The Richardson variety $X_w^v$ is defined to be the intersection of the Schubert variety $X_w$ and the opposite Schubert variety $X^v$. For $X_w^v$ in the Grassmannian, we obtain a standard monomial basis for the homogeneous coordinate ring of $X_w^v$. We use this basis first to prove the vanishing of $H^i(X_w^v,L^m)$, $i > 0 $, $m \geq 0$, where $L$ is the restriction to $X_w^v$ of the ample generator of the Picard group of the Grassmannian; then to determine a basis for the tangent space and a criterion for smoothness for $X_w^v$ at any $T$-fixed point $e_\t$; and finally to derive a recursive formula for the multiplicity of $X_w^v$ at any $T$-fixed point $e_\t$. Using the recursive formula, we show that the multiplicity of $X_w^v$ at $e_\t$ is the product of the multiplicity of $X_w$ at $e_\t$ and the multiplicity of $X^v$ at $e_\t$. This result allows us to generalize the Rosenthal-Zelevinsky determinantal formula for multiplicities at $T$-fixed points of Schubert varieties to the case of Richardson varieties.
We prove that the divisor class group of any open Richardson variety in the Grassmannian is trivial. Our proof uses Nagata's criterion, localizing the coordinate ring at a suitable set of Plücker coordinates. We prove that these Plücker coordinates are prime elements by showing that the subscheme they define is an open subscheme of a positroid variety. Our results hold over any field and over the integers.
For any simple, simply connected algebraic group $G$ of type $B,C$ and $D$ and for any maximal parabolic subgroup $P$ of $G$, we provide a criterion for a Richardson variety in $G/P$ to admit semistable points for the action of a maximal torus $T$ with respect to an ample line bundle on $G/P$.
We give elementary and short proofs of the Littlewood-Richardson rules for type A Grassmannians and maximal isotropic Grassmannians, based on the corresponding Pieri rules.
Richardson varieties play an important role in intersection theory and in the geometric interpretation of the Littlewood-Richardson Rule for flag varieties. We discuss three natural generalizations of Richardson varieties which we call projection varieties, intersection varieties, and rank varieties. In many ways, these varieties are more fundamental than Richardson varieties and are more easily amenable to inductive geometric constructions. In this paper, we study the singularities of each type of generalization. Like Richardson varieties, projection varieties are normal with rational singula…
A Richardson variety in a flag variety is an intersection of two Schubert varieties defined by transverse flags. We define and study relative Richardson varieties, which are defined over a base scheme with a vector bundle and two flags. To do so, we generalize transversality of flags to a relative notion, versality, that allows the flags to be non-transverse over some fibers. Relative Richardson varieties share many of the geometric properties of Richardson varieties. We generalize several geometric and cohomological facts about Richardson varieties to relative Richardson varieties. We also pr…
We consider Buch's rule for K-theory of the Grassmannian, in the Schur multiplicity-free cases classified by Stembridge. Using a result of Knutson, one sees that Buch's coefficients are related to Moebius inversion. We give a direct combinatorial proof of this by considering the product expansion for Grassmannian Grothendieck polynomials. We end with an extension to the multiplicity-free cases of Thomas and Yong.
We give a short proof that essentially all questions concerning singularities of Richardson varieties reduce to corresponding questions about Schubert varieties. Consequently, we quickly deduce some new and previously known results.
We study toric degenerations of opposite Schubert and Richardson varieties inside degenerations of Grassmannians and flag varieties. These degenerations are parametrized by matching fields in the sense of Sturmfels and Zelevinsky. We construct so-called restricted matching field ideals whose generating sets are understood combinatorially through tableaux. We determine when these ideals are toric and coincide with Gröbner degenerations of Richardson varieties using the well established standard monomial theory for Grassmannians and flag varieties.
A Richardson variety $X_\ga^\gc$ in the Orthogonal Grassmannian is defined to be the intersection of a Schubert variety $X^\gc$ in the Orthogonal Grassmannian and a opposite Schubert variety $X_\ga$ therein. We give an explicit description of the initial ideal (with respect to certain conveniently chosen term order) for the ideal of the tangent cone at any $T$-fixed point of $X_\ga^\gc$, thus generalizing a result of Raghavan-Upadhyay \cite{Ra-Up2}. Our proof is based on a generalization of the Robinson-Schensted-Knuth (RSK) correspondence, which we call the Orthogonal bounded RSK (OBRSK). The…
Let $k$ and $n$ be positive coprime integers with $k<n$. Let $T$ denote the subgroup of diagonal matrices in $SL(n,\mathbb{C})$. We study the GIT quotient of Richardson varieties $X^v_w$ in the Grassmannian $\mathrm{Gr}_{k,n}$ by $T$ with respect to a $T$-linearised line bundle $\cal{L}$ corresponding to the Plücker embedding. We give necessary and sufficient combinatorial conditions for the quotient variety $T \backslash\mkern-6mu\backslash (X_w^v)^{ss}_T({\cal L})$ to be smooth.
