Let G be a connected reductive linear algebraic group. We use geometric methods to investigate G-completely reducible subgroups of G, giving new criteria for G-complete reducibility. We show that a subgroup of G is G-completely reducible if and only if it is strongly reductive in G; this allows us to use ideas of R.W. Richardson and Hilbert--Mumford--Kempf from geometric invariant theory. We deduce that a normal subgroup of a G-completely reducible subgroup of G is again G-completely reducible, thereby providing an affirmative answer to a question posed by J.-P. Serre, and conversely we prove that the normalizer of a G-completely reducible subgroup of G is again G-completely reducible. Some rationality questions and applications to the spherical building of G are considered. Many of our results extend to the case of non-connected G.
Let G be a reductive linear algebraic group over an algebraically closed field of characteristic p. We study J.-P. Serre's notion of G-complete reducibility for subgroups of G. In particular, for a subgroup H and a normal subgroup N of H, we look at the relationship between G-complete reducibility of N and of H, and show that these properties are equivalent if H/N is linearly reductive, generalizing a result of Serre. We also study the case when H = MN with M a G-completely reducible subgroup of G which normalizes N. We show that if G is connected, N and M are connected commuting G-completely …
Let $k$ be a nonperfect field of characteristic $2$. Let $G$ be a $k$-split simple algebraic group of type $E_6$ (or $G_2$) defined over $k$. In this paper, we present the first examples of nonabelian non-$G$-completely reducible $k$-subgroups of $G$ which are $G$-completely reducible over $k$. Our construction is based on that of subgroups of $G$ acting non-separably on the unipotent radical of a proper parabolic subgroup of $G$ in our previous work. We also present examples with the same property for a non-connected reductive group $G$. Along the way, several general results concerning compl…
In this note, we unify and extend various concepts in the area of $G$-complete reducibility, where $G$ is a reductive algebraic group. By results of Serre and Bate--Martin--Röhrle, the usual notion of $G$-complete reducibility can be re-framed as a property of an action of a group on the spherical building of the identity component of $G$. We show that other variations of this notion, such as relative complete reducibility and $σ$-complete reducibility, can also be viewed as special cases of this building-theoretic definition, and hence a number of results from these areas are special cases of…
Let G be a connected reductive algebraic group defined over an algebraically closed field of positive characteristic. We study a generalization of the notion of G-complete reducibility in the context of Steinberg endomorphisms of G. Our main theorem extends a special case of a rationality result in this setting.
The notion of a \emph{$G$-completely reducible} subgroup is important in the study of algebraic groups and their subgroup structure. It generalizes the usual idea of complete reducibility from representation theory: a subgroup $H$ of a general linear group $G= {\rm GL}_n(k)$ is $G$-completely reducible if and only if the inclusion map $i\colon H\rightarrow {\rm GL}_n(k)$ is a completely reducible representation of $H$. In these notes I give an introduction to the theory of complete reducibility and its applications, and explain an approach to the subject using geometric invariant theory.
In this paper we present an algorithm for determining whether a subgroup H of a non-connected reductive group G is G-completely reducible. The algorithm consists of a series of reductions; at each step, we perform operations involving connected groups, such as checking whether a certain subgroup of G^0 is G^0 -cr. This essentially reduces the problem of determining G-complete reducibility to the connected case.
Completely reducible subcomplexes of spherical buildings was defined by J.P. Serre and are used in studying subgroups of reductive algebraic groups. We begin the study of completely reducible subcomplexes of twin buildings and how they may be used to study subgroups of algebraic groups over a ring of Laurent polynomials and Kac-Moody groups by looking at the Euclidean twin building case.
