Surv. Differ. Geom., VII, Int. Press, Somerville, MA, pp. 565-623 (2000); Sir Michael Atiyah: a great mathematician of the twentieth century. Asian J. Math. 3 (1999), no. 1, 233-274
In this paper we obtain various results about the geometry of nilpotent orbits. In particular, we obtain a better understanding of the Kostant-Sekiguchi correspondence and Kronheimer's instanton flow. We utilize the moment map of Ness and the SL(2)-orbit theorem from Hodge theory. The results of this paper are used in the proof of the Barbarsch-Vogan conjecture in math.RT/0005305 (Ann. of Math. (2) 151 (2000), no. 3, 1071-1118).
We consider aspects of the relationship between nilpotent orbits in a semisimple real Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$ and those in its complexification $\mathfrak{g}_{\mathbb{C}}$. In particular, we prove that two distinct real nilpotent orbits lying in the same complex orbit are incomparable in the closure order. Secondly, we characterize those $\mathfrak{g}$ having non-empty intersections with all nilpotent orbits in $\mathfrak{g}_{\mathbb{C}}$. Finally, for $\mathfrak{g}$ quasi-split, we characterize those complex nilpotent orbits containing real ones.
This is a survey article prepared for the submission to "Handbook of moduli". The following topics are discussed: (i) Basic facts and examples of resolutions for nilpotent orbit (ii) Q-factorial terminalizations of nilpotent orbit closures and related birational geometry (iii) Poisson deformations of nilpotent orbit closures.
We study in this paper the jet schemes of the closure of nilpotent orbits in a finite-dimensional complex reductive Lie algebra. For the nilpotent cone, which is the closure of the regular nilpotent orbit, all the jet schemes are irreducible. This was first observed by Eisenbud and Frenkel, and follows from a strong result of Mustautca (2001). Using induction and restriction of "little" nilpotent orbits in reductive Lie algebras, we show that for a large number of nilpotent orbits, the jet schemes of their closure are reducible. As a consequence, we obtain certain geometrical properties of the…
We check that the statement of Hikita conjecture holds for the case of the minimal nilpotent orbit of a simple Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$ of type ADE and $\mathbb{C} ^2 / Γ$.
A short note to show that the elements of the (open) cone underlying a nilpotent orbit on a period domain are pairwise congruent under the symmetry group of the period domain.
This paper is about nilpotent orbits of reductive groups over local non-Archimedean fields. In this paper we will try to identify for which groups there are only finitely many nilpotent orbits, for which groups the nilpotent orbits are separable and for which groups Howe's conjecture holds. For general reductive groups we get some partial results. For split reductive groups we get a classification in terms of the root data and the characteristic of the underlying local field.
We describe Springer fibers corresponding to the minimal and minimal special nilpotent orbits of simple Lie algebras. As a result, we give an answer to the conjecture of Humphreys regarding some graphs attached to Springer fibers.
This short note is a supplement to the previous article with the same title. Here we treat a conical symplectic variety obtained as a finite covering of a (not necessarily normal) nilpotent orbit closure of a complex semisimple Lie algebra.
Let $\g$ be simple Lie algebra. We give a conceptual proof for the fact that the nilpotent orbits of height 3 are spherical. It is shown that if the highest root of $\g$ is fundamental, then $\g$ has a specific nilpotent orbit of height 3. This orbit satisfies several interesting relations. Moreover, it can be used for an intrinsic construction of a $G_2$ grading in $\g$. We also discuss an approach to describing the algebra of covariants on a nilpotent orbit. For the nilpotent orbits of height 2, it is shown that the algebra of regular functions is a free module over the algebra of covariants…
We give a geometric description for the dominant characteristic of a nilpotent orbit in an arbitrary finite-dimensional rational G-module. In particular, we obtain a generalization of a recent result of Gunnells-Sommers, see math.RT/0212089.
In the case of complex symplectic and orthogonal groups, we find $(\mathfrak{g}, K)-$modules with the property that their $K-$structure matches the structure of regular functions on the closures of nilpotent orbits. This establishes a version of the Orbit Method of Kirrilov-Kostant-Souriau as proposed by Vogan. In the process we give another proof of the classification of nilpotent orbits with normal closure in the Lie algebra of a classical group first established by Kraft-Procesi.
