Spherical homogeneous spaces of minimal rank (Q981617)

The author studies and classifies the spherical homogeneous spaces of minimal rank. Examples of such spaces are flag manifolds, algebraic tori and reductive groups \(G\) (seen as \(G\times G\)-spaces). Let \(G\) be be a connected reductive group over an algebraic closed field of characteristic zero and let \(G/B\) be the complete flag variety. An algebraic subgroup \(H\) of \(G\) is spherical if it acts on \(G/B\) with finitely many orbits; in this case also \(G/H\) is said spherical. A pair \((G,H)\) is a spherical pair of minimal rank if there is \(x\in G/B\) such that \(Hx\subset G/B\) is open and \(H_x\) contains a maximal torus of \(H\); in particular \(H\) is spherical. One can define the rank \(rk(G/H)\) of \(G/H\) for any spherical subgroup \(H\). Moreover, \(rk(G/H)\geq rk(G)-rk(H)\) and the equality holds if and only if \((G,H)\) is of minimal rank. Let \(H(G/B)\) be the set of \(H\)-orbits in \(G/B\). If \(H\) is a parabolic subgroup the elements of \(H(G/B)\) are the Schubert varieties and are indexed by \(W_G/W_H\) (\(W_G\) is the Weyl group of \(G\)). Most of the properties of Schubert varieties cannot be generalized if \(H\) is only spherical. However, \(H(G/B)\) has nice properties if \(H\) is minimal. For example, the Schubert varieties are normal. By a result of Brion, the elements of \(H(G/B)\) are still normal if \(G/H\) is of minimal rank, but for generic spherical space the elements of \(H(G/B)\) are not normal [see \textit{M. Brion}, Comment. Math. Helv. 76, No. 2, 263--299 (2001; Zbl 1043.14012) and \textit{S. Pin}, Sur les singularités des orbites d'un sous-groupe de Borel dans les espaces symétriques. Thèse, Université Grenoble I, (2001)]. In \S2 the author proves some characterizations of the minimality of \(H\) in terms of \(H(G/B)\). Knop has defined an action of \(W_G\) on \(H(G/B)\). In particular, the author proves that \(W_G\) acts transitively on \(H(G/B)\) if and only if \(G/H\) has minimal rank; in this case the isotropy groups are isomorphic to \(W_H\). In the proof is used a graph with vertices the elements of \(H(G/B)\). This graph has been introduced by Brion [Zbl 1043.14012] and was also studied by the author [Bull. Soc. Math. Fr. 132, No. 4, 543--567 (2004; Zbl 1076.14073)]. The inclusion defines an order on \(H(G/B)\) which generalizes the Bruhat order. \textit{F. Knop} [Comment. Math. Helv. 70, No.2, 285-309 (1995; Zbl 0828.22016)] defined an action of a monoid \(\widetilde{W}\) (constructed from the generator of \(W\)), which can be used to describe the Bruhat order. In Corollary 2.1 is proved a generalization of this description. The number of Schubert varieties of dimension \(d\) equals the number of Schubert varieties of codimension \(d\). A similar symmetry is showed in Proposition 2.3. Another important property of these space is the following one. Let \(T\) be a maximal torus of \(G\). A spherical homogeneous space \(G/H\) is of minimal rank if and only if for any complete toroidal embedding \(X\) of \(G/H\) and any \(x\in X^T\), \(Gx\) is complete. This property seems to play a key role in several works about the (wonderful) embedding of \(G\times G/G\). For example, in [\textit{A. Tchoudjem}, Bull. Soc. Math. Fr. 135, No. 2, 171--214 (2007; Zbl 1181.14027)] it is used to give a description of the sheaf cohomology of the wonderful compactification of \(G\times G/G\). In \S3 the author uses the above-mentioned characterizations to reduce the classification of spherical pairs \((G,H)\) of minimal rank to the special case where \(G\) is semisimple adjoint and \(H\) is simple. Indeed, any \(G/H\) of minimal rank can be obtained from ones of this type and from tori by products, finite covers and parabolic inductions. Finally, in \S4 the author prove a classification of these special varieties (see Theorem A). In the proof he uses the following property. Doing some appropriate choices, the restriction of characters from a maximal torus of \(G\) to a maximal torus of \(H\) induces a surjection on the respective sets of simple roots. The fibers of this map have at most two elements, so to any special \((G,H)\) can be associated an involution of the vertices of the Dynkin diagram of \(G\). Remark that in general such involution is not an automorphism of the Dynkin diagram. Moreover, to each pair: Dynkin diagram plus involution, is associated at most a special pair \((G,H)\) (see Proposition 4.1).