Parabolic subgroups with Abelian unipotent radical (Q2366467): Difference between revisions

Let \(G\) be a (connected) reductive algebraic group over an algebraically closed field \(k\) and \(P\) a parabolic subgroup, with \(V\) its unipotent radical and \(L\) a Levi subgroup. The authors study the orbits of \(L\) on \(V\) and on \(G/P\) in the case that \(V\) is Abelian. One of the principal results is the following Theorem 1: Let \(G\) be a reductive algebraic group, \(P = LV\) a parabolic subgroup whose unipotent radical \(V\) is Abelian, and \(P^ - = LV^ -\) the opposite parabolic subgroup relative to some maximal torus \(T\) of \(L\). Assume that \(\text{char }k\neq 2\) in case some simple components of \(G\) have roots of different lengths. (a) Each \((P,P)\) double coset of \(G\) meets \(V^ -\) in a single \(L\)-orbit. Hence \(L\cdot x = PxP\cap V^ -\) for every \(x\) in \(V^ -\), and the number of \((P,P)\) double cosets equals the number of \(L\)-orbits of \(V^ -\) (or of \(V\)). (b) Any \(P\)-orbit and any \(P^ -\)- orbit of \(G/P\) are disjoint or else intersect in a single \(L\)-orbit. Hence \(LxP = PxP\cap P^ -xP\) for every \(x\) in \(G\). The following further information about the orbits including systems of representative elements is obtained in Theorem 2: Assume as in Theorem 1 and also that \(G\) is simple (over its center). Let \((\beta_ 1,\dots,\beta_ r)\) be a maximal sequence of long roots which are mutually orthogonal and contained in the root system for \(V\). For each \(i\) let \(u_{-\beta_ i}\) be a nontrivial element of the one-parameter unipotent subgroup \(U_{-\beta_ i}\) corresponding to the root \(- \beta_ i\), and let \(w_{\beta_ i}\) be the reflection in the Weyl group \(W\) corresponding to \(\beta_ i\), realized as an element of \(N_ G(T)\). For \(0\leq t\leq s\leq r\), let \(x_ s = \prod^ s_{i=1}u_{- \beta_ i}\), \(w_ s = \prod^ s_{i=1}w_{\beta_ i}\), and \(x_{st} = \prod^ t_{i=1}w_{\beta_ i}\prod^ s_{j=t+1}u_{- \beta_ i}\). (a) \(\{x_ s\mid 0\leq s\leq r\}\) is a system of representatives for the \(L\)-orbits of \(V^ -\); (b) \(\{w_ s\mid 0\leq s\leq r\}\) is a system of representatives for the \((P,P)\) double cosets of \(G\); (c) \(\{x_{st}P\mid 0\leq t\leq s\leq r\}\) is a system of representatives for the \(L\)-orbits of \(G/P\). Thus there are \(r+1\) \(L\)- orbits in \(V^ -\), \(r+1\) \((P,P)\) double cosets in \(G\), and \((r+1)(r+2)/2\) \(L\)-orbits in \(G/P\). If \(k = \mathbb{C}\), there exists a real form \(G_ 0\) of \(G\) such that \(G_ 0\cap L\) is a maximal compact subgroup of both \(G_ 0\) and \(L\). Combining the results of \textit{J. A. Wolf} [in: Symmetric spaces, short courses presented at Washington Univ. 271-357 (1972; Zbl 0257.32014)] with the results of Theorem 2, the authors obtain a particularly nice set \(\{y_{st}\mid 0\leq t\leq s\leq r\}\) of representatives for the \(L\)- orbits on \(G/P\) which are also representatives for the \(G_ 0\)-orbits. Thus a bijection between the \(L\)-orbits and the \(G_ 0\)-orbits is obtained. This bijection reverses the partial orders on the sets of orbits given by inclusion of the orbit closures.