We continue the study of the closures of $GL(V)$-orbits in the enhanced nilpotent cone $V\times\cN$ begun by the first two authors. We prove that each closure is an invariant-theoretic quotient of a suitably-defined enhanced quiver variety. We conjecture, and prove in special cases, that these enhanced quiver varieties are normal complete intersections, implying that the enhanced nilpotent orbit closures are also normal.
We develop an algorithm for computing the closure of a given nilpotent $G_0$-orbit in $\g_1$, where $\g_1$ and $G_0$ are coming from a $\Z$ or a $\Z/m\Z$-grading $\g= \bigoplus \g_i$ of a simple complex Lie algebra $\g$.
A nilpotent orbit $O$ of a complex semisimple Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$ has finite fundamental group. Associated with an etale cover of $O$, we have a finite cover of the closure $\bar{O}$ of $O$. In this article we consider the finite cover X associated with the universal cover of a nilpotent orbit $O$ of a classical simple Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$. We construct explicitly a Q-factorial terminalization of X in a group theoretic way.
We consider a reductive dual pair (G, G') in the stable range with G' the smaller member and of Hermitian symmetric type. We study the theta lifting of nilpotent K'_C-orbits, where K' is a maximal compact subgroup of G' and we describe the precise K_C-module structure of the regular function ring of the closure of the lifted nilpotent orbit of the symmetric pair (G, K). As an application, we prove sphericality and normality of the closure of certain nilpotent K_C-orbits obtained in this way. We also give integral formulas for their degrees.
We prove that a conical symplectic variety with maximal weight 1 is isomorphic to one of the following: (i) an affine space with the standard symplectic form (ii) a nilpotent orbit closure of a complex semisimple Lie algebra with the Kirillov-Kostant form.
In a recent preprint, Y. Namikawa proposed a conjecture on Q-factorial terminalizations and their birational geometry of nilpotent orbits. He proved his conjecture for classical simple Lie algebras. In this note, we prove his conjecture for exceptional simple Lie algebras. For the birational geometry, contrary to the classical case, two new types of Mukai flops appear.
Given a classical semisimple complex algebraic group G and a symmetric pair (G, K) of non-Hermitian type, we study the closures of the spherical nilpotent K-orbits in the isotropy representation of K. For all such orbit closures, we study the normality and we describe the K-module structure of the ring of regular functions of the normalizations.
We study certain real Lie-group orbits in the compact duals of Mumford-Tate domains, verifying a prediction made in [Green, Griffiths, Kerr; Mumford-Tate domains: their geometry and arithmetic] and determining which orbits contain a limit point of some period map. A variety of examples are worked out for the groups SU(2,1), Sp_4, and G_2.
We determine which nilpotent orbits in $E_6$ have normal closure and which do not. We also verify a conjecture about small representations in rings of functions on nilpotent orbit covers for type $E_6$.
Given an exceptional simple complex algebraic group G and a symmetric pair (G, K), we study the spherical nilpotent K-orbit closures in the isotropy representation of K. We show that they are all normal except in one case in type G2, and compute the K-module structure of the ring of regular functions on their normalizations.
We prove that for a simply laced group, the closure of the Borel conjugacy class of any nilpotent element of height $2$ in its conjugacy class is normal and admits a rational resolution. We extend this, using Frobenius splitting techniques, to the closure in the whole Lie algebra if either the group has type $A$ or the element has rank $2$.
In general, a nilpotent orbit closure in a complex simple Lie algebra \g, does not have a crepant resolution. But, it always has a Q-factorial terminalization by the minimal model program. According to B. Fu, a nilpotent orbit closure has a crepant resolution only when it is a Richardson orbit, and the resolution is obtained as a Springer map for it. In this paper, we shall generalize this result to Q-factorial terminalizations when \g$ is classical. Here, the induced orbits play an important role instead of Richardson orbits.
Given a classical semisimple complex algebraic group G and a symmetric pair (G,K) of Hermitian type, we study the closures of the spherical nilpotent K-orbits in the isotropy representation of K. We show that all such orbit closures are normal and describe the K-module structure of their ring of regular functions.
