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Christopher Manon

Publications and source records attributed to Christopher Manon.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2020

On degenerations of projective varieties to complexity-one T-varieties

Let $R$ be a positively graded finitely generated $\textbf{k}$-domain with Krull dimension $d+1$. We show that there is a homogeneous valuation $\mathfrak{v}: R \setminus \{0\} \to \mathbb{Z}^d$ of rank $d$ such that the associated graded $\text{gr}_\mathfrak{v}(R)$ is finitely generated. This then implies that any polarized $d$-dimensional projective variety $X$ has a flat deformation over $\mathbb{A}^1$, with reduced and irreducible fibers, to a polarized projective complexity-one $T$-variety (i.e. a variety with a faithful action of a $(d-1)$-dimensional torus $T$). As an application we conclude that any $d$-dimensional complex smooth projective variety $X$ equipped with an integral Kähler form has a proper $(d-1)$-dimensional Hamiltonian torus action on an open dense subset that extends continuously to all of $X$.

math.AG↗
arXiv2019

Khovanskii bases, higher rank valuations and tropical geometry

Given a finitely generated algebra $A$, it is a fundamental question whether $A$ has a full rank discrete (Krull) valuation $\mathfrak{v}$ with finitely generated value semigroup. We give a necessary and sufficient condition for this, in terms of tropical geometry of $A$. In the course of this we introduce the notion of a Khovanskii basis for $(A, \mathfrak{v})$ which provides a framework for far extending Gröbner theory on polynomial algebras to general finitely generated algebras. In particular, this makes a direct connection between the theory of Newton-Okounkov bodies and tropical geometry, and toric degenerations arising in both contexts. We also construct an associated compactification of $Spec(A)$. Our approach includes many familiar examples such as the Gel'fand-Zetlin degenerations of coordinate rings of flag varieties as well as wonderful compactifications of reductive groups. We expect that many examples coming from cluster algebras naturally fit into our framework.

math.AG↗
arXiv2019

Tropical geometry and Newton-Okounkov cones for Grassmannian of planes from compactifications

We construct a family of compactifications of the affine cone of the Grassmannian variety of 2-planes. We show that both the tropical variety of the Plücker ideal and familiar valuations associated to the construction of Newton-Okounkov bodies for the Grassmannian variety can be recovered from these compactifications. In this way, we unite various perspectives for constructing toric degenerations of flag varieties.

math.AG↗
arXiv2017

Rational Complexity-One T-Varieties are Well-Poised

Given an affine rational complexity-one $T$-variety $X$, we construct an explicit embedding of $X$ in affine space $\mathbb{A}^n$. We show that this embedding is well-poised, that is, every initial ideal of $I_X$ is a prime ideal, and determine the tropicalization of $X$. We then study valuations of the coordinate ring $R_X$ of $X$ which respect the torus action, showing that for full rank valuations, the natural generators of $R_X$ form a Khovanskii basis. This allows us to determine Newton-Okounkov bodies of rational projective complexity-one $T$-varieties, partially recovering (and generalizing) results of Petersen. We apply our results to describe all irreducible special fibers of $\mathbb{K}^*\times T$-equivariant degenerations of rational projective complexity-one $T$-varieties, generalizing a results of Süß and the first author.

math.AG↗
arXiv2017

Gröbner theory and tropical geometry on spherical varieties

Let $G$ be a connected reductive algebraic group. We develop a Gröbner theory for multiplicity-free $G$-algebras, as well as a tropical geometry for subschemes in a spherical homogeneous space $G/H$. We define the notion of a spherical tropical variety and prove a fundamental theorem of tropical geometry in this context. We also propose a definition for a spherical amoeba in $G/H$. Our work partly builds on the previous work of Vogiannou on spherical tropicalization and in some ways is complementary.

