Extremal contractions, stratified Mukai flops and Springer maps (Q2370160)

Let \(\mathcal O\) be a nilpotent orbit in a simple complex Lie algebra \(\mathfrak g\). If \(\mathcal O\) is a Richardson orbit, then the closure of \(\mathcal O\), \(\overline{\mathcal O}\), admits a resolution of the form \(\pi: T^*(G/Q)\to \overline{\mathcal O}\), where \(Q\) is a parabolic subgroup of \(G\). In this case, the author says that \(\pi\) is the Springer map associated with \(Q\). The conjugacy class of such a \(Q\) is not unique in general. The author proves that, for two Springer maps \(\pi_i: T^*(G/Q_i)\to \overline{\mathcal O}\) (\(i=1,2\)) having the same degree, there is a birational map \(T^*(G/Q_1)\to T^*(G/Q_2)\) over \(\overline{\mathcal O}\) which decomposes into a finite sequence of (analytically) locally trivial families of stratified Mukai flops. In particular, this yields another proof of the result of \textit{Y. Namikawa} [in: Moduli spaces and arithmetic geometry. Pap. 13th Int. Res. Inst. Math. Soc. Japan, Kyoto, Japan 2004. Advanced Studies in Pure Mathematics 45, 75--116 (2006; Zbl 1117.14018)] that two symplectic resolutions of \(\overline{\mathcal O}\) are connected via stratified Mukai flops. The author also completes the classification if nilpotent orbits whose closure admits a symplectic resolution. Another by-product is a recipe for computing the degree of the Springer map associated with any parabolic subgroup.