Complete reducibility of subgroups of reductive algebraic groups over non-perfect fields. IV: An \(F_4\) example (Q2136392)

This is the fourth paper that the reviewer is aware of in a series by the third author investigating the behaviour of Serre's notion of complete reducibility for subgroups of reductive groups in the presence of inseparable field extensions, see [the third author, J. Algebra 463, 168--187 (2016; Zbl 1360.20046)] for the first in the series. The examples presented in this paper are more examples of subgroups \(H\) and \(H'\) of a simple algebraic group \(G\) (here of type \(F_4\)) over an imperfect field \(k\) of characteristic \(2\) such that \(H\) is \(G\)-completely reducible over \(\bar{k}\) but not \(G\)-completely reducible over \(k\) and, conversely, \(H'\) is \(G\)-completely reducible over \(k\) but not \(G\)-completely reducible over \(\bar{k}\). Of particular note is the fact that \(H\) is the first example of a connected positive-dimensional subgroup exhibiting this behaviour (connected examples like \(H'\) are fairly easy to come by). For Part II and III see [the third author, Commun. Algebra 45, No. 11, 4833--4845 (2017; Zbl 1481.20180); ibid. 47, No. 12, 4928--4944 (2019; Zbl 07122746)].