Recently, V.Ginzburg introduced and studied in depth the notion of a principal nilpotent pair in a semisimple Lie algebra \g. Our aim is to contribute to the general theory of nilpotent pairs. Roughly speaking, a nilpotent pair (e_1,e_2) consists of two commuting elements in \g that can independently be contracted to the origin. A principal nilpotent pair is a double counterpart of a regular nilpotent element. Consequently, the theory of nilpotent pairs should stand out as double counterpart of the theory of nilpotent orbits. We show that any nilpotent pair has a characteristic (h_1,h_2), whic…
According to a well-known theorem of Brieskorn and Slodowy, the intersection of the nilpotent cone of a simple Lie algebra with a transverse slice to the subregular nilpotent orbit is a simple surface singularity. At the opposite extremity of the nilpotent cone, the closure of the minimal nilpotent orbit is also an isolated symplectic singularity, called a minimal singularity. For classical Lie algebras, Kraft and Procesi showed that these two types of singularities suffice to describe all generic singularities of nilpotent orbit closures: specifically, any such singularity is either a simple …
We study the quantizations of the algebras of regular functions on nilpotent orbits. We show that such a quantization always exists and is unique if the orbit is birationally rigid. Further we show that, for special birationally rigid orbits, the quantization has integral central character in all cases but four (one orbit in E_7 and three orbits in E_8). We use this to complete the computation of Goldie ranks for primitive ideals with integral central character for all special nilpotent orbits but one (in E_8). Our main ingredient is results on the geometry of normalizations of the closures of…
For the classical groups, Kraft and Procesi have resolved the question of which nilpotent orbits have closures which are normal and which are not, with the exception of the very even orbits in $D_{2l}$ which have partition of the form $(a^{2k}, b^2)$ for $a, b$ distinct even natural numbers with $a k + b = 2 l$. In this article, we show that these orbits do have normal closure.
We consider aspects of the geometry and topology of nilpotent orbits in finite-dimensional complex simple Lie algebras. In particular, we give the equivariant cohomologies of the regular and minimal nilpotent orbits with respect to the action of a maximal compact torus of the overall group in question.
The $\mathrm{GL}(V)$-orbits in the enhanced nilpotent cone $V\times\mathcal{N}(V)$ are (essentially) in bijection with the orbits of a certain parabolic $P\subseteq\mathrm{GL}(V)$ (the mirabolic subgroup) in the nilpotent cone $\mathcal{N}(V)$. We give a new parameterization of the orbits in the enhanced nilpotent cone, in terms of representations of the underlying quiver. This parameterization generalizes naturally to the enhanced cyclic nilpotent cone. Our parameterizations are different to the previous ones that have appeared in the literature. Explicit translations between the different pa…
For a connected, simply-connected complex simple algebraic group $G$, we examine a class of Hessenberg varieties associated with the minimal nilpotent orbit. In particular, we compute the Poincaré polynomials and irreducible components of these varieties in Lie type $A$. Furthermore, we show these Hessenberg varieties to be GKM with respect to the action of a maximal torus $T\subseteq G$. The corresponding GKM graphs are then explicitly determined. Finally, we present the ordinary and $T$-equivariant cohomology rings of our varieties as quotients of those of the flag variety.
This is an expository article on the singularities of nilpotent orbit closures in simple Lie algebras over the complex numbers. It is slanted towards aspects that are relevant for representation theory, including Maffei's theorem relating Slodowy slices to Nakajima quiver varieties in type A. There is one new observation: the results of Juteau and Mautner, combined with Maffei's theorem, give a geometric proof of a result on decomposition numbers of Schur algebras due to Fang, Henke and Koenig.
Motivated by geometric Langlands, we initiate a program to study the mirror symmetry between nilpotent orbit closures of a semisimple Lie algebra and those of its Langlands dual. The most interesting case is $B_n$ via $C_n$. Classically, there is a famous Springer duality between special orbits. Therefore, it is natural to speculate that the mirror symmetry we seek may coincide with Springer duality in the context of special orbits. Unfortunately, such a naive statement fails. To remedy the situation, we propose a conjecture which asserts the mirror symmetry for certain parabolic/induced cover…
Let X be an F-rational nilpotent element in the Lie algebra of a connected and reductive group G defined over the ground field F. Suppose that the Lie algebra has a non-degenerate invariant bilinear form. We show that the unipotent radical of the centralizer of X is F-split. This property has several consequences. When F is complete with respect to a discrete valuation with either finite or algebraically closed residue field, we deduce a uniform proof that G(F) has finitely many nilpotent orbits in Lie(G)(F). When the residue field is finite, we obtain a proof that nilpotent orbital integrals …
A connection between minimal nilpotent orbits of types A and D via Hamiltonian reduction
State Key Laboratory of Mathematical Sciences, Morningside Center of Mathematics, Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院数学与系统科学研究院）；School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院大学数学科学学院）；Institute of Mathematics, Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院数学与系统科学研究院）
In this manuscript, we compute explicitly the Lusztig-Vogan bijection for local systems of some classical, special, nilpotent orbits. Using these results, we prove a conjecture of Achar and Sommers on regular functions of some covers of classical nilpotent orbits.
