Classification of Schubert Galois groups in \(Gr(4, 9)\) (Q6093958)

\textit{R. Vakil} in [Ann. Math. (2) 164, No. 2, 371--422 (2006; Zbl 1163.05337)] and [Ann. Math. (2) 164, No. 2, 489--512 (2006; Zbl 1115.14043)] introduced an algorithmic method, based on his geometric version of the Littlewood-Richardson rule, to study the Galois group of a Schubert problem in a Grassmannian \(\operatorname{Gr}(k,n)\) of \(k\)-dimensional subspaces of \({\mathbb C}^n\). Vakil applied this method to show that every Schubert Galois group in \(\operatorname{Gr}(2,n)\) for \(n\leq 16\) and in \(\operatorname{Gr}(3,n)\) for \(n\leq 9\) is at least alternating. These results have been further extended by C. J. Brooks, A. Martín del Campo and F. Sottile [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 367, No. 6, 4183--4206 (2015; Zbl 1312.14127)] to show that for any \(n\) every Schubert Galois group in \(\operatorname{Gr}(2, n)\) contains an alternating group. Even more, Galois groups of Schubert problems in \(\operatorname{Gr}(4, 8)\) have been studied by \textit{A. Martín del Campo} and \textit{F. Sottile} [Adv. Stud. Pure Math. 71, 295--335 (2016; Zbl 1378.14056)] and \textit{F. Sottile} and \textit{J. White} [Algebr. Geom. 2, No. 4, 422--445 (2015; Zbl 1332.14068)]. In the paper under review the authors prove that of the 31 806 essential Schubert problems in the Grassmannian \(\operatorname{Gr}(4, 9)\) there are only 149 whose Galois group does not contain the alternating group. Moreover, they identify the Galois groups of these 149 exceptions and classify them, in two families, using their geometry.