Hessenberg varieties, Slodowy slices, and integrable systems (Q2633099)

Let \(G\) be a simply-connected semisimple complex algebraic group of rank \(r\) with centre \(Z\) and fix a pair of opposite Borel subgroups \(B\) and \(B_{-}\) of \(G\); let \(\mathfrak{g}\), \(\mathfrak{b}\) and \(\mathfrak{b}_{-}\) be their Lie algebras, \(\mathfrak{t} := \mathfrak{b}\cap \mathfrak{b}_{-}\), a Cartan subalgebra of \(\mathfrak{g}\), and let \(\Delta\) be the corresponding set of roots. Now the choice of \(B\) determines subsets of simple, respectively positive, roots \(\Pi\), respectively \(\Delta_+\), so that \(\mathfrak{b} = \oplus_{\alpha \in \Delta_+} \mathfrak{g}_{\alpha}\), \(\mathfrak{b}_{-} = \bigoplus_{\alpha \in \Delta_+} \mathfrak{g}_{-\alpha}\). Set \(\mathfrak{g}_{\alpha}^{\times} = \mathfrak{g}_{\alpha} \backslash 0\) for \(\alpha \in \Delta\). The main character of the paper under review is the quasi-affine variety \[ \mathcal O_{\text{Toda}} := \mathfrak{t}+ \sum_{\alpha \in \Pi} \mathfrak{g}_{-\alpha}^{\times} \] which is isomorphic to a coadjoint orbit of \(B\) and therefore bears a symplectic structure given by the Kostant-Kirillov-Souriau form. Now by the well-known Chevalley restriction theorem, the algebra \(\mathbb C[\mathfrak{g}]^G\) of \(G\)-invariant polynomial functions on \(\mathfrak{g}\) is a polynomial algebra itself. Choose homogeneous algebraically independent generators \(f_1, \dots, f_r\) of \(\mathbb C[\mathfrak{g}]^G\). Pick also \(e_{\alpha} \in \mathfrak{g}_{\alpha}^{\times}\) for \(\alpha \in \Pi\) and set \(\zeta = -\sum_{\alpha \in \Pi} e_{\alpha}\). A celebrated theorem of Kostant states that the restrictions of the translations by \(\zeta\) of \(f_1, \dots, f_r\) form a completely integrable system on \(\mathcal O_{\text{Toda}}\) (with respect to the Kostant-Kirillov-Souriau form) called the \emph{Toda lattice}. See [\textit{B. Kostant}, Sel. Math., New Ser. 2, No. 1, 43--91 (1996; Zbl 0868.14024)]. The purpose of this article is to extend the Toda lattice to a family of Hessenberg varieties. Towards this goal the authors proceed in two steps. First they consider the Slodowy slice \(S_{\text{reg}} := \xi + \ker \text{ad}_{\eta}\) associated to a suitable (principal) \(\mathfrak{sl}_2\)-triple \((\xi, h, \eta)\). It is known that \(G \times S_{\text{reg}}\) can be identified with a symplectic subvariety of the cotangent bundle of \(G\) and that \(G/Z \times S_{\text{reg}}\) is a symplectic quotient of \(G \times S_{\text{reg}}\). Furthermore the invariant polynomials \(f_1, \dots, f_r\) together with \(\zeta\) above give rise to the so-called Mishchenko-Fomenko polynomials. Pulling back these polynomials along the moment map \(\mu: G /Z \times S_{\text{reg}} \to \mathfrak{g}\) one gets a completely integrable system on \(G /Z \times S_{\text{reg}}\), see [\textit{P. Crooks} and \textit{S. Rayan}, Math. Res. Lett. 26, No. 1, 9--33 (2019; Zbl 1421.32029)]. The main achievement of the first step is the construction of a natural embedding of symplectic varieties \(\kappa : \mathcal{O}_{\text{Toda}} \hookrightarrow G /Z \times S_{\text{reg}}\) relating the Toda lattice with the mentioned completely integrable system. Second, the \(B\)-submodule \(H_{0} := \mathfrak{b}+ \sum_{\alpha \in \Pi} \mathfrak{g}_{-\alpha}\) of \(\mathfrak{g}\) determines a \(G\)-equivariant vector bundle on \(G/B\) with total space \(X(H_0) := G\times_{B} H_0\). Let \(\mu_0: X(H_{0}) \to \mathfrak{g}\) be the morphism given by \(\mu_0\left([g, x]\right) = \operatorname{Ad}_g (x)\). The fibres \(X(x, H_{0}) := \mu_0^{-1}(x)\) of \(\mu_0\) are the Hessenberg varieties associated to \(H_0\). Set \(H_{0}^{\times} := \mathfrak{b}+ \sum_{\alpha \in \Pi} \mathfrak{g}_{-\alpha}^{\times}\). The authors prove that \(X(H_0)\) carries a natural Poisson structure having a unique open (and dense) symplectic leaf which is \(X(H_0^{\times}) = G\times_{B} H_0^{\times}\). Then they prove that there exists an open immersion \(\varphi: G /Z \times S_{\text{reg}} \hookrightarrow X(H_0)\) such that \(\mu_0\varphi = \mu\). The image of \(\varphi\) is \(X(H_0^{\times})\) which is isomorphic to \( G /Z \times S_{\text{reg}}\) as a symplectic variety via \(\varphi\). Now pulling back the Mishchenko-Fomenko polynomials along the map \(\mu_0\) one gets a completely integrable system on \(X(H_0)\). In conclusion, the composition \(\varphi\kappa \) is an embedding of completely integrable systems from the Toda lattice on \(\mathcal{O}_{\text{Toda}}\) into that one arising from the Mishchenko-Fomenko polynomials on the family \(X(H_0)\) of Hessenberg varieties. Finally the authors discuss briefly some applications to the geometry of Hessenberg varieties.