We are interested in Poisson structures transverse to nilpotent adjoint orbits in a complex semi-simple Lie algebra, and we study their polynomial nature, introduced by R.Cushman and M.Roberts. Furthermore, in the case of sl(n), we construct some families of nilpotent orbits with quadratic transverse structures.
In the context of affine complex Kac-Moody algebras, we define the meaning of nilpotent orbits under the adjoint action of the maximal Kac-Moody group. We also give a parameterization of nilpotent orbits of $\mathfrak{sl}_n^{(1)}(\mathbb C)$.
Let $O$ be a nilpotent orbit of a complex semisimple Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$ and let $π: X \to \bar{O}$ be the finite covering associated with the universal covering of $O$. In the previous article we have explicitly constructed a $\mathbf{Q}$-factorial terminalization $\tilde{X}$ of $X$ when $\mathfrak{g}$ is classical. In the present article, we count how many different $\mathbf{Q}$-factorial terminalizations $X$ has. We construct the universal Poisson deformation of $\tilde{X}$ over $H^2(\tilde{X}, \mathbf{C})$ and look at the action of the Weyl group $W(X)$ on $H^2(\tilde{X}, \mathbf{C}…
We describe two approaches to classifying the possible monodromy cones C arising from nilpotent orbits in Hodge theory. The first is based upon the observation that C is contained in the open orbit of any interior point N in C under an associated Levi subgroup determined by the limit mixed Hodge structure. The possible relations between the interior of C its faces are described in terms of signed Young diagrams. The second approach is to understand the Tannakian category of nilpotent orbits via a category D introduced by Deligne in a letter to Cattani and Kaplan. In analogy with Hodge theory, …
Let us fix a complex simple Lie algebra and its non-compact real form. This paper focuses on non-zero adjoint nilpotent orbits in the complex simple Lie algebra meeting the real form. We show that the poset consisting of such nilpotent orbits equipped with the closure ordering has the minimum. Furthermore, we determine such the minimum orbit in terms of the Dynkin--Kostant classification even in the cases where the orbit does not coincide with the minimal nilpotent orbit in the complex simple Lie algebra. We also prove that the intersection of the orbit and the real form is the union of all mi…
We associate to each nilpotent orbit of a real semisimple Lie algebra $g_o$ a weighted Vogan diagram, that is a Dynkin diagram with an involution of the diagram, a subset of painted nodes and a weight for each node. Every nilpotent element of $g_o$ is noticed in some subalgebra of $g_o$. In this paper we characterize the weighted Vogan diagrams associated to orbits of noticed nilpotent elements.
We show that the dimension of the minimal nilpotent coadjoint orbit for a complex simple Lie algebra is equal to twice the dual Coxeter number minus two.
We introduce a method to determine the maximum nilpotent orbit which intersects a variety of nilpotent matrices described by a strictly upper triangular matrix over a polynomial ring. We show that the result only depends on the ranks of its submatrices and we introduce conditions on a subvariety so that it intersects the same orbit. Then we describe a maximal nilpotent subalgebra of the centralizer of any nilpotent matrix; the previous method allows us to show that the maximum nilpotent orbit which intersects that centralizer only depends on which entries are identically 0 in that subalgebra. …
The orbits of the group B of upper-triangular matrices acting on 2-nilpotent complex matrices via conjugation are classified via oriented link patterns, generalizing A. Melnikov's classification of the B-orbits on upper-triangular such matrices. The orbit closures as well as the "building blocks" of minimal degenerations of orbits are described. The classification uses the theory of representations of finite-dimensional algebras. Furthermore, we initiate the study of the B-orbits on arbitrary nilpotent matrices.
In this paper, we construct and classify the special unipotent representations of a real reductive group attached to the principal nilpotent orbit. We give formulas for the $\mathbf{K}$-types, associated varieties, and Langlands parameters of all such representations.
