The Grassmannian variety. Geometric and representation-theoretic aspects (Q2356491)

Grassmann varieties are simple and natural generalizations of projective spaces, and their decomposition into Schubert cells is a familiar textbook example from algebraic topology. At the same time, study of Grassmannians and Schubert varieties revealed fascinating connections between combinatorics, algebraic geometry and representation theory. The present book gives a detailed treatment of the standard monomial theory (SMT) for the Grassmannians and their Schubert subvarieties along with several applications of SMT. It can be used as a reference book by experts and graduate students who study varieties with a reductive group action such as flag and toric varieties. The book consists of three parts: Algebraic geometry: a brief recollection. Grassmann and Schubert varieties. Flag varieties and related varieties. The first part contains a brief reminder on main concepts and results from commutative algebra and algebraic geometry. Those readers who are familiar with these topics can skip the first part. In the second part of the book, Grassmannians and Schubert varieties are introduced. The authors define the Plücker embedding and standard monomials in the Plücker coordinates on Schubert varieties. They prove that the standard monomials form a basis in the coordinate ring of a Schubert variety. The standard monomial basis is then used to prove Pieri's formula and vanishing of the higher cohomology groups on Schubert varieties with coefficients in the powers of the tautological line bundle in the Plücker embedding. Applications of these results include the proofs that all Schubert varieties are arithmetically Cohen-Macaulay and normal. The authors also characterize factorial and Gorenstein Schubert varieties and describe the singular locus of a Schubert variety. Further applications include flat degenerations of Schubert varieties and computation of their degrees in the Plücker embedding. The third part of the book contains an overview of topics related to Grassmannians such as geometry of complete flag varieties, classical invariant theory and determinantal varieties. Most results are stated without proofs. The SMT on complete flag varieties and on their Schubert subvarieties is outlined. Further results on complete flag varieties include a definition of their toric degenerations, a criterion for smoothness of Schubert varieties in terms of pattern avoidance, a description of the singular locus of a Schubert variety, and Borel's presentation of the cohomology rings of flag varieties. The case of generalized Grassmannians and flag varieties (for semisimple groups) is briefly discussed in the end of the book. In particular, the authors mention some of the recent results on Newton-Okounkov bodies of Bott-Samelson varieties and their relation to string polytopes and toric degenerations. The present book offers a useful complement to the book [\textit{L. Manivel}, Symmetric functions, Schubert polynomials and degeneracy loci. Transl. from the French by John R. Swallow. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (AMS) (2001; Zbl 0998.14023)].