Representations with \(\mathsf{Sp}(1)^k\)-reductions and quaternion-Kähler symmetric spaces (Q667632)

Two representations \(\tau_1\) and \(\tau_2\) are said to be quotient-equivalent if they have isometric orbit spaces. If \(\tau_1\) is a representation and there is a quotient-equivalent representation \(\tau_2\) of a lower-dimensional group, then \(\tau_1\) is said to be reduced to \(\tau_2\) and \(\tau_2\) is a reduction of \(\tau_1\). A reduction with smallest possible dimension of the underlying group is called a minimal reduction. An orthogonal representation of a compact Lie group \(G\) on a Euclidean space \(V\) is called polar if there exists a subspace \(S\) of \(V\) that meets all the \(G\)-orbits and always meets them orthogonally. It is known that an orthogonal representation is polar if and only if its orbit space is isometric to the orbit space of an orthogonal representation of a finite group. Polar reductions are related to symmetric spaces. In [J. Reine Angew. Math. 691, 61--100 (2014; Zbl 1308.22004)], \textit{C. Gorodski} and \textit{A. Lytchak} considered orthogonal representations of compact Lie groups from the point of view of their quotient spaces, considered as metric spaces. They studied metric spaces which are simultaneously quotients of different representations and investigated properties of the corresponding representations. In [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 143, No. 1, 379--386 (2015; Zbl 1308.22007)], \textit{C. Gorodski} and \textit{A. Lytchak} studied and classified those irreducible representations of connected groups that reduce to actions of groups with identity component a torus \(S^1\times\dots\times S^1\). They showed that, mostly, those are close relatives of Hermitian symmetric spaces. In this paper, the authors study the quaternionic version, namely, those irreducible representations of connected groups that reduce to an action of a group whose identity component is a quaternionic torus \(S^3\times\dots\times S^3\). Interestingly enough, these are related to quaternion-Kähler symmetric spaces, in a stricter sense than in the Hermitian case. The authors classify non-polar irreducible representations of connected compact Lie groups whose orbit space is isometric to that of a representation of a finite extension of \(\text{Sp}(1)^k\) for some \(k>0\). It follows that they are obtained from isotropy representations of certain quaternion-Kähler symmetric spaces by restricting to the non-\(\text{Sp}(1)\)-factor. The authors show that if \(\tau:H\to\text{O}(W)\) is a non-polar irreducible representation of a connected compact Lie group, \(T\) is quotient-equivalent to a representation \(\rho:G\to\text{O}(V)\), where \(G^0\cong\text{Sp}(1)^k\) for some \(k>0\) and \(\dim G<\dim H\), then \(k=3\), \(G\) is disconnected and \(V=\otimes^3\mathbb C^2\); moreover, the cohomogeneity of \(\tau\) is 7 and it is obtained by restricting the isotropy representation of a certain quaternion-Kähler symmetric space to the non-\(\text{Sp}(1)\)-factor.