Let k be a separably closed field. Let G be a reductive algebraic k-group. In this paper, we study Serre's notion of complete reducibility of subgroups of G over k. In particular, using the recently proved center conjecture of Tits, we show that the centralizer of a k-subgroup H of G is G-completely reducible over k if it is reductive and H is G-completely reducible over k. We also show that a regular reductive k-subgroup of G is G-completely reducible over k. Various open problems concerning complete reducibility are discussed. We present examples where the number of overgroups of irreducible…
Let G be a reductive linear algebraic group over an algebraically closed field of characteristic p > 0. A subgroup of G is said to be separable in G if its global and infinitesimal centralizers have the same dimension. We study the interaction between the notion of separability and Serre's concept of G-complete reducibility for subgroups of G. The separability hypothesis appears in many general theorems concerning G-complete reducibility. We demonstrate that many of these results fail without this hypothesis. On the other hand, we prove that if G is a connected reductive group and p is very go…
Let $G$ be a simple algebraic group of type $E_n (n=6,7,8)$ defined over an algebraically closed field $k$ of characteristic $2$. We present examples of triples of closed reductive groups $H<M<G$ such that $H$ is $G$-completely reducible, but not $M$-completely reducible. As an application, we consider a question of Külshammer on representations of finite groups in reductive groups. We also consider a rationality problem for $G$-complete reducibility and a problem concerning conjugacy classes.
Let G be a connected reductive linear algebraic group. The aim of this note is to settle a question of J-P. Serre concerning the behaviour of his notion of G-complete reducibility under separable field extensions. Part of our proof relies on the recently established Tits Centre Conjecture for the spherical building of the reductive group G.
Let $k$ be a nonperfect separably closed field. Let $G$ be a connected reductive algebraic group defined over $k$. We study rationality problems for Serre's notion of complete reducibility of subgroups of $G$. In particular, we present the first example of a connected nonabelian $k$-subgroup $H$ of $G$ that is $G$-completely reducible but not $G$-completely reducible over $k$, and the first example of a connected nonabelian $k$-subgroup $H'$ of $G$ that is $G$-completely reducible over $k$ but not $G$-completely reducible. This is new: all previously known such examples are for finite (or non-…
Let $K$ be a reductive subgroup of a reductive group $G$ over an algebraically closed field $k$. The notion of relative complete reducibility, introduced in previous work of Bate-Martin-Roehrle-Tange, gives a purely algebraic description of the closed $K$-orbits in $G^n$, where $K$ acts by simultaneous conjugation on $n$-tuples of elements from $G$. This extends work of Richardson and is also a natural generalization of Serre's notion of $G$-complete reducibility. In this paper we revisit this idea, giving a characterization of relative $G$-complete reducibility which directly generalizes equi…
We denote by kappa the implicit signature that contains the multiplication and the (omega-1)-power. It is proved that for any completely kappa-reducible pseudovariety of groups H, the pseudovariety DRH of all finite semigroups whose regular R-classes are groups in H is completely kappa-reducible as well. The converse also holds. The tools used by Almeida, Costa, and Zeitoun for proving that the pseudovariety of all finite R-trivial monoids is completely kappa-reducible are adapted for the general setting of a pseudovariety of the form DRH.
Let $k$ be a nonperfect separably closed field. Let $G$ be a connected reductive algebraic group defined over $k$. We study rationality problems for Serre's notion of complete reducibility of subgroups of $G$. In particular, we present a new example of subgroup $H$ of $G$ of type $D_4$ in characteristic $2$ such that $H$ is $G$-completely reducible but not $G$-completely reducible over $k$ (or vice versa). This is new: all known such examples are for $G$ of exceptional type. We also find a new counterexample for Külshammer's question on representations of finite groups for $G$ of type $D_4$. A…
Let H be a reductive subgroup of a reductive group G over an algebraically closed field k. We consider the action of H on G^n, the n-fold Cartesian product of G with itself, by simultaneous conjugation. We give a purely algebraic characterization of the closed H-orbits in G^n, generalizing work of Richardson which treats the case H = G. This characterization turns out to be a natural generalization of Serre's notion of G-complete reducibility. This concept appears to be new, even in characteristic zero. We discuss how to extend some key results on G-complete reducibility in this framework. We …
