Toroidal Schubert varieties (Q2198614)

For the Grassmann variety \(\text{Gr}(k,{\mathbb C}^n)\), by the main results of \textit{R. Hodges} and \textit{V. Lakshmibai} [Algebr. Represent. Theory 21, No. 6, 1219--1249 (2018; Zbl 07042767)] there is a complete classification of the Schubert varieties \(X(w)\subseteq\text{Gr}(k,{\mathbb C}^n)\) that are spherical with respect to the action of a Levi subgroup \(L_w\) of the stabilizer in \(\text{GL}_n({\mathbb C})\) of a point of \(X(w)\). For a complex connected reductive group \(G\) and a parabolic subgroup \(Q\subseteq G\), the overall question that is the focus of the article under review is which Schubert varieties \(X\) in the partial flag variety \(G/Q\), viewed as \(L\)-varieties under the action of a Levi subgroup \(L\subseteq G\), are spherical. Their first main result, Theorem 3.4, classifies partial flag varieties \(X=G/Q\) that are horospherical for a Levi subgroup \(L\) of another parabolic subgroup. For the proof, they first reduce to the case when \(L\) is simple and then apply some previous results of \textit{B. Pasquier} [Math. Ann. 344, No. 4, 963--987 (2009; Zbl 1173.14028)] on smooth projective horospherical varieties of Picard number \(1\). This allows them, in Theorem 4.1, to characterize the \(L\)-horospherical partial flag varieties \(X=G/Q\) of Picard number \(1\) that are \textit{toroidal}, that is, where every Borel-stable prime divisor of \(X\) that contains an \(L\)-orbit is \(L\)-stable. Their next general result, Proposition 5.3, gives a necessary and sufficient condition to determine when a Schubert variety contains an orbit of a given Levi subgroup. Their next results are more focused. First, they specialize to type A flag varieties where their main result, Corollary 6.6, gives necessary conditions for a Schubert variety in the Grassmannian to be toroidal. Next, they specialize to Schubert varieties in a partial flag variety \(G/Q\), for \(G\) simple and \(Q\subseteq G\) a (co)minuscule parabolic subgroup. They show that the singular locus of a (co)minuscule Schubert variety \(X(w)\) contains all \(L_{\text{max}}\)-stable Schubert subvarieties, for the standard Levi subgroup of the stabilizer subgroup of the Schubert variety \(X(w)\), and hence \(X(w)\) contains no \(L_{\text{max}}\)-stable Schubert divisors. Their last result, Theorem 8.4, gives the effect of the Billey-Postnikov on toroidal Schubert varieties in type A and provides necessary conditions, for a Schubert variety in a type A partial flag variety, to be toroidal.