On spherical double cones (Q1330082)

Let \(G\) be a simply connected reductive group over an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero. Let \(B\) be a Borel subgroup, and \(P_ i\), \(i = 1,2\) a pair of parabolic subgroups containing \(B\); let \(\omega_ i\) be the associated fundamental weights; let \(U\) be the unipotent part of \(B\). Let \(C_ i\) be the affine cone over \(G/P_ i\). The problem of determining a system of generators for the ring of \(U\)- invariant functions on \(C_ 1 \times C_ 2\) is closely linked to the problem of decomposing tensor products \(V^*_{m \omega_ 1} \otimes V^*_{m \omega_ 2}\). (Here, \(V_{\omega_ i}\) denotes the irreducible \(G\)-module with highest weight \(\omega_ i\) and \(V^*{\omega_ i}\) denotes the dual of \(V_{\omega_ i}\).) The author shows that if \(G/P_ 1 \times G/P_ 2\) is spherical (i.e., \(G/P_ 1 \times G/P_ 2\) has a dense \(B\)-orbit), then the ring of \(U\)- invariant functions on \(C_ 1 \times C_ 2\) is a polynomial ring. The author also classifies all pairs \((P_ 1, P_ 2)\) such that \(G/P_ 1 \times G/P_ 2\) is spherical. This paper makes an important contribution to the representation theory of algebraic groups.