Wilson loops in SYM $N=4$ do not parametrize an orientable space

Abstract

In this paper we explore the geometric space parametrized by (tree level) Wilson loops in SYM $N=4$. We show that, this space can be seen as a vector bundle over a totally non-negative subspace of the Grassmannian, $\mathcal{W}_{k,cn}$. Furthermore, we explicitly show that this bundle is non-orientable in the majority of the cases, and conjecture that it is non-orientable in the remaining situation. Using the combinatorics of the Deodhar decomposition of the Grassmannian, we identify subspaces $\Sigma(W) \subset \mathcal{W}_{k,n}$ for which the restricted bundle lies outside the positive Grassmannian. Finally, while probing the combinatorics of the Deodhar decomposition, we give a diagrammatic algorithm for reading equations determining each Deodhar component as a semialgebraic set.