On the intersection pairing between cycles in SU(p,q)-flag domains and maximally real Schubert varieties

Abstract

An SU(p,q)-flag domain is an open orbit of the real Lie group SU(p,q) acting on the complex flag manifold associated to its complexification SL(p+q,C). Any such flag domain contains certain compact complex submanifolds, called cycles, which encode much of the topological, complex geometric and representation theoretical properties of the flag domain. This article is concerned with the description of these cycles in homology using a specific type of Schubert varieties. They are defined by the condition that the fixed point of the Borel group in question is in the closed SU(p,q)-orbit in the ambient manifold. Equivalently, the Borel group contains the AN-factor of some Iwasawa decomposition. We consider the Schubert varieties of this type which are of complementary dimension to the cycles. It is known that if such a variety has non-empty intersection with a certain base cycle, then it does so transversally (in finitely many points). With the goal of understanding this duality, we describe these points of intersection in terms of flags as well as in terms of fixed points of a given maximal torus. The relevant Schubert varieties are described in terms of Weyl group elements. Much of our work is of an algorithmic nature, but, for example in the case of maximal parabolics, i.e. Grassmannians, formulas are derived.