We study the GIT quotient of the minimal Schubert variety in the Grassmannian admitting semistable points for the action of maximal torus $T$, with respect to the $T$-linearized line bundle ${\cal L}(n ω_r)$ and show that this is smooth when $gcd(r,n)=1$. When $n=7$ and $r=3$ we study the GIT quotients of all Richardson varieties in the minimal Schubert variety. This builds on previous work by Kumar \cite{kumar2008descent}, Kannan and Sardar \cite{kannan2009torusA}, Kannan and Pattanayak \cite{kannan2009torusB}, and recent work of Kannan et al \cite{kannan2018torus}. It is known that the GIT q…
We give an explicit Grobner basis for the ideal of the tangent cone at any T-fixed point of a Richardson variety in the Grassmannian, thus generalizing a result of Kodiyalam-Raghavan and Kreiman-Lakshmibai. Our proof is based on a generalization of the Robinson-Schensted-Knuth (RSK) correspondence, which we call the bounded RSK (BRSK). We use the Grobner basis result to deduce a formula which computes the multiplicity of the Richardson variety at any T-fixed point by counting families of nonintersecting lattice paths, thus generalizing a result first proved by Krattehthaler.
This paper aims to focus on Richardson varieties on symplectic groups, especially their combinatorial characterization and defining equations. Schubert varieties and opposite Schubert varieties have profound significance in the study of generalized flag varieties which are not only research objects in algebraic geometry but also ones in representation theory. A more general research object is Richardson variety, which is obtained by the intersection of a Schubert variety and an opposite Schubert variety. The structure of Richardson variety on Grassmannian and its combinatorial characterization…
We compute the fundamental group of an open Richardson variety in the manifold of complete flags that corresponds to a partial flag manifold. Rietsch showed that these log Calabi-Yau varieties underlie a Landau-Ginzburg mirror for the Langlands dual partial flag manifold, and our computation verifies a prediction of Hori for this mirror. It is log Calabi-Yau as it isomorphic to the complement of the Knutson-Lam-Speyer anti-canonical divisor for the partial flag manifold. We also determine explicit defining equations for this divisor.
We prove an explicit combinatorial formula for the structure constants of the Grothendieck ring of a Grassmann variety with respect to its basis of Schubert structure sheaves. We furthermore relate K-theory of Grassmannians to a bialgebra of stable Grothendieck polynomials, which is a K-theory parallel of the ring of symmetric functions.
We prove that, defined with respect to versal flags, the product of two relative Bott-Samelson varieties over the flag bundle is a resolution of singularities of a relative Richardson variety. This result generalizes Brion's resolution of singularities of Richardson varieties to the relative setting. It reflects the phenomenon that the local geometry of a relative Richardson variety is completely governed by the two intersecting relative Schubert varieties, studied by Chan-Pflueger. We also prove an analogous theorem in the case of relative Grassmannian Richardson varieties, thereby furnishing…
We formulate and prove a generalization of Zariski-van Kampen theorem on the topological fundamental groups of smooth complex algebraic varieties. As an application, we prove a hyperplane section theorem of Lefschetz-Zariski-van Kampen type for the fundamental groups of the complements to the Grassmannian dual varieties.
Let $G=SL(n, \mathbb{C}),$ and $T$ be a maximal torus of $G,$ where $n$ is a positive even integer. In this article, we study the GIT quotients of the Schubert varieties in the Grassmannian $G_{2,n}.$ We prove that the GIT quotients of the Richardson varieties in the minimal dimensional Schubert variety admitting stable points in $G_{2,n}$ are projective spaces. Further, we prove that the GIT quotients of certain Richardson varieties in $G_{2,n}$ are projective toric varieties. Also, we prove that the GIT quotients of the Schubert varieties in $G_{2,n}$ have at most finite set of singular poin…
We determine the set of connected components of closed affine Deligne-Lusztig varieties for hyperspecial maximal parahoric subgroups of unramified connected reductive groups. This extends the work by Viehmann for split reductive groups, and the work by Chen-Kisin-Viehmann on minuscule affine Deligne-Lusztig varieties.
We classify complex projective varieties of dimension $2r \geq 8$ swept out by a family of codimension two grassmannians of lines $\mathbb{G}(1,r)$. They are either fibrations onto normal surfaces such that the general fibers are isomorphic to $\G(1,r)$ or the grassmannian $\mathbb{G}(1,r+1)$. The cases $r=2$ and $r=3$ are also considered in the more general context of varieties swept out by codimension two linear spaces or quadrics.
