Normality and smoothness of simple linear group compactifications (Q379234)

Let \(G\) be a connected semisimple algebraic group over an algebraically closed field \(k\) of \(\text{char\,}0\), and let \(B\) be a Borel subgroup and \(T\subset B\) a maximal torus. Let \({\mathcal X}(T)\) be the character lattice of \(T\) and let \({\mathcal X}(T)^+\subset{\mathcal X}(T)\) be the semigroup of \(G\)-dominant characters. For \(\mu\in{\mathcal X}(T)^+\), let \(V(\mu)\) be the simple \(G\)-module with highest weight \(\mu\) and for any finite subset \(\Pi\subset{\mathcal X}(T)^+\), set \(V_\Pi:= \bigoplus_{\mu\in\Pi} V(\mu)\). Consider the \(G\times G\) variety \[ X_\Pi:= \overline{(G\times G)[\text{Id}]}\subset \mathbb{P}(\text{End}(V_\Pi)), \] where Id is the identify operator of \(V_\Pi\). Then, \(X_\Pi\) is a compactification of a quotient of \(G\). The paper under review studies the question of when \(X_\Pi\) is a normal or a smooth variety (assuming that \(X_\Pi\) has a single closed \(G\times G\)-orbit). Their work gives an explicit combinatorial condition on the subset \(\Pi\) which characterizes the smoothness of \(X_\Pi\). Similarly, under a mild restriction on \(\Pi\), an explicit combinatorial condition on the subset \(\Pi\) is given which characterizes the normality of \(X_\Pi\). It may be recalled that \textit{D. A. Timashev} [Sb. Math. 194, No. 4, 589--616 (2003); translation from Mat. Sb. 194, No. 4, 119--146 (2003; Zbl 1074.14043)] studied the same questions for any connected reductive group (without even imposing the restriction of a single closed orbit in \(X_\Pi\)). But, his results are less explicit. Also, Bravi-Gandini-Maffei-Ruzzi [\textit{P. Bravi} et al., Ann. Inst. Fourier 61, No. 6, 2435--2461 (2011; Zbl 1300.14054)] studied the same questions for any connected semisimple adjoint group (with a single closed orbit in \(X_\Pi\)). The present paper builds upon this latter work to remove the `adjointness' restriction on \(G\).