Geometry of orbits of permanents and determinants (Q373491)

Let \(V\) be a complex vector space of dimension \(m\) and let \(Q\) be the space of alternating \(m\)-multilinear fonction on \(V\). Let \(\det\in Q\) be the determinant and let \(p\in Q\) be the padded permanents, namely for any matrix \(M\in \mathrm{End}(V)\), \(p(M)=x^{m-n}_{1,1} \mathrm{perm}(M_o)\), \(M_o\) being the component of \(M\) in the right down \(n \times n\) corner (after fixing a basis of \(V\)). Let \(X\) (resp. \(Y\)) be the orbit closure of \(\det\) (resp. \(p\)) inside \(Q\) (under the action of \(G=\mathrm{GL}(\mathrm{End}(V))\)). For any positive integer \(n\), let \(m'=m'(n)\) (resp \(m=m(n)\)) be the smallest positive integer such that \(p\in \mathrm{Lie}(G)\cdot \det\) (resp. \(p\in X\)). Then, \textit{L. G. Valiant} conjectured that the function \(m'\) grows faster than any polynomial in \(n\) (see [``Completeness classes in algebra'', Conference Record of the Eleventh Annual ACM Symposium on Theory of Computing (Atlanta, Ga., 1979), ACM, New York 249--261 (1979; \url{doi:10.1145/800135.804419})]). This conjecture is equivalent to an algebraic version of Cook \(P\neq NP\) conjecture. \textit{K. D. Mulmuley} and \textit{M. Sohoni} [J. Comput. 31, No. 2, 496--526 (2001; Zbl 0992.03048); SIAM J. Comput. 38, No. 3, 1175--1206 (2008; Zbl 1168.03030)] formulated the following stronger conjecture: the function \(m\) grows faster than any polynomial in \(n\). They further conjectured that if \(p\) does not belong to \(X\), then there exists an irreducible \(G\)-module which occurs in \(\mathbb{C}[Y]\) but does not occur in \(\mathbb{C}[X]\). \textit{J. M. Landsberg}, \textit{L. Manivel} and \textit{N. Ressayre} [Hypersurfaces with degenerate duals and the geometric complexity theory program, Preprint, \url{arxiv:1004.4802}] have shown that \(m(n)\geq \frac{n^2}{2}\). One important property in the study of the ring of regular functions on a variety \(Z\) is the normality of \(Z\). The main result of this work is that both of the varieties \(X\) and \(Y\) are not normal (for \(n\) and \(m\) sufficiently large). To prove the non-normality of \(X\), the author shows that there exists a \(G'\)-invariant function on \(X\) which defines the boundary of \(X\) set theoretically (but not scheme theoretically). In particular, each irreducible component of the boundary of \(X\) is of codimension one in \(X\).