math.AG↗
arXiv2016

Contraction of Hamiltonian $K$-spaces

In the spirit of recent work of Harada-Kaveh and Nishinou-Nohara-Ueda, we study the symplectic geometry of Popov's horospherical degenerations of complex algebraic varieties with the action of a complex linearly reductive group. We formulate an intrinsic symplectic contraction of a Hamiltonian space, which is a surjective, continuous map onto a new Hamiltonian space that is a symplectomorphism on an explicitly defined dense open subspace. This map is given by a precise formula, using techniques from the theory of symplectic reduction and symplectic implosion. We then show, using the Vinberg monoid, that the gradient-Hamiltonian flow for a horospherical degeneration of an algebraic variety gives rise to this contraction from a general fiber to the special fiber. We apply this construction to branching problems in representation theory, and finally we show how the Gel'fand-Tsetlin integrable system can be understood to arise this way.

math.SG↗
arXiv2016

Compactifications of character varieties and skein relations on conformal blocks

Let $M_C(G)$ be the moduli space of semistable principal $G-$bundles over a smooth curve $C$. We show that a flat degeneration of this space $M_{C_Γ}(G)$ associated to a singular stable curve $C_Γ$ contains the free group character variety $\mathcal{X}(F_g, G)$ as a dense, open subset, where $g = genus(C).$ In the case $G = SL_2(\mathbb{C})$ we describe the resulting compactification explicitly, and in turn we conclude that the coordinate ring of $M_{C_Γ}(SL_2(\mathbb{C}))$ is presented by homogeneous skein relations. Along the way, we prove the parabolic version of these results over stable, marked curves $(C_Γ, \vec{p}_Γ)$.

math.AG↗
arXiv2016

Cox rings of moduli of quasi parabolic principal bundles and the K-Pieri rule

We study a toric degeneration of the Cox ring of the moduli of principal $SL_m(\mathbb{C})$ bundles on the projective line, with quasi parabolic data given by the the stabilizer of the highest weight vector in $\mathbb{C}^m$ and its dual $\bigwedge^{m-1}(\mathbb{C}^m)$. The affine semigroup algebra resulting from this degeneration is described using the $K-$Pieri rule from Kac-Moody representation theory. Along the way we give a proof of the $K-$Pieri rule which utilizes the classical Pieri rule and elements of commutative algebra, and we describe a relationship between the Cox ring and a classical invariant ring studied by Weyl.

math.AG↗
arXiv2016

The algebra of $SL_3(\mathbb{C})$ conformal blocks

We construct and study a family of toric degenerations of the algebra of conformal blocks for a stable marked curve $(C, \vec{p})$ with structure group $SL_3(\mathbb{C}).$ We find that this algebra is Gorenstein. For the genus $0, 1$ cases we find the level of conformal blocks necessary to generate the algebra. In the genus 0 case we also find bounds on the degrees of relations required to present the algebra. Along the way we recover polyhedral rules for counting conformal blocks originally due to Senechal, Mathieu, Kirillov, and Walton.

math.AG↗
arXiv2016

Semigroups of $sl_3(\mathbb{C})$ tensor product invariants

We compute presentations for a family of semigroup algebras related to the problem of decomposing $sl_3(\mathbb{C})$ tensor products. Along the way we find new toric degenerations of the Grassmannian variety $Gr_3(\mathbb{C}^n)$ which $T-$invariant for $T \subset GL_n(\mathbb{C})$ the diagonal torus.

math.AG↗
arXiv2016

Toric geometry of $SL_2(\mathbb{C})$ free group character varieties from outer space

