Criteria for rational smoothness of some symmetric orbit closures. (Q655340)

Let \(G\) be a connected reductive linear algebraic group over \(\mathbb C\) with an involution \(\theta\). Denote by \(K\) the subgroup of fixed points. In certain cases, the \(K\)-orbits in the flag variety \(G/B\) are indexed by the set of twisted identities \(\iota=\{\theta(w-1)w\mid w\in W\}\) in the Weyl group \(W\). Assume we are in such a case. A good example is when \(K=\text{Sp}_{2n}(\mathbb C)\), \(G=\text{GL}_{2n}(\mathbb C)\). Under the assumption, a criterion is established for rational smoothness of orbit closures which generalises classical results of Carrell and Peterson for Schubert varieties. That is, whether an orbit closure is rationally smooth at a given point can be determined by examining the degrees in a ``Bruhat graph'' whose vertices form a subset of \(\iota\). Moreover, an orbit closure is rationally smooth everywhere if and only if its corresponding interval in the Bruhat order on \(\iota\) is rank symmetric. -- For the proofs one shows that some Kazhdan-Lusztig-Vogan polynomials still have the required properties under the above assumption. In the special case \(K=\text{Sp}_{2n}(\mathbb C)\), \(G=\text{SL}_{2n}(\mathbb C)\), the author strengthens the criterion by showing that only the degree of a single vertex, the ``bottom one'', needs to be examined. This generalises a result of Deodhar for type \(A\) Schubert varieties.