Unimodality of the distribution of Betti numbers for some Springer fibers (Q2438025)

In this paper the authors compute the Betti numbers of Springer fibers over nilpotent elements \(u \in \mathfrak{gl}_n(\mathbb{C})\) of Jordan forms \((a,b), (a,b,1), (a, 1^b)\) and \((2^2, 1^b)\). Let \(\mathcal{F}_{\lambda}\) denote the Springer fiber for \(\lambda\) over \(u\). The authors show that in all the cases listed above the distribution of Betti numbers \(\beta_i^{\lambda}\) is unimodal, i.e., there exists \(j \in \{1,2,\dots,d_{\lambda}\}\) such that \(\beta_0^{\lambda} \leq \beta_1^{\lambda}\leq \dots \leq \beta_{j-1}^{\lambda} \leq \beta_j^{\lambda} \geq \beta_{j+1}^{\lambda} \geq \dots \beta_{d_{\lambda}}^{\lambda}\), where \(d_{\lambda}=\dim (\mathcal{F}_{\lambda})\) and \(\beta_i^{\lambda} = \dim(H^{2i}(\mathcal{F}_{\lambda},\mathbb{Q}))\). The computations are of a combinatorial nature. The authors calculate the Betti numbers using a recurrence relation for the Poincaré polynomial of Springer fibers [J. Algebra 322, No. 7, 2566--2579 (2009; Zbl 1186.14051)]. In the above listed cases, the authors are successful in using these recurrence relations to calculate a closed expression for the Poincaré polynomial. By \textit{L. Fresse} and \textit{A. Melnikov} [Sel. Math., New Ser. 16, No. 3, 393--418 (2010; Zbl 1209.14037)], the cases \((a,b),(a,b,1),(a,1^b)\) are the only general cases where all the components of a Springer fiber are smooth, which indicates that the cohomological structures must be relatively simple. The case \((2^2,1^b)\) is one of the simplest cases where not all the components are smooth and in this case the expression of the Betti numbers is more involved, however their distribution remains unimodal. The authors have also computed the Betti numbers for all the Springer fibers for \(n\leq 9\). By Fresse and Melnikov [loc. cit.], some of their components may have quite a complex structure, however it is observed that the distribution of their Betti numbers is still unimodal. Combining these facts, the authors express a hope that the distribution of Betti numbers os a Springer fiber is always unimodal.