Polyhedral divisors and \(SL_{2}\)-actions on affine \(T\)-varieties (Q1931924)

Algebraic tori actions on normal affine varieties were described in a combinatorial flavour by \textit{K. Altmann} and \textit{J. Hausen} [Math. Ann. 334, No. 3, 557--607 (2006; Zbl 1193.14060)]. The aim of the paper under review is to adapt the language of polyhedral divisors invented by Altmann and Hausen to \(\roman{SL}_2\)-actions on such varieties which are compatible with the acting torus \(\mathbb{T}\), which means that \(\mathbb{T}\) normalizes \(\roman{SL}_2\) in the automorphism group. The idea is to consider the infinitesimal action on the coordinate algebra, i.e., an \(\mathfrak{sl}_2\)-triple of derivations \((\partial_+,\partial_-,\delta)\), where \(\partial_{\pm}\) are homogeneous locally nilpotent and \(\delta\) is semisimple. Homogeneous locally nilpotent derivations of the coordinate algebra of a normal affine \(\mathbb{T}\)-variety \(X\) were described by the second author in two cases: when the \(\mathbb{T}\)-invariant rational functions on \(X\) are constant with respect to the derivation, i.e., general orbits of the respective \(\mathbb G_{\text{a}}\)-action on \(X\) are contained in \(\mathbb{T}\)-orbit closures (actions of fiber type) [\textit{A. Liendo}, J. Algebra 324, No. 12, 3653--3665 (2010; Zbl 1219.14069)], or when general \(\mathbb{T}\)-orbits have codimension~1 (actions of complexity~1) [\textit{A. Liendo}, Transform. Groups 15, No. 2, 389--425 (2010; Zbl 1209.14050)]. Now the point is to describe compatibility conditions for two homogeneous locally nilpotent derivations \(\partial_+,\partial_-\) in order to constitute the nilpotent part of an \(\mathfrak{sl}_2\)-triple. In particular, it turns out that both \(\partial_{\pm}\) have to be either of fiber type or of horizontal (i.e., non-fiber) type. The main result of the paper is a description of compatible \(\roman{SL}_2\)-actions in the cases of fiber type and of complexity~1. Several applications of the above description are considered. In particular, horospherical \(\roman{SL}_2\)-actions on normal affine varieties are characterized. (An action of a reductive group \(G\) is said to be horospherical if the stabilizer of any point contains a maximal unipotent subgroup of \(G\).) It turns out that they are equivalent to compatible \(\roman{SL}_2\)-actions of fiber type on \(\mathbb{T}\)-varieties with \(\dim\mathbb{T}=2\). A compatible \(\roman{SL}_2\)-action of fiber type on a \(\mathbb{T}\)-variety (with arbitrary \(\dim\mathbb{T}\)) is always horospherical. If a \(\mathbb T\)-variety of complexity~1 admits a compatible horospherical \(\roman{SL}_2\)-action of horizontal type, then it is in fact toric with respect to a bigger torus compatible with \(\roman{SL}_2\). Another application is a study of quasi-homogeneous (normal affine) \(\roman{SL}_2\)-threefolds. \textit{V. L. Popov}'s classification of them [Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Ser. Mat. 37, 792--832 (1973; Zbl 0281.14022)] is reproduced in the language of polyhedral divisors, cf. [Zbl 0911.14022]. As a direct consequence, the characterization of toric quasi-homogeneous \(\roman{SL}_2\)-threefolds (\textit{S. A. Gaifullin} [Sb. Math. 199, No. 3, 319--339 (2008); translation from Mat. Sb. 199, No. 3, 3--24 (2008; Zbl 1171.14036)], \textit{V. Batyrev} and \textit{F. Haddad} [Mosc. Math. J. 8, No. 4, 621--646 (2008; Zbl 1221.14052)]) is obtained.