In this paper we calculate the dimension of affine Deligne-Lusztig varieties in the affine Grassmannian of unramified groups. We also examine the irreducible components of ADLVs in the superbasic case and the $J_b(F)$-action on them.
We associate a complete non-singular fan with a polygon triangulation. Such a fan appears from a certain toric Richardson variety, called of Catalan type introduced in this paper. A toric Richardson variety of Catalan type is a Fano Bott manifold. We show that toric Richardson varieties of Catalan type are classified up to isomorphism in terms of unordered binary trees. In particular, the number of isomorphism classes of $n$-dimensional toric Richardson varieties of Catalan type is the $(n+1)$th Wedderburn--Etherington number.
These are extended notes of a talk given at Maurice Auslander Distinguished Lectures and International Conference (Woods Hole, MA) in April 2013. Their aim is to give an introduction into Schubert calculus on Grassmannians and flag varieties. We discuss various aspects of Schubert calculus, such as applications to enumerative geometry, structure of the cohomology rings of Grassmannians and flag varieties, Schur and Schubert polynomials. We conclude with a survey of results of V.Kiritchenko, V.Timorin and the author on a new approach to Schubert calculus on full flag varieties via combinatorics…
In this paper we investigate the exactness of the Grassmannian BGG complexes introduced in a previous work (arXiv:1211.2486), and obtain some inequalities between some Hodge numbers of some irregular varieties. In particular, we obtain sharp lower bounds for the Hodge numbers of smooth subvarieties of Abelian varieties, as well as some improvements of results of Lazarsfeld and Popa and Lombardi concerning threefolds and fourfolds.
The aim of the paper is twofold. First, some results of Shiota and Plaza-Martin on Prym varieties of curves with an involution are generalized to the general case of an arbitrary automorphism of prime order. Second, the equations defining the moduli space of curves with an automorphism of prime order as a subscheme of the Sato Grassmannian are given.
Let $G$ be a complex quasi-simple algebraic group and $G/P$ be a partial flag variety. The projections of Richardson varieties from the full flag variety form a stratification of $G/P$. We show that the closure partial order of projected Richardson varieties agrees with that of a subset of Schubert varieties in the affine flag variety of $G$. Furthermore, we compare the torus-equivariant cohomology and $K$-theory classes of these two stratifications by pushing or pulling these classes to the affine Grassmannian. Our work generalizes results of Knutson, Lam, and Speyer for the Grassmannian of t…
We study standard monomial bases for Richardson varieties inside the flag variety. In general, writing down a standard monomial basis for a Richardson variety can be challenging, as it involves computing so-called defining chains or key tableaux. However, for a certain family of Richardson varieties, indexed by compatible permutations, we provide a very direct and straightforward combinatorial rule for writing down a standard monomial basis. We apply this result to the study of toric degenerations of Richardson varieties. In particular, we provide a new family of toric degenerations of Richard…
While the projections of Schubert varieties in a full generalized flag manifold G/B to a partial flag manifold $G/P$ are again Schubert varieties, the projections of Richardson varieties (intersections of Schubert varieties with opposite Schubert varieties) are not always Richardson varieties. The stratification of G/P by projections of Richardson varieties arises in the theory of total positivity and also from Poisson and noncommutative geometry. In this paper we show that many of the geometric properties of Richardson varieties hold more generally for projected Richardson varieties; they are…
In the first part of the thesis, we study a classical invariant of projective varieties, the secant defectivity. The second part is devoted to modern algebraic geometry, we study the birational geometry of blow-ups of Grassmannians at points.
In this paper we discuss the dimensions of the (higher) secant varieties to the Grassmann varieties, embedded via the Plucker embeddings. We use Terracini's Lemma and the duality in the exterior algebra of a finite dimensional vector space to translate the problem into that of finding the dimension of a graded piece of a " fat" ideal in the exterior algebra. Among other things, our methods prove that (apart from the chordal varieties to the Grassmannians of lines) all the chordal varieties of Grassmannians have the expected dimension. We also discuss some Grassmannians with deficient secant va…
We give a closed-form formula for the Hilbert function of the tangent cone at the identity of a Schubert variety X in the Grassmannian in both group theoretic and combinatorial terms. We also give a formula for the multiplicity of X at the identity, and a Grobner basis for the ideal defining the intersection of X with the opposite cell as a closed subvariety of the opposite cell. We give conjectures for the Hilbert function and multiplicity at points other than the identity.
