Convexity theorems for varieties invariant under a Borel subgroup (Q851484)

Consider \((M,\omega)\) a compact Kähler manifold. If we assume the existence of a Kählerian action of the torus \(T=(S^1)^n\) on \(M\) with fixed points, then we get a moment map \(\Phi_0:M \rightarrow\text{Lie}(T)^*\). Then, a beautiful result of \textit{M. F. Atiyah} [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 14, 1--15 (1982; Zbl 0482.58013)] asserts that the image by \(\Phi_0\) of the closure \(\overline{\text{Orb}(x)}\) of a complex orbit (through a point \(x\) of \(M\)) is a convex polytope. Indeed, this moment image is the convex hull of the set \(\Phi_0\left(\overline{\text{Orb}(x)}_{fix}\right)\) where \(\overline{\text{Orb}(x)}_{fix}\) denotes the set of fixed points for the action on \(\overline{\text{Orb}(x)}\). We refer to [\textit{M. Audin}, Torus actions on symplectic manifolds, Progress in Mathematics (Boston, Mass.) 93 (2004; Zbl 1062.57040)] for a survey on the important consequences of this theorem. Now assume on \(M\) the existence of a positive Hermitian holomorphic line bundle \(L\) whose curvature form is \(\omega\). Let \(G\) be a compact Lie group acting on \((M,L)\) by bundle automorphisms that preserve the complex structure of \(M\) and the Hermitian structure of \(L\). We have an induced moment map \(\Phi : M \rightarrow \text{Lie}(G)^*\) and the action extends to the complexification \(G_{\mathbb{C}}\) by holomorphic line bundle automorphisms on \(L\). For a Borel subgroup \(B\) of \(G_{\mathbb{C}}\), let \(T\) be the maximal torus of \(G\) contained in \(B\) and Lie\((T)\) its Lie algebra. We denote Lie\((T)^*_{+}\) the closed Weyl chamber in Lie\((T)^*\) that is positive with respect to \(B\). In this context, the authors prove that if \(X\) is a \(B\)-invariant irreducible closed analytic subvariety of \(M\), then the image of \(X\) under the moment map \(\Phi\) intersects Lie\((T)^*_{+}\) in a convex polytope. One has to remark that \textit{M. Brion} [Sémin. d'algèbre P. Dubreil et M.-P. Malliavin, Proc., Paris 1986, Lect. Notes Math. 1296, 177--192 (1987; Zbl 0667.58012)] extended Aityah's theorem to nonabelian groups for \(G_{\mathbb{C}}\)-invariant subvarieties of complex projective spaces. Inspired from the work of Brion and Kirwan, the authors define a set of rational weights \(C(X,L)\) which is contained in the positive Weyl chamber Lie\((T)^*_{+}\) and that is the convex hull of a finite subset of \(\Hom(T,U(1))\otimes\mathbb{Q}\). Now, the main result follows from the fact that \(C(X,L)\) is the set of rational points in \(\Delta(X)=\Phi(X) \cap \text{Lie}(T)^*_{+}\) and is dense in \(\Delta(X)\). An application of this nonabelian convexity theorem to generalized Schubert varieties is also discussed and it is obtained a generalization of a result of Atiyah concerning the convexity of the image of a Schubert variety for torus actions.