Let $k$ be a nonperfect separably closed field. Let $G$ be a (possibly non-connected) reductive group defined over $k$. We study rationality problems for Serre's notion of complete reducibility of subgroups of $G$. In our previous work, we constructed examples of subgroups $H$ of $G$ that are $G$-completely reducible but not $G$-completely reducible over $k$ (and vice versa). In this paper, we give a theoretical underpinning of those constructions. To illustrate our result, we present a new such example in a non-connected reductive group of type $D_4$ in characteristic $2$. Then using Geometri…
We study a relative variant of Serre's notion of $G$-complete reducibility for a reductive algebraic group $G$. We let $K$ be a reductive subgroup of $G$, and consider subgroups of $G$ which normalise the identity component $K^{\circ}$. We show that such a subgroup is relatively $G$-completely reducible with respect to $K$ if and only if its image in the automorphism group of $K^{\circ}$ is completely reducible. This allows us to generalise a number of fundamental results from the absolute to the relative setting. We also derive analogous results for Lie subalgebras of the Lie algebra of $G$, …
Let $G$ be a connected reductive algebraic group defined over an algebraically closed field $k$. The aim of this paper is to present a method to find triples $(G,M,H)$ with the following three properties. Property 1: $G$ is simple and $k$ has characteristic 2. Property 2: $H$ and $M$ are closed reductive subgroups of $G$ such that $H<M<G$, and $(G,M)$ is a reductive pair. Property 3: $H$ is $G$-completely reducible, but not $M$-completely reducible. We exhibit our method by presenting a new example of such a triple in $G=E_7$. Then we consider a rationality problem and a problem concerning con…
Let $G$ be a connected reductive algebraic group defined over an algebraically closed field %$k$ of characteristic $p > 0$. Our first aim in this note is to give concise and uniform proofs for two fundamental and deep results in the context of Serre's notion of $G$-complete reducibility, at the cost of less favourable bounds. Here are some special cases of these results: Suppose that the index $(H:H^\circ)$ is prime to $p$ and that $p > 2\dim V-2$ for some faithful $G$-module $V$. Then the following hold: (i) $V$ is a semisimple $H$-module if and only if $H$ is $G$-completely reducible; (ii) $…
We propose an algorithm for deciding whether a given braid is pseudo-Anosov, reducible, or periodic. The algorithm is based on Garside's weighted decomposition and is polynomial-time in the word-length of an input braid. Moreover, a reduction system of circles can be found completely if the input is a certain type of reducible braids.
In this paper we determine the precise extent to which the classical sl_2-theory of complex semisimple finite-dimensional Lie algebras due to Jacobson--Morozov and Kostant can be extended to positive characteristic. This builds on work of Pommerening and improves significantly upon previous attempts due to Springer--Steinberg and Carter/Spaltenstein. Our main advance arises by investigating quite fully the extent to which subalgebras of the Lie algebras of semisimple algebraic groups over algebraically closed fields k are G-completely reducible, a notion essentially due to Serre. For example i…
Let $G=G(K)$ be a simple algebraic group defined over an algebraically closed field $K$ of characteristic $p>0$. A subgroup $X$ of $G$ is said to be $G$-completely reducible if, whenever it is contained in a parabolic subgroup of $G$, it is contained in a Levi subgroup of that parabolic. A subgroup $X$ of $G$ is said to be $G$-irreducible if $X$ is in no parabolic subgroup of $G$; and $G$-reducible if it is in some parabolic of $G$. In this thesis, we consider the case that $G$ is of exceptional type. When $G$ is of type $G_2$ we find all conjugacy classes of closed, connected, reductive subgr…
In this paper we consider various problems involving the action of a reductive group $G$ on an affine variety $V$. We prove some general rationality results about the $G$-orbits in $V$. In addition, we extend fundamental results of Kempf and Hesselink regarding optimal destabilizing parabolic subgroups of $G$ for such general $G$-actions. We apply our general rationality results to answer a question of Serre concerning the behaviour of his notion of $G$-complete reducibility under separable field extensions. Applications of our new optimality results also include a construction which allows us…
Let G be a connected and reductive group over the algebraically closed field K. J-P. Serre has introduced the notion of a G-completely reducible subgroup H of G. In this note, we give a notion of G-complete reducibility -- G-cr for short -- for Lie subalgebras of Lie(G), and we show that if the closed subgroup H < G is G-cr, then Lie(H) is G-cr as well.
We provide results on the smoothness of normalisers in connected reductive algebraic groups $G$ over fields $k$ of positive characteristic $p$. Specifically we we give bounds on $p$ which guarantee that normalisers of subalgebras of $\mathfrak{g}$ in $G$ are smooth, i.e.\ so that the Lie algebras of these normalisers coincide with the infinitesimal normalisers. One of our main tools is to exploit cohomology vanishing of small dimensional modules. Along the way, we obtain complete reducibility results for small dimensional modules in the spirit of similar results due to Jantzen, Guralnick, Serr…