Let $\mbox{IG}(k,2n+1)$ be the odd symplectic Grassmannian. It is a quasi-ho\-mo\-ge\-neous space with homogeneous-like behavior. A very limited description of curve neighborhoods of Schubert varieties in $\mbox{IG}(k,2n+1)$ was used by Mihalcea and the second named author to prove an (equivariant) quantum Chevalley rule. In this paper we give a full description of the irreducible components of curve neighborhoods in terms of the Hecke product of (appropriate) Weyl group elements, $k$-strict partitions, and BC-partitions. The latter set of partitions respect the Bruhat order with inclusions. O…
We prove Pieri formulas for the multiplication with special Schubert classes in the K-theory of all cominuscule Grassmannians. For Grassmannians of type A this gives a new proof of a formula of Lenart. Our formula is new for Lagrangian Grassmannians, and for orthogonal Grassmannians it proves a special case of a conjectural Littlewood-Richardson rule of Thomas and Yong. Recent work of Thomas and Yong and of E. Clifford has shown that the full Littlewood-Richardson rule for orthogonal Grassmannians follows from the Pieri case proved here. We describe the K-theoretic Pieri coefficients both as i…
General linear sections of codimension 2 of the Grassmannians G(1,4) and G(1,5) appear in the classification of Fano manifolds of high index. Unlike Grassmannians, these manifolds are not homogeneous. Nevertheless, their automorphisms groups have finitely many orbits. In this work we first compute the orbits of these actions. Then we give a description of the variety of lines (under the Plücker embedding) passing through a fixed point in each orbit of the action. As an application we show that these Fano manifolds are not weakly 2-Fano, completing the classification of weakly 2-Fano manifolds …
In the sl\_n case, A. Berenstein and A. Zelevinsky studied the Schützenberger involution in terms of Lusztig's canonical basis, [3]. We generalize their construction and formulas for any semisimple Lie algebra. We use for this the geometric lifting of the canonical basis, on which an analogue of the Schützenberger involution can be given. As an application, we construct semitoric degenerations of Richardson varieties, following a method of P. Caldero, [6]
We study the Littlewood-Richardson coefficients of double Grothendieck polynomials indexed by Grassmannian permutations. Geometrically, these are the structure constants of the equivariant $K$-theory ring of Grassmannians. Representing the double Grothendieck polynomials as partition functions of an integrable vertex model, we use its Yang-Baxter equation to derive a series of product rules for the former polynomials and their duals. The Littlewood-Richardson coefficients that arise can all be expressed in terms of puzzles without gashes, which generalize previous puzzles obtained by Knutson-T…
We prove that any three-point genus zero Gromov-Witten invariant on a type A Grassmannian is equal to a classical intersection number on a two-step flag variety. We also give symplectic and orthogonal analogues of this result; in these cases the two-step flag variety is replaced by a sub-maximal isotropic Grassmannian. Our theorems are applied, in type A, to formulate a conjectural quantum Littlewood-Richardson rule, and in the other classical Lie types, to obtain new proofs of the main structure theorems for the quantum cohomology of Lagrangian and orthogonal Grassmannians.
For an irreducible projective variety X, we study the family of h-planes contained in the secant variety Sec_k(X), for 0<h<k. These families have an expected dimension and we study varieties for which the expected dimension is not attained; for these varieties, making general consecutive projections to lower dimensional spaces, we do not get the expected singularities. In particular, we examine the family G of lines sitting in 3-secant planes to a surface S. We show that the actual dimension of G is equal to the expected dimension unless S is a cone or a rational normal scroll of degree 4 in P…
We construct the twist automorphism of open Richardson varieties inside the flag variety of a complex semisimple algebraic group. We show that the twist map preserves totally positive parts, and prove a Chamber Ansatz formula for it. Our twist map generalizes the twist maps previously constructed by Berenstein-Fomin-Zelevinsky, Marsh-Scott, and Muller-Speyer. We use it to explain the relationship between the two conjectural cluster structures for Richardson varieties studied by Leclerc and by Ingermanson.
We study the dimensions of secant varieties of the Grassmannian of Lagrangian subspaces in a symplectic vector space. We calculate these dimensions for third and fourth secant varieties. Our result is obtained by providing a normal form for four general points on such a Grassmannian and by explicitly calculating the tangent spaces at these four points.
We generalize Standard Monomial Theory (SMT) to intersections of Schubert varieties and opposite Schubert varieties; such varieties are called Richardson varieties. The aim of this article is to get closer to a geometric interpretation of the standard monomial theory. Our methods show that in order to develop a SMT for a certain class of subvarieties in G/B (which includes G/B), it suffices to have the following three ingredients, a basis for the space of sections of an effective line bundle on G/B, compatibility of such a basis with the varieties in the class, certain quadratic relations in t…
