Nilpotent centralizers and Springer isomorphisms. (Q1013110)

Let \(G\) be a semisimple algebraic group over a field \(K\) whose characteristic is very good for \(G\), and let \(\sigma\) be any \(G\)-equivariant isomorphism from the nilpotent variety to the unipotent variety; the map \(\sigma\) is known as a Springer isomorphism. Let \(y\in G(K)\), let \(Y\in\text{Lie}(G)(K)\), and write \(C_y=C_G(y)\) and \(C_Y=C_G(Y)\) for the centralizers. The authors show that the center of \(C_y\) and the center of \(C_Y\) are smooth group schemes over \(K\). The existence of a Springer isomorphism is used to treat the crucial cases where \(y\) is unipotent and where \(Y\) is nilpotent. Now suppose \(G\) to be quasisplit, and write \(C\) for the centralizer of a rational regular nilpotent element. They obtain a description of the normalizer \(N_G(C)\) of \(C\). Its Lie algebra decomposes in terms of the characteristic exponents of the Weyl group. They show that the automorphism of \(\text{Lie}(C)\) determined by the differential of \(\sigma\) at zero is a scalar multiple of the identity. Several of these results were predicted by J.-P. Serre.