Toric matrix Schubert varieties and their polytopes (Q2827358)

Let \(\pi \in S_n\) denote both a permutation and its corresponding \(n \times n\) permutation matrix, i.e., the \((i,j)\)-th entry of \(\pi\) is \(1\) if \(\pi(j) = i\), or \(0\) otherwise. One can associate to \(\pi\) the so-called Schubert variety of \(\pi\). This variety \(\overline{X_{\pi}} \subset \mathbb C^{n^2}\) is defined as the Zariski closure of the points in \(\mathbb C^{n^2}\) obtained as entries of the matrices \(M = B_1 \pi B_2\) where \(B_1\) (respect. \(B_2\)) is a lower (respect. upper) triangular invertible \(n \times n\) matrix.NEWLINENEWLINEWe denote by \(Y_{\pi}\) the variety such that \(\overline{X_{\pi}} = Y_{\pi} \times \mathbb{C}^q\) with \(q\) the maximal possible. In this paper the authors characterize when \(Y_{\pi}\) is a toric variety (with respect to a \((\mathbb C^*)^{2n-1}\) action) in terms of combinatorial properties of the permutation \(\pi\). Whenever \(Y_{\pi}\) is toric, the authors are able to describe a regular triangulation of the moment polytope of the projectivization of \(Y_{\pi}\) (which is a root polytope). They show that, indeed, these triangulations are geometric realizations of a family of subword complexes, providing a new family of geometric realizations of subword complexes which are homeomorphic to balls. Subword complexes were introduced by \textit{A. Knutson} and \textit{E. Miller} [Ann. Math. (2) 161, No. 3, 1245--1318 (2005; Zbl 1089.14007)], who showed that they are homeomorphic to balls or spheres and raised the question of their polytopal realizations.