Regularity of matrix Schubert varieties (Q6103813)

The parameter space for complete flags of nested vector subspaces of \(\mathbb{C}^n\) has a complex cell decomposition given by its Schubert varieties. The geometry and combinatorics of this cell decomposition are of importance in Schubert calculus. Schubert varieties are closely related to generalized determinantal varieties of \(n\times n\) matrices called matrix Schubert varieties. The authors measure algebraic complexity of matrix Schubert varieties by giving a formula for the Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity of matrix Schubert varieties, which is a commutative-algebraic invariant determining the extent to which the defining ideal of generalized determinantal varieties can be resolved by low-degree polynomials. The authors study the highest-degree homogeneous parts of Grothendieck polynomials, which they call Castelnuovo-Mumford polynomials. In addition to the regularity formula, they obtain formulas for the degrees of all Castelnuovo-Mumford polynomials and for their leading terms, as well as a complete description of when two Castelnuovo-Mumford polynomials agree up to scalar multiple. The degree of the Grothendieck polynomial is a new permutation statistic, which the authors call the Rajchgot index; the authors develop the properties of Rajchgot index and relate it to major index and to weak order.