Homology of generalized Steinberg varieties and Weyl group invariants

Abstract

Let $G$ be a complex, connected, reductive algebraic group. In this paper we show analogues of the computations by Borho and MacPherson of the invariants and anti-invariants of the cohomology of the Springer fibres of the cone of nilpotent elements, $\mathcal N$, of $\operatorname{Lie}(G)$ for the Steinberg variety $Z$ of triples. Using a general specialization argument we show that for a parabolic subgroup $W_P \times W_Q$ of $W \times W$ the space of $W_P \times W_Q$-invariants and the space of $W_P \times W_Q$-anti-invariants of $H_{4n}(Z)$ are isomorphic to the top Borel-Moore homology groups of certain generalized Steinberg varieties introduced in [5]. The rational group algebra of the Weyl group $W$ of $G$ is isomorphic to the opposite of the top Borel-Moore homology $H_{4n}(Z)$ of $Z$, where $2n = \dim \mathcal N$. Suppose $W_P \times W_Q$ is a parabolic subgroup of $W \times W$. We show that the space of $W_P \times W_Q$-invariants of $H_{4n}(Z)$ is $e_Q{\mathbb Q} We_P$, where $e_P$ is the idempotent in group algebra of $W_P$ affording the trivial representation of $W_P$ and $e_Q$ is defined similarly. We also show that the space of $W_P \times W_Q$-anti-invariants of $H_{4n}(Z)$ is $\epsilon_Q{\mathbb Q} W\epsilon_P$, where $\epsilon_P$ is the idempotent in group algebra of $W_P$ affording the sign representation of $W_P$ and $\epsilon_Q$ is defined similarly.