Embeddings of symmetric varieties (Q1601414)

\textit{È. B. Vinberg} [in: Lie groups and Lie algebras: E. B. Dynkin's Seminar, Transl., Ser. 2, Am. Math. Soc. 169, 145--182 (1995; Zbl 0840.20041)] classifies reductive algebraic monoids in characteristic zero that are equivariant, dominant, normal, affine embeddings of a reductive algebraic group, and studies some of their properties. Furthermore, to a semisimple algebraic group \(G_0\), he associates an affine algebraic monoid with certain nice properties, the enveloping semigroup \(\text{Env}(G_0)\), and shows how the wonderful completion of the adjoint group of \(G_0\) can be obtained from \(\text{Env}(G_0)\). A homogeneous space \(G/H\) of the reductive group \(G\) is called symmetric if there exists an involution \(\tau\) of \(G\) such that \(G^{\tau}\subseteq H\subseteq N_G(G^{\tau})\), where \(G^{\tau}\) is the subgroup of fixed points. The author extends the construction to the case of a symmetric variety of a semisimple algebraic group, establishing a connection with the wonderful completion of the associated adjoint symmetric variety due to C. De Concini and C. Procesi.