous space. Using generalisations of Deligne's trick, we deduce connectedness results for the inverse image of the diagonal in X² where X is any isotropic grassmannian. We also deduce simple connectedness properties for subvarieties of X. Finally we prove transplanting theorems à la Barth-Larsen for the Picard group of any isotropic grassmannian of lines and for the Neron-Severi group of some adjoint and coadjoint homogeneous spaces.     

Lie algebroid fibrations

A degree 1 non-negative graded super manifold equipped with a degree 1 vector field Q satisfying [Q,Q]=1, namely a so-called NQ-1 manifold is, in plain differential geometry language, a Lie algebroid. We introduce a notion of fibration for such super manifolds, that essentially involves a complete Ehresmann connection. As it is the case for Lie algebras, such fibrations turn out not to be just locally trivial products. We also define homotopy groups and prove the expected long exact sequence associated to a fibration. In particular, Crainic and Fernandes's obstruction to the integrability of Lie algebroids is interpreted as the image of a transgression map in this long exact sequence.     

Dubrovin's duality for F-manifolds with eventual identities

A vector field E on an F-manifold (M,°,e) is an eventual identity if it is invertible and the multiplication X?Y:=X°Y°E−1 defines a new F-manifold structure on M. We give a characterization of such eventual identities, this being a problem raised by Manin (2005) [12]. We develop a duality between F-manifolds with eventual identities and we show that this duality is compatible with the local irreducible decomposition of F-manifolds and preserves the class of Riemannian F-manifolds. We find necessary and sufficient conditions on the eventual identity which ensure that the classes of harmonic Higgs bundles, DChk-structures and weak CV-structures are preserved by our duality. Examples of such structures are given in the case of a semi-simple multiplication. We use eventual identities to construct compatible pairs of metrics.     

Embedding polynomial matrices of one variable

A non square matrix with coefficients in K[z] can (if a condition on its minors is satisfied) be embedded into a square matrix with determinant 1. Finding theoretically and in an algorithmic way an embedding of small degree is solved by a construction with vector bundles on the projective line over K.     

Exceptional collections of line bundles on projective homogeneous varieties

We construct new examples of exceptional collections of line bundles on the variety of Borel subgroups of a split semisimple linear algebraic group G$G$ of rank 2 over a field. We exhibit exceptional collections of the expected length for types _A2$A_2$ and _B2=_C2$B_2=C_2$ and prove that no such collection exists for type _G2$G_2$. This settles the question of the existence of full exceptional collections of line bundles on projective homogeneous G$G$-varieties for split linear algebraic groups G$G$ of rank at most 2.     

The fundamental group scheme of a non-reduced scheme

We extend the definition of fundamental group scheme to non-reduced schemes over any connected Dedekind scheme. Then we compare the fundamental group scheme of an affine scheme with that of its reduced part.     

On secant varieties of compact Hermitian symmetric spaces

We show that the secant varieties of rank three compact Hermitian symmetric spaces in their minimal homogeneous embeddings are normal, with rational singularities. We show that their ideals are generated in degree three—with one exception, the secant variety of the 21-dimensional spinor variety in P⁶³ where we show that the ideal is generated in degree four. We also discuss the coordinate rings of secant varieties of compact Hermitian symmetric spaces.