Type \(D\) quiver representation varieties, double Grassmannians, and symmetric varieties (Q2214095)

The study of the representation theory of quivers from a geometric viewpoint is an useful (and well understood) approach to the theory. In this paper, the authors take a step further in their program, that seeks to exhibit the interplay between the (equivariant) geometry of the representation varieties of Dynkin quivers and the geometry of Schubert varieties in multiple flag varieties. More precisely, let \(Q\) be a type \(D\) quiver and denote the \(\Bbbk\)-representation variety for the dimension vector \(\mathbf d\) by \(\operatorname{rep}_Q(\mathbf d)\), where \(\Bbbk\) is an algebraically closed field; Let \(G=\operatorname{GL}(\mathbf d)\) be the base change group -- \(G\) acts on \(\operatorname{rep}_Q(\mathbf d)\). The main result of this work states that there is \(\operatorname{GL}(a+b)\) such that if \(K\) denotes the group \(\operatorname{GL}(a)\times \operatorname{GL}(b)\) embedded diagonally (by blocks) on \(G\), then there exists an order-preserving injective map from the set of \(\operatorname{GL}(\mathbf d)\)-orbit closures in \(\operatorname{rep}_Q(\mathbf d)\) into the set of \(P\)-orbit closures in \(K\backslash G\) for some parabolic subgroup \(P\subset G\). Moreover, any smooth equivalence class of singularities occurring in the domain of this map also occurs in the codomain. The authors also exhibit an homomorphism between the Grothendieck groups of \(K_T(K\backslash G)\to K_{T(\mathbf d)}(\operatorname{rep}_Q(\mathbf d)\)). As a consequence of their work, using general results from the theory of spherical varieties the authors derive a result from [\textit{G. Bobiński} and \textit{G. Zwara}, Colloq. Math. 94, No. 2, 285--309 (2002; Zbl 1013.14011)]: the orbit closures in type \(D\) quiver representation are normal, Cohen-Macaulay and have rational singularities.