Deformations of cones of primitive vectors (Q2373387)

This well written paper classifies and studies the ``simplest'' examples of the invariant Hilbert scheme introduced by \textit{V.~Alexeev} and \textit{M.~Brion} [J. Algebr. Geom. 14, 83--117 (2005; Zbl 1081.14005)]. Let \(G\) be a complex connected reductive group, \(V\) a finite-dimensional rational \(G\)-module and \(h:\Lambda^+ \rightarrow \mathbb{N}\) a function, where \(\Lambda^+\) is the set of dominant weights of \(G\) (corresponding to a choice of a maximal torus \(T\) of \(G\) and a Borel subgroup \(B\) containing it.) Alexeev and Brion's invariant Hilbert scheme \(\text{Hilb}^G_h(V)\) parametrizes those \(G\)-stable closed subschemes \(X\) of \(V\) whose coordinate ring \(\mathbb C[X]\) is isomorphic as a \(G\)-module to \(\bigoplus_{\lambda \in \Lambda^+}V(\lambda)^{h(\lambda)}\), where \(V(\lambda)\) is the irreducible module with highest weight \(\lambda \in \Lambda^+\). One says that such an \(X\) has Hilbert function \(h\). In the paper under review Jansou studies the case where \(V=V(\lambda)\) for some \(\lambda \in \Lambda^+\) and \(h\) takes value \(1\) on \(\mathbb N\lambda^*\) and value \(0\) everywhere else. Here \(\lambda^* \in \Lambda^+\) denotes the highest weight of the dual module \(V(\lambda)^*\) to \(V(\lambda)\). In the first half of the paper, he proves that the corresponding invariant Hilbert scheme \(H_{\lambda}\) is either a reduced point or an affine line. Moreover, he classifies those couples \((G,\lambda)\) for which it is an affine line. To give a few more details, let \(v_{\lambda}\in V(\lambda)\) be a highest weight vector (i.e.~a \(B\)-eigenvector). Then the cone \(C_{\lambda}:=G\cdot v_{\lambda} \cup \{0\}\) of primitive vectors of \(V(\lambda)\) is a closed subscheme of \(V(\lambda)\) with Hilbert function \(h\). It therefore corresponds to a closed point of \(H_{\lambda}\), also denoted \(C_{\lambda}\). Moreover, it is the unique closed point of \(H_{\lambda}\) fixed by the natural action of \(\text{GL}(V(\lambda))^G \cong \mathbb C^{\times}\) on \(H_{\lambda}\). Using some case-by-case analysis of root systems and elementary notions about irreducible representations, Jansou first calculates that the tangent space to \(H_{\lambda}\) at \(C_{\lambda}\) has dimension \(1\) or \(0\). Making use of a theorem of \textit{D.~Akhiezer} [Ann. Global Anal. Geom. 1, 49--78 (1983; Zbl 0537.14033)] classifying homogeneous spaces which allow an equivariant completion by a homogeneous divisor, he then shows that whenever the tangent space has dimension \(1\), \(H_{\lambda}\) contains a closed point different from \(C_{\lambda}\). Put differently, he finds a \(G\)-invariant deformation of the cone \(C_{\lambda}\). This then allows him to conclude that in these cases \(H_{\lambda}\) is isomorphic to the affine line \(\AA^1\). The reviewer remarks that some of these ideas have been explored further by \textit{P. Bravi} and \textit{S. Cupit-Foutou} [Equivariant deformations of the affine multicone over a flag variety, preprint, \url{arXiv:math/0603690}]. In the second part of the paper the author studies the infinitesimal deformations of \(C_{\lambda}\), that is to say the flat families over \(\text{Spec}(\mathbb C[t]/(t^2))\) for which the fiber over the closed point is \(C_{\lambda}\). They are classified (up to isomorphism) by a vector space \(T^1(C_{\lambda})\). Because \(C_{\lambda}\) is a \(G\)-variety, \(T^1(C_{\lambda})\) is a \(G\)-module and Jansou determines the \(G\)-module structure of \(T^1(C_{\lambda})\) for all couples \((G,\lambda)\) where \(G\) is a connected reductive group and \(\lambda\) is a dominant weight. He finds that \(C_{\lambda}\) is rigid in most cases. Extending a result of \textit{H. Pinkham} [``Deformations of algebraic varieties with \(G_m\) action'', Astérisque 20, 1--131 (1974; Zbl 0304.14006)] he also describes the versal deformation of \(C_{\lambda}\). In a short appendix he proves that if \(z\) is the point of \textit{A.~Grothendieck's} Hilbert scheme [Séminaire Bourbaki 13(1960/61), No. 221, (1961; Zbl 0236.14003)] \(\text{Hilb}(\mathbb{P}(V(\lambda)))\) corresponding to the flag variety \(X_{\lambda}:=G\cdot [v_{\lambda}] \subseteq \mathbb{P}(V(\lambda))\), then the \(\mathrm{GL}(V)\)-orbit of \(z\) in \(\text{Hilb}(\mathbb{P}(V(\lambda)))\) is open. As a corollary he obtains that \(z\) is a reduced isolated point in the subscheme \(\text{Hilb}^G(\mathbb{P}(V(\lambda)))\) of \(\text{Hilb}(\mathbb{P}(V(\lambda)))\) which parametrizes the closed subschemes of \(\mathbb{P}(V(\lambda))\) which are \(G\)-stable.