In this note we investigate the normality of closures of orthogonal and symplectic nilpotent orbits in positive characteristic. We prove that the closure of such a nilpotent orbit is normal provided that neither type d nor type e minimal irreducible degeneration occurs in the closure, and conversely if the closure is normal, then any type e minimal irreducible degeneration does not occur in it. Here, the minimal irreducible degenerations of a nilpotent orbit are introduced by W. Hesselink in [6] (or see [11] from which we take Table 1 for the complete list of all minimal irreducible degenerati…
Let g be a simple Lie algebra, with fixed Borel subalgebra b and with Weyl group W. Expanding on previous work of Fan and Stembridge in the simply laced case, this note aims to study the fully commutative elements of W, and their connections with the spherical nilpotent orbits in g. If g is not of type G_2, it is shown that an element w in W is fully commutative if and only if the subalgebra of b determined by the inversions of w lies in the closure of a spherical nilpotent orbit. A similar characterization is also given for the ad-nilpotent ideals of b, which are parametrized by suitable elem…
We propose a systematic and topological study of limits $\lim_{ν\to 0^+}G_\mathbb{R}\cdot(νx)$ of continuous families of adjoint orbits for non-compact simple Lie groups. This limit is always a finite union of nilpotent orbits. We describe explicitly these nilpotent orbits in terms of Richardson orbits in the case of hyperbolic semisimple elements. We also show that one can approximate minimal nilpotent orbits or even nilpotent orbits by elliptic semisimple orbits. The special cases of $\mathrm{SL}_n(\mathbb{R})$ and $\mathrm{SU}(p,q)$ are computed in detail.
This paper deals with singularities of closures of $2$-nilpotent Borel conjugacy classes in either a $\text{GL}_n$-conjugacy class or in the nilpotent cone of $\text{GL}_n$. In the latter case we construct a resolution of singularities, in the former we show that singularities are rational by applying a result of M. Brion. We reason why this generalizes the result of N. Perrin and E. Smirnov on the rationality of singularities of Springer fiber components in the two-column case. In the case of Borel orbit closures being contained in orbital varieties, we give an alternative version of L. Fress…
We give the number of nilpotent orbits in the Lie algebras of orthogonal groups under the adjoint action of the groups over $\tF_{2^n}$. Let $G$ be an adjoint algebraic group of type $B,C$ or $D$ defined over an algebraically closed field of characteristic 2. We construct the Springer correspondence for the nilpotent variety in the Lie algebra of $G$.
In this paper I explore the relationship between regular functions associated to local systems on nilpotent orbits and unipotent representations in the complex groups.
We prove that the local intersection cohomology of nilpotent orbit closures of cyclic quivers is trivial when the two orbits involved correspond to partitions with at most two rows. This gives a geometric proof of a result of Graham and Lehrer, which states that standard modules of the affine Hecke algebra of $GL_d$ corresponding to nilpotents with at most two Jordan blocks are multiplicity-free.
To any pair of commuting n x n nilpotent matrices it is associated a pair of partitions of n. We describe a maximal nilpotent subalgebra of the centralizer of a given nilpotent n x n matrix and prove a conjecture of Polona Oblak which consists in an algorithm for the determination of the maximum partition which forms with a given partition a pair with the previous property.
This paper studies nilpotent orbits in complex simple Lie algebras from the viewpoint of strongly visible actions in the sense of T. Kobayashi. We prove that the action of a maximal compact group consisting of inner automorphisms on a nilpotent orbit is strongly visible if and only if it is spherical, namely, admitting an open orbit of a Borel subgroup. Further, we find a concrete description of a slice in the strongly visible action. As a corollary, we clarify a relationship among different notions of complex nilpotent orbits: actions of Borel subgroups (sphericity); multiplicity-free represe…
We show that the numbers of nilpotent coadjoint orbits in the dual of exceptional Lie algebra $G_2$ in characteristic $3$ and in the dual of exceptional Lie algebra $F_4$ in characteristic $2$ are finite. We determine the closure relation among nilpotent coadjoint orbits in the dual of Lie algebras of type $B,C,F_4$ in characteristic $2$ and in the dual of Lie algebra of type $G_2$ in characteristic $3$. In each case we give an explicit description of the nilpotent pieces in the dual defined in \cite{CP}, which are in general unions of nilpotent coadjoint orbits, coincide with the earlier case…
