Parabolic subgroups and automorphism groups of Schubert varieties (Q1747415)

Given a projective variety \(X\) over \(\mathbb{C}\), the connected component containing the identity element of the group of all algebraic automorphisms of \(X\) is an algebraic group, which is a result due to \textit{H. Matsumura} and \textit{F. Oort} [Invent. Math. 4, 1--25 (1967; Zbl 0173.22504)]. Now let \(G\) be a simple algebraic group over \(\mathbb{C}\). Let \(T\) be a maximal torus of \(G\), and \(R\) be a set of roots with respect to \(T\). Define \(R^+\subseteq R\) to be a set of positive roots and \(B^+\supseteq T\) to be the Borel subgroup of \(G\), corresponding to \(R^+\). Let \(B\) be the Borel subgroup of \(G\) opposite to \(B^+\), i.e., \(B=n_0 B^+n_0^{-1}\), where \(n_0\) is a representative in the normalizer \(N_G(T)\) of the longest element \(w_0\) in the Weyl group \(W=N_G(T)/T\) of \(G\) with respect to \(T\). In this setting, the set of roots of \(B\) is equal to the set \(R^- :=-R^+\) of negative roots. For \(w\in W\), define \(X(w) := \overline{BwB/B}\), the Schubert variety in the homogeneous space \(G/B\) corresponding to \(w\). Let \(\text{Aut}(X(w))\) be the group of all algebraic automorphisms of \(X(w)\), and let \(\text{Aut}^0(X(w))\) be the connected component containing the identity element of \(\text{Aut}(X(w))\). Let \(\alpha_0\) be the highest root with respect to the maximal torus \(T\) and the Borel subgroup \(B^+\). Given the canonical left action of \(G\) on the flag variety \(G/B\), let \(P_w\subseteq G\) be the stabilizer subgroup of the Schubert variety \(X(w)\). If \(G\) is simply-laced and \(X(w)\) is smooth, then \(P_w=\text{Aut}^0(X(w))\) if and only if \(w^{-1}(\alpha_0)<0\), i.e., \(w^{-1}(\alpha_0)\in R^-\). Thus, it is natural for one to ask if, given any parabolic subgroup \(P\subseteq G\) properly containing \(B\), there is an element \(w\in W\) such that \(P=\text{Aut}^0(X(w))\). In this article by Kannan-Saha, they prove that it is affirmative, which is their main result (Theorem \(2.1\), page \(543\)): given a simple algebraic group \(G\) of adjoint type over \(\mathbb{C}\) and a parabolic group \(P\subseteq G\) properly containing \(B\), there exists \(w\in W\) such that \(P=\text{Aut}^0(X(w))\). The proof is given in Sections \(3\) (pages \(543\)-\(544\)) and \(5\) (pages \(545\)-\(547\)). They also show that if \(P=B\), there does not exist such Schubert variety in \(G/B\). The authors also give partial results for Schubert varieties in partial flag varieties of type \(A_n\) (Section \(6\), page \(548\)). If \(P'\subseteq G\) is the maximal parabolic subgroup corresponding to the simple root \(\alpha_1\) or \(\alpha_n\), where \(G=\mathrm{PSL}_{n+1}(\mathbb{C})\), then \(G/P' \cong \mathbb{P}^n\), the \(n\)-dimensional projective space. The Schubert varieties in \(\mathbb{P}^n\) are \(\mathbb{P}^i\), where \(1\leq i\leq n\), and \(\mathbb{P}^n\) is the only Schubert variety in \(G/P'\) for which the action of \(B\) is faithful. Furthermore, \(\text{Aut}^0(\mathbb{P}^n)\cong \mathrm{PSL}_{n+1}(\mathbb{C})\). Therefore, the answer to the above question is negative if one considers partial flag varieties (cf. Corollary \(6.4\), page \(548\)).