Exotic symmetric space over a finite field. III (Q2257458)

This is a joint review of the second [\textit{T. Shoji} and \textit{K. Sorlin}, Transform. Groups 19, No. 3, 887--926 (2014; Zbl 1319.14056)] and the third part. Let \(k\) be an algebraic closure of a finite field of odd characteristic. Let \(V\) be a \(k\)-vector space of dimension \(2n\). Let \(H\) be the symplectic group \(G^{\theta} \cong \mathrm{Sp}_{2n}\) where \(\theta\) is an involutive automorphism on \(G = \mathrm{GL}(V)\). The symmetric space \(G/H\) can be identified with \(G_{-}^{\theta} := \{g \in G : \theta(g)=g^{-1} \}\). Further, \(H\) acts diagonally on the variety \(\mathbb{X} := G_{-}^{\theta} \times V\). In the first two papers in this series [\textit{T. Shoji} and \textit{K. Sorlin}, Transform. Groups 18, No. 3, 877--929 (2013; Zbl 1308.14050); Transform. Groups 19, No. 3, 887--926 (2014; Zbl 1319.14056)], the intersection cohomology complexes associated to \(H\)-orbits on \(\mathbb{X}\) are studied. In the first one, the set of character sheaves on \(\mathbb{X}\) is defined as a certain set of \(H\)-equivariant simple perverse sheaves on \(\mathbb{X}\). The authors consider the \(\mathbb{F}_q\)-structure on \(\mathbb{X}\) with Frobenius map \(F\). If \(\hat{\mathbb{X}}^F\) denotes the set of character sheaves \(A\) such that \(F^{\ast}A \cong A\), then in the second paper, the authors prove that if \(q\) is large enough, the set of characteristic functions of character sheaves in it forms a basis of the space of \(H^F\)-invariant functions on \(\mathbb{X}^F\). A more general definition of character sheaves modelled on a method of Ginzburg had been suggested by \textit{A. Henderson} and \textit{P. E. Trapa} [J. Algebra 370, 32--45 (2012; Zbl 1273.14093)]. In the third paper, it is shown that the two definitions coincide; this was conjectured in the second paper. At the end of the third paper, the authors point out the corrections needed to be made in the first two papers.