Parabolic symmetric spaces (Q849342)

The author considers on a manifold \(M\) a parabolic geometry of type \((G,P)\) for a semisimple Lie group \(G\) and a parabolic subgroup \(P\). This geometry is assumed to be \(|1|\)-graded: \({\mathfrak g}= \text{Lie}(G)\) admits a grading \({\mathfrak g}={\mathfrak g}_{-1}\oplus {\mathfrak g}_0\oplus {\mathfrak g}_1\) such that \({\mathfrak p}= \text{Lie}(P)={\mathfrak g}_0\oplus {\mathfrak g}_1\). For this geometry a symmetry centered at \(x\in M\) is a diffeomorphism \(s_x\) of \(M\) such that \(s_x(x)=x\), \(T_xs_x=- \text{id}\) on \(T_xM\), and \(s_x\) is covered by an automorphism of the geometry. The author proves that, if there is such a symmetry \(s_x\) for each \(x\in M\), and if the system of symmetries is smooth, then the parabolic geometry is homogeneous. Furthermore if \[ s_x\circ s_y\circ s_x=s_{s_x(y)}\quad (x,y\in M), \] and under an additional assumption, the author establishes the existence of an affine connection \(\nabla \) on \(M\) such that \((M,\nabla )\) is an affine symmetric space.