Sur la géométrie des variétés sphériques. (On the geometry of spherical varieties) (Q1175303)

Let \(G\) b a reductive algebraic group acting on a normal algebraic variety \(X\) (the ground field is algebraically closed and of characteristic zero). Such a \(G\)-variety \(X\) is called spherical if a Borel subgroup \(B\) of \(G\) has an open orbit. If \(X\) is affine and \(A=k[X]\) the algebra of regular functions on \(X\), then the condition that \(X\) is spherical means that the \(G\)-module \(A\) is multiplicity free. The paper is divided into four sections. In the first section the author characterizes the \(G\)-invariant algebraically closed ideals \(I\) in the algebra \(A\) (in the affine case) by certain convexity properties of the set \(D(I)\) of highest weights of simple \(G\)-submodules of \(I\), and in the second section he classifies the invariant ideals for simple spherical varieties (there exists a unique closed \(G\) orbit) in terms of certain functions (called ``coques'') on a subcone of the cone of all discrete valuations of the field of rational functions on an open \(B\)-orbit. He applies this classification to characterize the invertible ideals among those. In the third section he applies the preceding results to birational equivariant morphisms between spherical \(G\)-varieties and in the last section he gives an integral formula for the multiplicity of certain invariant ideals. From this he obtains a smoothness criterion for spherical varieties generalizing a smoothness criterion for toroidal varieties [\textit{T. Oda}, ``Convex bodies and algebraic geometry'' (1988; Zbl 0628.52002)]. The reference \([LV]\) cited in the text in missing in the list of references. We suppose that it is: \textit{D. Luna} and \textit{T. Vust}, Comment. Math. Helv. 58, 186-245 (1983; Zbl 0545.14010).