Culler and Vogtmann defined a simplicial space $O(g)$ called outer space to study the outer automorphism group of the free group $F_g$. Using representation theoretic methods, we give an embedding of $O(g)$ into the analytification of $\mathcal{X}(F_g, SL_2(\mathbb{C})),$ the $SL_2(\mathbb{C})$ character variety of $F_g,$ reproving a result of Morgan and Shalen. Then we show that every point $v$ contained in a maximal cell of $O(g)$ defines a flat degeneration of $\mathcal{X}(F_g, SL_2(\mathbb{C}))$ to a toric variety $X(P_Γ)$. We relate $\mathcal{X}(F_g, SL_2(\mathbb{C}))$ and $X(v)$ topologically by showing that there is a surjective, continuous, proper map $Ξ_v: \mathcal{X}(F_g, SL_2(\mathbb{C})) \to X(v)$. We then show that this map is a symplectomorphism on a dense, open subset of $\mathcal{X}(F_g, SL_2(\mathbb{C}))$ with respect to natural symplectic structures on $\mathcal{X}(F_g, SL_2(\mathbb{C}))$ and $X(v)$. In this way, we construct an integrable Hamiltonian system in $\mathcal{X}(F_g, SL_2(\mathbb{C}))$ for each point in a maximal cell of $O(g)$, and we show that each $v$ defines a topological decomposition of $\mathcal{X}(F_g, SL_2(\mathbb{C}))$ derived from the decomposition of $X(v)$ by its torus orbits. Finally, we show that the valuations coming from the closure of a maximal cell in $O(g)$ all arise as divisorial valuations built from an associated projective compactification of $\mathcal{X}(F_g, SL_2(\mathbb{C})).$

math.AG↗
arXiv2016

Character Varieties of Free Groups are Gorenstein but not always Factorial

Fix a rank g free group F and a connected reductive complex algebraic group G. Let X(F,G) be the G-character variety of F. When the derived subgroup DG in G is simply connected we show that X(F,G) is factorial (which implies it is Gorenstein), and provide examples to show that when DG is not simply connected X(F,G) need not even be locally factorial. Despite the general failure of factoriality of these moduli spaces, using different methods, we show that X(F,G) is always Gorenstein.

math.AG↗
arXiv2013

Conformal blocks, Berenstein-Zelevinsky triangles and group-based models

Work of Buczynska, Wisniewski, Sturmfels and Xu, and the second author has linked the group-based phylogenetic statistical model associated with the group Z/2Z with the Wess-Zumino-Witten (WZW) model of conformal field theory associated to SL(2,C). In this article we explain how this connection can be generalized to establish a relationship between the phylogenetic statistical model for the cyclic group Z/mZ and the WZW model for the special linear group SL(m,C). We use this relationship to also show how a combinatorial device from representation theory, the Berenstein-Zelevinsky triangles, correspond to elements in the affine semigroup algebra of the Z/3Z phylogenetic statistical model.

math.AG↗
arXiv2012

Toric Degenerations and tropical geometry of branching algebras

We construct polyhedral families of valuations on the branching algebra of a morphism of reductive groups. This establishes a connection between the combinatorial rules for studying a branching problem and the tropical geometry of the branching algebra. In the special case when the branching problem comes from the inclusion of a Levi subgroup or a diagonal subgroup, we use the dual canonical basis of Lusztig and Kashiwara to build toric deformations of the branching algebra.

math.AG↗
arXiv2012

Coordinate rings for the moduli of $SL_2(\C)$ quasi-parabolic principal bundles on a curve and toric fiber products

We continue the program started in \cite{M1} to understand the combinatorial commutative algebra of the projective coordinate rings of the moduli stack $\mathcal{M}_{C, \vec{p}}(SL_2(\C))$ of quasi-parabolic $SL_2(\C)$ principal bundles on a generic marked projective curve. We find general bounds on the degrees of polynomials needed to present these algebras by studying their toric degenerations. In particular, we show that the square of any effective line bundle on this moduli stack yields a Koszul projective coordinate ring. This leads us to formalize the properties of the polytopes used in proving our results by constructing a category of polytopes with term-orders. We show that many of results on the projective coordinate rings of $\mathcal{M}_{C, \vec{p}}(SL_2(\C))$ follow from closure properties of this category with respect to fiber products.

math.AC↗