2007-02-23

Ivan Losev, Moscow State University and Rutgers University

A uniqueness property for smooth affine spherical varieties

Let G be a connected reductive algebraic group over an algebraically closed field of characteristic 0. A normal irreducible G-variety X is called spherical if a Borel subgroup of G has an open orbit on X. It was conjectured by F. Knop that two smooth affine spherical G-varieties with the same weight monoids are isomorphic as G-varieties. Here by the weight monoid of X we mean the set of highest weights of the algebra of regular functions on X considered as a G-module. It was proved by Knop that this conjecture implies a uniqueness property for multiplicity free Hamiltonian actions of compact groups on compact real manifolds (the Delzant conjecture). In the talk I am going to outline my recent proof of Knop's conjecture (arXiv:math.AG/0612561).