nLab flag variety

Idea

A flag in a vector space or a projective space is a nested system of linear/projective subspaces, one of each dimension from $0$ to $n-1$.

Given a field $k$, the space of all flags in an $n$-dimensional $k$-vector space has the structure of a projective variety over $k$, this is the flag variety.

If $k$ is the field of real or complex numbers, then it has a structure of a smooth manifold. It can be considered as the homogeneous space $SL(n,k)/B$ where $B$ is the subgroup of lower (or upper if you like) triangular matrices. By the Gram–Schmidt orthogonalization procedure, one shows the isomorphism as real manifolds $SL(n,\mathbb{C})/B\cong SU(n)/T$ where $T$ is the subgroup of the diagonal $n\times n$-matrices.

More generally, the generalized flag variety is the complex projective variety obtained as the coset space $G/T\cong G^{\mathbb{C}}/B$ where $G$ is a compact Lie group, $T$ its maximal torus, $G^{\mathbb{C}}$ the complexification of $G$, which is a complex semisimple group, and $B\subset G^{\mathbb{C}}$ is the Borel subgroup. It has a structure of a compact Kähler manifold. It is a special case of the larger family of coset spaces of semisimple groups modulo parabolics which includes, for example, Grassmannians. There are quantum, noncommutative and infinite-dimensional generalizations. Flag varieties have rich combinatorial and geometric structure and play an important role in representation theory and integrable systems.

Related concepts

• Grassmannian

• coset space

• coadjoint orbit

• building

• Schubert variety

• Schubert calculus

• character sheaf?, horocycle correspondence, Harish Chandra transform

geometric context	gauge group	stabilizer subgroup	local model space	local geometry	global geometry	differential cohomology	first order formulation of gravity
differential geometry	Lie group/algebraic group $G$	subgroup (monomorphism) $H \hookrightarrow G$	quotient (“coset space”) $G/H$	Klein geometry	Cartan geometry	Cartan connection
examples	Euclidean group $Iso(d)$	rotation group $O(d)$	Cartesian space $\mathbb{R}^d$	Euclidean geometry	Riemannian geometry	affine connection	Euclidean gravity
	Poincaré group $Iso(d-1,1)$	Lorentz group $O(d-1,1)$	Minkowski spacetime $\mathbb{R}^{d-1,1}$	Lorentzian geometry	pseudo-Riemannian geometry	spin connection	Einstein gravity
	anti de Sitter group $O(d-1,2)$	$O(d-1,1)$	anti de Sitter spacetime $AdS^d$				AdS gravity
	de Sitter group $O(d,1)$	$O(d-1,1)$	de Sitter spacetime $dS^d$				deSitter gravity
	linear algebraic group	parabolic subgroup/Borel subgroup	flag variety	parabolic geometry
	conformal group $O(d,t+1)$	conformal parabolic subgroup	Möbius space $S^{d,t}$		conformal geometry	conformal connection	conformal gravity
supergeometry	super Lie group $G$	subgroup (monomorphism) $H \hookrightarrow G$	quotient (“coset space”) $G/H$	super Klein geometry	super Cartan geometry	Cartan superconnection
examples	super Poincaré group	spin group	super Minkowski spacetime $\mathbb{R}^{d-1,1\vert N}$	Lorentzian supergeometry	supergeometry	superconnection	supergravity
	super anti de Sitter group		super anti de Sitter spacetime
higher differential geometry	smooth 2-group $G$	2-monomorphism $H \to G$	homotopy quotient $G//H$	Klein 2-geometry	Cartan 2-geometry
	cohesive ∞-group	∞-monomorphism (i.e. any homomorphism) $H \to G$	homotopy quotient $G//H$ of ∞-action	higher Klein geometry	higher Cartan geometry	higher Cartan connection
examples			extended super Minkowski spacetime		extended supergeometry		higher supergravity: type II, heterotic, 11d

References

General

• D. Monk, The geometry of flag manifolds, Proceedings of the London Mathematical Society 1959 s3-9(2):253–286; doi:10.1112/plms/s3-9.2.253

• Wikipedia, Generalized flag variety

• M. Brion, Lectures on the geometry of flag varieties, pdf

• Armand Borel, Linear algebraic groups, Springer

• Neil Strickland, section 5 of: A Bestiary of Topological Objects [pdf, pdf]

On flag varieties of loop groups:

• Shrawan Kumar, Kac-Moody Groups, their Flag Varieties and Representation Theory, Birkhäuser 2002

On flag manifold sigma-models:

• Ian Affleck, Dmitri Bykov, Kyle Wamer, Flag manifold sigma models: spin chains and integrable theories, Phys. Rept. 953 (2022) 1-93 [arXiv:2101.11638, doi:10.1016/j.physrep.2021.09.004]

Unstable classification of topological phases

Arguments that some effects in topological phases of matter are “unstable” or “fragile” in that the relevant deformation class of their valence bundles over the Brillouin torus is not their class in topological K-theory (as assumed by the K-theory classification of topological phases of matter) but an unstable homotopy class (what may be called a class in generalized nonabelian cohomology) such as of maps to a Grassmannian space (or more general flag variety) classifying (systems of) sub-bundles of a trivial vector bundle of fixed finite rank:

Influential precursor discussion:

• Andreas P. Schnyder, Shinsei Ryu, Akira Furusaki, Andreas W. W. Ludwig: Classification of topological insulators and superconductors in three spatial dimensions, Phys. Rev. B 78 195125 (2008) [doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.78.195125, arXiv:0803.2786]

More explicit highlighting of the role of the unstable case (and coinage of the term “fragile” for “unstable”):

• Hoi Chun Po, Haruki Watanabe, Ashvin Vishwanath: Fragile Topology and Wannier Obstructions, Phys. Rev. Lett. 121 (2018) 126402 [doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.126402]

• Hoi Chun Po, Liujun Zou, T. Senthil, Ashvin Vishwanath: Faithful tight-binding models and fragile topology of magic-angle bilayer graphene, Phys. Rev. B 99 (2019) 195455 [doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.99.195455, arXiv:1808.02482]

• Adrien Bouhon, Tomáš Bzdušek, Robert-Jan Slager: Geometric approach to fragile topology beyond symmetry indicators, Phys. Rev. B 102 (2020) 115135 [doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.102.115135, arXiv:2005.02044]

Applications:

• Adrien Bouhon, Robert-Jan Slager, around equation (3) in: Multi-gap topological conversion of Euler class via band-node braiding: minimal models, PT-linked nodal rings, and chiral heirs [arXiv:2203.16741]

• Zory Davoyan, Wojciech J. Jankowski, Adrien Bouhon, Robert-Jan Slager, section II.A in: Three-dimensional $\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$-symmetric topological phases with Pontryagin index [doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.109.165125 arXiv:2308.15555]

Expositions with an eye towards non-abelian braiding of band nodes in momentum space:

• Gunnar F. Lange: Multi-gap topology & non-abelian braiding in $\mathbf{k}$-space, talk at University of Oslo (Feb 2023) $[$pdf]

• Adrien Bouhon: Non-Abelian and Euler multi-gap topologies in crystalline materials, talk at: Quantum Information and Quantum Matter, CQTS @ NYU Abu Dhabi (May 2023) $[$pdf]