Generic singularities of nilpotent orbit closures

DOI10.1016/J.AIM.2016.09.010MaRDI QIDQ340388zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Baohua Fu, Daniel Juteau, Paul Levy, Eric Sommers

Publication date 14 November 2016

Published in Advances in Mathematics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Copyright license Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1502.05770

closure relation degenerate orbits Dynkin classification Dynkin diagrams exceptional Lie algebras generic orbits generic singularities nilpotent orbits simple singularities,isolated singularities simple surface singularities Slodowy slice Springer correspondence symplectic singularities transverse slice

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Singularities in algebraic geometry (14B05) Geometric invariant theory (14L24) Lie algebras of linear algebraic groups (17B45)

Abstract: According to a well-known theorem of Brieskorn and Slodowy, the intersection of the nilpotent cone of a simple Lie algebra with a transverse slice to the subregular nilpotent orbit is a simple surface singularity. At the opposite extremity of the nilpotent cone, the closure of the minimal nilpotent orbit is also an isolated symplectic singularity, called a minimal singularity. For classical Lie algebras, Kraft and Procesi showed that these two types of singularities suffice to describe all generic singularities of nilpotent orbit closures: specifically, any such singularity is either a simple surface singularity, a minimal singularity, or a union of two simple surface singularities of type

A_{2 k - 1}

. In the present paper, we complete the picture by determining the generic singularities of all nilpotent orbit closures in exceptional Lie algebras (up to normalization in a few cases). We summarize the results in some graphs at the end of the paper. In most cases, we also obtain simple surface singularities or minimal singularities, though often with more complicated branching than occurs in the classical types. There are, however, six singularities which do not occur in the classical types. Three of these are unibranch non-normal singularities: an

S L_{2} (m a t h b b C)

-variety whose normalization is

{m a t h b b A}^{2}

, an

S p_{4} (m a t h b b C)

-variety whose normalization is

{m a t h b b A}^{4}

, and a two-dimensional variety whose normalization is the simple surface singularity

A_{3}

. In addition, there are three 4-dimensional isolated singularities each appearing once. We also study an intrinsic symmetry action on the singularities, in analogy with Slodowy's work for the regular nilpotent orbit.

