Faithful tropicalization of the Grassmannian of planes (Q464148)

Suppose that \(K\) is a complete field with respect to a non-Archimedean valuation \(\nu:K\rightarrow \mathbb{R}\cup \{-\infty\}\) which induces an absolute value \(|\cdot |=\exp(-\nu(\cdot))\) on \(K\) and \(X\) is an algebraic variety over \(K\). The analytification of \(X\) which is denoted by \(X^{\mathrm{an}}\) is the set of all multiplicative seminorms on the ring of regular functions \(K[X]\) of \(X\) which are compatible with \(\nu\). If we take an embedding of \(X\) into an affine space and take the coordinatewise valuation map, we get the tropicalization of \(X\). Forming the tropicalization by this way depends on the particular choice of the embedding. The inverse limit of all tropicalizations which is now independent of the coordinates is shown to be homeomorphic to \(X^{\mathrm{an}}\) by \textit{S. Payne} [Math. Res. Lett. 16, No. 2-3, 543--556 (2009; Zbl 1193.14077)] This is one of the strong interrelations between the two concepts. Many natural questions arise in this manner as the structure of the maps between \(X^{\mathrm{an}}\) and the tropicalization of \(X\) for different varieties \(X\). If there exists a continuous section of the tropicalization map which is from \(X^{\mathrm{an}}\) to the tropicalization of \(X\) then the tropicalization is called faithful. If \(X\) is a curve, the faithful tropicalization problem is discussed in [\textit{M. Baker} et al., ``Nonarchimedean geometry, tropicalization, and metrics on curves'', \url{arxiv:1104.0320}]. They show that, for every finite embedded subgraph \(\Gamma\) of non-leaves of \(X^{\mathrm{an}}\) in the \(\mathbb{R}\)-tree model of \(X^{\mathrm{an}}\), there is a tropicalization of \(X\) such that \(\Gamma\) maps isometrically onto it. One may ask for a faithful tropicalization when the variety is higher dimensional. In the paper under review, this question is answered for Grassmannian of planes. The main result of the paper is given as Theorem 1 which shows that there exists a continuous section of the tropicalization map which is a map from \(\mathrm{Gr}(2,n)^{\mathrm{an}}\) to the tropical \(\mathrm{Gr}(2,n)\) where \(\mathrm{Gr}(2,n)\) is the Grassmannian of 2-planes in n-space. Hence they show that the tropical \(\mathrm{Gr}(2,n)\) is homeorphic to a closed subset of \(\mathrm{Gr}(2,n)^{\mathrm{an}}\). The paper is clearly written and well-organized. Although it is self-contained, it may be good to have an idea about the papers [\textit{M. Baker} et al., ``Nonarchimedean geometry, tropicalization, and metrics on curves'', \url{arxiv:1104.0320}. (2011)] and [\textit{D. Speyer} and \textit{B. Sturmfels}, Adv. Geom. 4, No. 3, 389--411 (2004; Zbl 1065.14071)] before reading this paper. After a clear introduction, Berkovich analytic space is defined, where they also give two examples \({(\mathbb{A}_K^n})^{\mathrm{an}}\) (also they give skeleton map here) and \({(\mathbb{P}_K^n})^{\mathrm{an}}\). Then they define the tropicalization in a very general setting. In the next section they give the definition of \(\mathrm{Gr}(2,n)\) by using the Plücker embedding and they define the tropicalization of \(\mathrm{Gr}(2,n)\). A technical proof of the main theorem is given in the next section. In the following sections they give the fibers of the tropicalization map and piecewise linear structures on tropical \(\mathrm{Gr}(2,n)\) and \(\mathrm{Gr}(2,n)^{\mathrm{an}}\). In the last section they show an application to view the Petersen graph inside the analytification of the quotient of an open subvariety of \(\mathrm{Gr}(2,5)\) by a torus action.