The index conjecture for symmetric spaces (Q2661302)

For a Riemannian symmetric space \(M\), the index \(i(M)\) is defined as the minimal possible codimension of a non trivial totally geodesic submanifold. The index conjecture relates the index \(i(M)\) to the fixed point sets of isometric involutions of \(M\). Every connected component of such a fixed point set is a totally geometric submanifold which is called a reflective submanifold. One defines the reflective index \(i_r(M)\) as the minimal possible codimension of a reflective submanifold. The index conjecture states that, for every irreducible Riemannian symmetric space \(M\), the index \(i(M)\) is equal to the reflective index \(i_r(M)\), with two exceptions: \(M=G_2/\operatorname{SO}_4\) and \(M=G_2^2/\operatorname{SO}_4\), for which the equality fails. The conjecture means that, for every Riemannian symmetric space \(M\), different from \(G_2/\operatorname{SO}_4\) and \(G_2^2 /\operatorname{SO}_4\), there exists an isometric involution \(\sigma \) of \(M\) such that \(i(M)=\operatorname{codim} (\Sigma )\), where \(\Sigma \) is a connected component of the fixed point set of \(\sigma \) of maximal dimension. The equality of both indices has been previously proven by the authors for some series of classical symmetric spaces, all compact simple Lie groups, and all exceptionnal symmetric spaces with the two exceptions. But the methods previously developed do not work for the following three series of Riemannain symmetric spaces: -- The Lagrangian Grassmannians \(M=\operatorname{SU}_{2r+2}/\operatorname{Sp}_{r+1}\) (\(r\geq 3\)), -- The quaternionic Grassmannians \(M=\operatorname{Sp}_{2r+k}/\operatorname{Sp} _r\times \operatorname{Sp}_{r+k}\) (\(k\geq 0\), \(r\geq\max(3,k+2)\)), -- The Hermitian symmetric spaces \(M=\operatorname{SO}_{2k+2}/\operatorname{U}_{k+1}\) (\(k\geq 5\)). In the present paper the authors develop new methods and prove for these spaces the equality of the indices. As a result, the equality is now proven for all irreducible Riemannian symmetric spaces, with two exceptions for which the equality fails.