On a class of double cosets in reductive algebraic groups

Abstract

We study a class of double coset spaces R_A \backslash G_1 \times G_2 /R_C, where G_1 and G_2 are connected reductive algebraic groups, and R_A and R_C are certain spherical subgroups of G_1 \times G_2 obtained by ``identifying'' Levi factors of parabolic subgroups in G_1 and G_2. Such double cosets naturally appear in the symplectic leaf decompositions of Poisson homogeneous spaces of complex reductive groups with the Belavin-Drinfeld Poisson structures. They also appear in orbit decompositions of the De Concini-Procesi compactifications of semi-simple groups of adjoint type. We find explicit parametrizations of the double coset spaces and describe the double cosets as homogeneous spaces of R_A \times R_C. We further show that all such double cosets give rise to set-theoretical solutions to the quantum Yang-Baxter equation on unipotent algebraic groups.