Review text

Let \(G\) be a connected, simple algebraic group of adjoint type over \(\mathbb C\) with corresponding Lie algebra \(\mathfrak g\). The orbit \(\mathcal O\) of a nilpotent element in \(\mathfrak g\) under the adjoint action is called a nilpotent orbit, and its closure \(\overline{\mathcal O}\) is a union of finitely many nilpotent orbits. The closure inclusion is a partial order on the set of nilpotent orbits, and this article considers the generic singularities, the singularities of \(\overline{\mathcal O}\) at points of maximal orbits of its singular locus.NEWLINENEWLINE\textit{H. Kraft} and \textit{C. Procesi} [Invent. Math. 62, 503--515 (1981; Zbl 0478.14040)] have determined the generic singularities for the classical types of Lie algebras, \textit{E. Brieskorn} [Actes Congr. internat. Math. 1970, 2, 279-284 (1971; Zbl 0223.22012)] and \textit{P. Slodowy} [``Simple singularities and simple algebraic groups. Lect. Notes Math. 815 (1980; Zbl 0441.14002)] determined them for the whole nilpotent cones \(\mathcal N\) for \(\mathfrak g\) of any type. The goal of this paper is to determine the generic singularities of \(\overline{\mathcal O}\) when \(\mathfrak g\) is of exceptional type.NEWLINENEWLINEA basic result is that the singular locus of \(\overline{\mathcal O}\) coincides with the boundary of \(\mathcal O\) in \(\overline{\mathcal O}\). To study generic singularities of \(\overline{\mathcal O}\), it is sufficient to study each maximal orbit \(\mathcal O^\prime\) in the boundary \(\overline{\mathcal O}\) of \(\mathcal O\). Such an \(\mathcal O^\prime\) is called a \textit{minimal degeneration} of \(\mathcal O\).NEWLINENEWLINEThe local geometry of \(\overline{\mathcal O}\) at \(e\in\mathcal O^\prime\) is determined by the intersection of \(\overline{\mathcal O}\) with a transverse slice to \(\mathcal O^\prime\) at \(e\) in \(\mathfrak g\). Such slices exists in all cases, given by the affine space \(\mathcal S_e=e+\mathfrak g^f\), called the \textit{Slodowy slice}, where \(e,f\) are the nilpotent parts of an \(\mathfrak{sl}_2 \)-triple, and \(\mathfrak g^f\) is the centralizer of \(f\) in \(\mathfrak g\). The local geometry is thus encoded in \(\mathcal S_{\mathcal O,e}=\overline{\mathcal O}\cap\mathcal S_e\) which is named a \textit{nilpotent Slodowy slice}. If \(\mathcal O^\prime\) is a minimal degeneration of \(\mathcal O\), \(\mathcal S_{\mathcal O,e}\) has an isolated singularity at \(e\), and the generic singularities of \(\overline{\mathcal O}\) can be determined by studying the various \(\mathcal S_{\mathcal O,e}\) as \(\mathcal O^\prime\) runs over all minimal degenerations and \(e\in\mathcal O^\prime\), the isomorphism type of \(\mathcal S_{\mathcal O,e}\) being independent of \(e\).NEWLINENEWLINEThe main result of the article is a classification of \(\mathcal S_{\mathcal O,e}\) up to algebraic isomorphism for each minimal degeneration \(\mathcal O^\prime\) of \(\mathcal O\) in the exceptional types. In a few cases, the result is able to determine the normalization of \(\mathcal S_{\mathcal O,e}\), and in another few cases, \(\mathcal S_{\mathcal O,e}\) is only determined up to local analytic isomorphism.NEWLINENEWLINEThe article uses the theory of symplectic varieties. By \textit{Y. Namikawa} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 539, 123--147 (2001; Zbl 0996.53050)], a normal variety is symplectic if and only if its singularities are rational, Gorenstein, and its smooth part carries a holomorphic symplectic form, and it is proved that the normalization of a nilpotent orbit \(\overline{\mathcal O}\) is a symplectic variety. Because the normalization \(\overline{\mathcal O}\) has rational Gorenstein singularities, so has the normalization \(\tilde{\mathcal S}_{\mathcal O,e}\), and it is a symplectic variety. A singularity of a symplectic variety is what is called a \textit{symplectic singularity}, and the authors claim that a better understanding of those is important for studying the conjecture that a Fano contact manifold is homogeneous. Thus it is important to find examples of symplectic singularities, and the study of the isolated symplectic singularity \(\tilde{\mathcal S}_{\mathcal O,e}\) contributes to this.NEWLINENEWLINEThe results in the article is motivated by representation theory. The geometry of the nilpotent cone \(\mathcal N\) was important in Springer's construction of Weyl group representations and the resulting Springer correspondence. It is proved that modular representation theory of the Weyl group of \(\mathfrak g\) is encoded in the geometry of \(\mathcal N\). Its decomposition matrix is a part of the decomposition matrix for equivariant perverse sheaves on \(\mathcal N\). Also, the authors remark that the reappearance of certain singularities in different nilpotent cones leads to equalities between parts of decomposition matrices. In the \(\text{GL}_n\)-case, the row and column removal rule for nilpotent singularities gives a geometric explanation for a similar rule for decomposition matrices of symmetric groups.NEWLINENEWLINEThe main results in the article concerns simple surface singularities and their symmetries. A finite subgroup \(\Gamma\subset\text{SL}_2(\mathbb C)\cong\text{Sp}_2\) acts on \(\mathbb C^2\) and the quotient variety is an affine symplectic variety with an isolated singularity at the image of \(0\), known as a simple surface singularity, a double point, a du Val singularity, or a Kleinian singularity. Up to conjugacy in \(\text{SL}_2(\mathbb C)\), such \(\Gamma\) are in one-to-one correspondence with the simply-laced, simple Lie-algebras over \(\mathbb C\). Thus the simple singularities can be denoted as \(A_k\), \(D_k\;(k\geq 4)\), \(E_6\), \(E_7\), \(E_8\), according to the associated simple Lie algebra. The article contains a proof of the fact that in dimension 2, an isolated symplectic singularity is equivalent to a simple surface singularity. Also, the more general case is considered.NEWLINENEWLINEAn automorphism of \(X=\mathbb C^2/\Gamma\) gives rise to a graph automorphism of the dual graph \(\Delta\) of \(X\). The authors ask when the action of \(\text{Aut}(\Delta)\) on the dual graph comes from an algebraic action on \(X\), and proves for which types of \(X\) this is true.NEWLINENEWLINEThe article contains the study of the regular nilpotent orbit, starting with the generic singularities of the nilpotent cone.NEWLINENEWLINEIn proving a conjecture of Grothendieck, Brieskorn and Slodowy [loc. cit.] described the generic singularities of the nilpotent cone \(\mathcal N\) of \(\mathfrak g\). In this particular case, \(\mathcal O\) is the regular nilpotent orbit, and so \(\overline{\mathcal O}\) equals \(\mathcal N\) with only one degeneration at the subregular nilpotent orbit \(\mathcal O^\prime\). Slodowy concludes that when \(e\in\mathcal O^\prime\), the slice \(\mathcal S_{\mathcal O,e}\) is algebraically isomorphic to a simple surface singularity. Also, when the Dynkin diagram of \(\mathfrak g\) is simply-laced, the Lie algebra associated to the simple surface singularity is \(\mathfrak g\). When it is not simply-laced, the singularity \(\mathcal S_{\mathcal O,e}\) belongs to a list given explicitly in the article. The authors explain an intrinsic realization of the symmetry of \(\mathcal S_{\mathcal O,e}\) when \(\mathfrak g\) is not simply-laced.NEWLINENEWLINEKraft and Procesi [loc. cit]. classified the generic singularities of nilpotent orbit closures for all the classical groups, up to smooth equivalence. The \textit{minimal singularities} are those corresponding to the equivalence classes of a particular class of singularities, explicitly defined by their orbit closures, and denoted \(a_k,b_k,c_k,d_k(k\geq 4),g_2,f_4,e_6,e_7,e_8\). The \textit{generic singularities} in the classical types are classified: An irreducible component of a generic singularity is either a simple surface singularity or a minimal singularity, up to smooth equivalence. When a generic singularity is not irreducible, then it is smoothly equivalent to a union of two simple surface singularities of type \(A_{2k-1}\) meeting transversally in the singular point, denoted \(2A_{2k-1}\).NEWLINENEWLINEThe main goal of the article is to describe the classification of generic singularities in the exceptional Lie algebras. The symmetry of minimal singularities and the generalization to the general case is essential. The exceptional Lie algebras introduce additional singularities, and and the non-normal cases is treated thoroughly. The main theorem classify generic singularities of nilpotent orbit closures in a simple Lie algebra of exceptional type, and graphs at the end of the article list precise results.NEWLINENEWLINEThe object of the article is very interesting, and its goal is justified. In addition to treating the subject in a very interesting way, the authors introduce new theories, and explain established ones in a good way, making this a good overview of the subject.

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