Springer theory for symplectic Galois groups

Abstract

A classical and beautiful story in geometric representation theory is the construction by Springer of an action of the Weyl group on the cohomology of the fibres of the Springer resolution of the nilpotent cone. We establish a natural extension of Springer's theory to arbitrary symplectic resolutions of conical symplectic singularities. We analyse features of the action in the case of affine quiver varieties, constructing Weyl group actions on the cohomology of $ADE$ quiver varieties, and also consider "symplectically dual" examples arising from slices in the affine Grassmannian. Along the way, we document some basic features of the symplectic geometry of quiver varieties.