On orbital variety closures in \(\mathfrak{sl}_n\). I: Induced Duflo order. (Q1421801)

Let \(G\) be a connected semisimple finite dimensional complex algebraic group. Consider a triangular decomposition \({\mathfrak g}={\mathfrak n}\oplus{\mathfrak h}\oplus{\mathfrak n}^-\) of its Lie algebra. Let \({\mathcal O}=Gx\), \(x\in\mathfrak n\), be a nilpotent \(G\)-orbit under the adjoint action of \(G\). The irreducible components of the intersection \({\mathcal O}\cap \mathfrak n\) are called orbital varieties associated with \(\mathcal O\). They play a key role in the study of primitive ideals of \(U({\mathfrak g})\) and in the Springer representations of the Weyl group. Orbital varieties are examples of algebraic varieties which are Lagrangian subvarieties of the orbits, leading to highest weight representations of \(\mathfrak g\). The vast majority of them are not complete intersections. They remain rather mysterious objects. The paper under review is the first of a series of three papers devoted to the orbital varieties in the case of \(\mathfrak{sl}_n\). The nilpotent orbits in \(\mathfrak{sl}_n\) are determined by the size of its Jordan blocks, in terms of partitions of \(n\), and the orbital varieties are described with Young tableaux. The relation of inclusion on the closures of orbital varieties defines a partial order on Young tableaux. The purpose of the paper is to describe this order. It gives the combinatorial description of the induced Duflo order on Young tableaux, in terms of the Robinson-Schensted procedure.