Coordinates on Schubert cells, Kostant's harmonic forms, and the Bruhat Poisson structure on \(G/B\) (Q1961713)

Let \(X= G/B \cong K/T\) be the flag manifold of a complex semisimple Lie group \(G\) where \(B\) is a Borel subgroup of \(G\), \(K\) is a compact real form of \(G\), and \(T=K \cap B\) is a maximal torus of \(K\). This paper interprets a number of results of Kostant on the de Rham cohomology of \(X\) in terms of the geometry of the Bruhat Poisson structure on \(X\). Kostant constructed explicit \(K\)-invariant and \((d,\partial)\)-harmonic differential forms \(s^w\) on \(X\) for each \(w\) in the Weyl group. Each has degree equal to twice the length of \(w\) and, taken together, their cohomology classes form a basis of \(H(X,{\mathbb C})\). Moreover, up to scalar multiples, they are dual to the basis of homology generated by the closure of each Bruhat cell, \(\Sigma_w\). On the other hand, the Bruhat cells are also the symplectic leaves of the Bruhat Poisson structure (introduced by Lu and Weinstein). The author chooses special coordinates for each \(\Sigma_w\) that make it possible to explicitly express, among other things, each \(s^w\) in terms of the Bruhat Poisson structure. For instance, one of the main theorems proves \(s^w|_{\Sigma_w} = e^{ \langle \phi_w, iH_\rho \rangle } \mu_w\). In this formula, \(\mu_w\) is the Liouville volume form on \(\Sigma_w\) determined by the symplectic structure inherited by the Bruhat Poisson structure, \(\phi_w\) is the corresponding moment map, and \(H_\rho\) corresponds by the Killing form to the half sum of all positive roots.