Pattern characterization of rationally smooth affine Schubert varieties of type \(A\) (Q1931686)

This article classifies rationally smooth Schubert varieties in affine flag varieties of type \(A\). An \(n\)-dimensional complex algebraic variety is called rationally smooth at a point \(x\) if \(H^{\bullet}(X,X\backslash x ; \mathbb{Q}) = \mathbb{Q} \cdot \alpha\) for a generator \(\alpha\) in degree \(2n\). A classical result in the theory of singularities of Schubert varieties is the classification of smooth Schubert varieties in flag varieties of type \(A\). Lakshmibai and Sandhya proved that such a Schubert variety is smooth if and only if it is indexed by a permutation that avoids the patterns 4231 and 3412. Another theorem from Peterson shows that in classical types A, D, E rational smoothness and smoothness of Schubert varieties is equivalent. The authors point out that in the affine case this result does not hold true anymore. Their classification of rational smoothness is given by affine permutations avoiding the patterns 4231 and 3412 or twisted spiral permutations. Despite the technical nature of this result, the authors made a remarkable job at explaining the details. They recall all necessary background on affine permutations and rational smoothness of Schubert varieties. The proof is based on the classical result from Lakshmibai and Sandhya and another result from Carrell that a Schubert variety is rationally smooth if and only if its Poincaré polynomial \(P_w(q)\) is palindromic, i.e., \(P_w(q) = q^n P_w(q^{-1})\). Since the Poincaré polynomial can be described in terms of affine permutations, the proof can be completely reduced to combinatorics. It remains unknown which of these varieties are smooth. However, the authors remark that while there are infinitely many rationally smooth Schubert varieties in an affine flag variety of type \(A\), the number of smooth Schubert varieties is finite.