Compact simple Lie algebras with two involutions and submanifolds of compact symmetric spaces. I (Q1327618)

Let \(M\) be a compact simply connected Riemannian symmetric space, \(G\) its group of isometries and \(\vartheta\) denote a \(G\)-orbit by this action. The author studies a special class of the following \(G\)-orbits. Let \(R\) denote the curvature tensor of \(M\). An \(s\)-dimensional linear subspace \(V\) in \(T_ p M\) is called strongly curvature-invariant if it satisfies \[ R_ p (V,V)V \subset V \quad \text{ and } \quad R_ p(V^ \perp, V^ \perp) V^ \perp \subset V^ \perp, \] where \(V^ \perp\) denotes the orthogonal complement of \(V\) in \(T_ p M\). As \(\vartheta\) is considered the \(G\)-orbit of a strongly curvature-invariant subspace \(V\), let \(S(M)\) denote the set of such \(G\)-orbits over all \(s\). The main problem of this paper is the following: Determine all \(G\)-orbits \(\vartheta\) in \(S(M)\) whose \(\vartheta\)-geometries have non-totally geodesic \(\vartheta\)-submanifolds. The problem is studied in the following situation: \(M\) is an irreducible compact simply connected symmetric space of classical type. Then the corresponding Lie algebra \({\mathfrak g}\) of Killing vector fields on \(M\) is also compact, simple and of classical type. In the first part the cases where \({\mathfrak g}\) is of type \(A_ \ell\) or \(B_ \ell\) are studied. [Part II, cf. the review below (Zbl 0818.53071)].