Wilson loops in SYM \(\mathcal{N}=4\) do not parametrize an orientable space (Q824270)

Summary: We explore the geometric space parametrized by (tree level) Wilson loops in SYM \(\mathcal{N}=4\). We show that this space can be seen as a vector bundle over a totally non-negative subspace of the Grassmannian, \(\mathcal{W}_{k,n}\). Furthermore, we explicitly show that this bundle is non-orientable in the majority of the cases, and conjecture that it is non-orientable in the remaining situation. Using the combinatorics of the Deodhar decomposition of the Grassmannian, we identify subspaces \(\Sigma(W)\subset\mathcal{W}_{k,n}\) for which the restricted bundle lies outside the positive Grassmannian. Finally, while probing the combinatorics of the Deodhar decomposition, we give a diagrammatic algorithm for reading equations determining each Deodhar component as a semialgebraic set.