On the singularities of nilpotent orbits (Q1182822)

Let \({\mathfrak O}=G\cdot e\) be the adjoint orbit of a nilpotent element \(e\) in the Lie algebra \(\mathfrak g\) of a complex connected semi-simple Lie group \(G\). The Zariski closure \(\bar {\mathfrak O} \) is an affine algebraic variety. The author proves that the normalisation \(\bar {\mathfrak O}^{\text{norm}}\) of \(\bar{\mathfrak O}\) is Gorenstein and has only rational singularities. He uses general duality theory to prove the key lemma: Let \(\pi \colon X\to Y\) be proper birational, with \(X\) smooth and \(Y\) normal. Suppose there is a morphism \(\phi\colon {\mathcal O}_ X \to \omega_ X\), inducing an isomorphism \(\pi_ *\phi \colon \pi_ *{\mathcal O}_ X \to \pi_ *\omega_ X\). Then \(Y\) is Gorenstein with rational singularities. The key lemma is applied to a desingularisation \(X\) with \(G\)-action of \(\bar {\mathfrak O}^{\text{norm}}\); the morphism comes from a \(G\)-invariant section of \(H^ 0(X,\omega_ X)\). The last section gives a direct construction of this section, due to \textit{D. I. Panyushev}, who also proved the main result [see Funct. Anal. Appl. 25, No. 3, 225-226 (1991); translation from Funkts. Anal. Prilozh. 25, No. 3, 76-78 (1991; Zbl 0749.14030)].