Schubert calculus and the homology of the Peterson variety (Q2344828)

The following is a classic open problem in the Schubert calculus of the flag variety: Given any reasonably nice subvariety \(Y \subset \mathrm{Flags}(\mathbb C^n)\), express the homology class of \(Y\) as an integral linear combination of Schubert classes. In this paper, the authors consider the case where \(Y\) is the Peterson variety. By analyzing the cellular structure of the Peterson variety and the group action of a one-dimensional torus on this variety, they reduce the computations in the intersection theory of the flag variety to a systematic combinatorial analysis of the elements of the symmetric group. In the process, they give a partial solution to the first problem introduced above. their proof counts the points of intersection between certain Schubert varieties in the full flag variety and the Peterson variety, and shows that these intersections are proper and transverse.