On Lie algebra decompositions related to spherical homogeneous spaces

LetG be a connected, reductive, linear algebraic group over an algebraically closed fieldk of characteristik zero. LetH ₁ andH ₂ be two spherical subgroups ofG. It is shown that for allg in a Zariski open subset ofG one has a Lie algebra decomposition g = h₁ + Adg ? h₂, where a is the Lie algebra of a torus and dim a ≤ min (rankG/H ₁,rankG/H ₂). As an application one obtains an estimate of the transcendence degree of the fieldk(G/H ₁ xG/H ₂) ^G for the diagonal action ofG. Ifk = ? andG _a is a real form ofG defined by an antiholomorphic involution σ :G→G then for a spherical subgroup H ? G and for allg in a Hausdorff open subset ofG one has a decomposition g = g_a + a Adg ? h, where a is the Lie algebra of σ-invariant torus and dim a ≤ rankG/H.