Classical Invariant Theory

The book is a self-contained introduction to the results and methods in classical invariant theory.

The primary goal of this 2003 book is to give a brief introduction to the main ideas of algebraic and geometric invariant theory. It assumes only a minimal background in algebraic geometry, algebra and representation theory. Topics covered include the symbolic method for computation of invariants on the space of homogeneous forms, the problem of finite-generatedness of the algebra of invariants, the theory of covariants and constructions of categorical and geometric quotients. Throughout, the emphasis is on concrete examples which originate in classical algebraic geometry. Based on lectures given at University of Michigan, Harvard University and Seoul National University, the book is written in an accessible style and contains many examples and exercises. A novel feature of the book is a discussion of possible linearizations of actions and the variation of quotients under the change of linearization. Also includes the construction of toric varieties as torus quotients of affine spaces.

More than half a century has passed since Weyl's 'The Classical Groups' gave a unified picture of invariant theory. This book presents an updated version of this theory together with many of the important recent developments. As a text for those new to the area, this book provides an introduction to the structure and finite-dimensional representation theory of the complex classical groups that requires only an abstract algebra course as a prerequisite. The more advanced reader will find an introduction to the structure and representations of complex reductive algebraic groups and their compact real forms. This book will also serve as a reference for the main results on tensor and polynomial invariants and the finite-dimensional representation theory of the classical groups. It will appeal to researchers in mathematics, statistics, physics and chemistry whose work involves symmetry groups, representation theory, invariant theory and algebraic group theory.

Geometric Invariant Theory (GIT) is developed in this text within the context of algebraic geometry over the real and complex numbers. This sophisticated topic is elegantly presented with enough background theory included to make the text accessible to advanced graduate students in mathematics and physics with diverse backgrounds in algebraic and differential geometry. Throughout the book, examples are emphasized. Exercises add to the reader’s understanding of the material; most are enhanced with hints. The exposition is divided into two parts. The first part, ‘Background Theory’, is organized as a reference for the rest of the book. It contains two chapters developing material in complex and real algebraic geometry and algebraic groups that are difficult to find in the literature. Chapter 1 emphasizes the relationship between the Zariski topology and the canonical Hausdorff topology of an algebraic variety over the complex numbers. Chapter 2 develops the interaction between Lie groups and algebraic groups. Part 2, ‘Geometric Invariant Theory’ consists of three chapters (3–5). Chapter 3 centers on the Hilbert–Mumford theorem and contains a complete development of the Kempf–Ness theorem and Vindberg’s theory. Chapter 4 studies the orbit structure of a reductive algebraic group on a projective variety emphasizing Kostant’s theory. The final chapter studies the extension of classical invariant theory to products of classical groups emphasizing recent applications of the theory to physics.

This volume of expository papers is the outgrowth of a conference in combinatorics and invariant theory. In recent years, newly developed techniques from algebraic geometry and combinatorics have been applied with great success to some of the outstanding problems of invariant theory, moving it back to the forefront of mathematical research once again. This collection of papers centers on constructive aspects of invariant theory and opens with an introduction to the subject by F. Grosshans. Its purpose is to make the current research more accesssible to mathematicians in related fields.

Sample Text

Schubert varieties provide an inductive tool for studying flag varieties. This book is mainly a detailed account of a particularly interesting instance of their occurrence: namely, in relation to classical invariant theory. More precisely, it is about the connection between the first and second fundamental theorems of classical invariant theory on the one hand and standard monomial theory for Schubert varieties in certain special flag varieties on the other.

This book covers the modular invariant theory of finite groups, the case when the characteristic of the field divides the order of the group, a theory that is more complicated than the study of the classical non-modular case. Largely self-contained, the book develops the theory from its origins up to modern results. It explores many examples, illustrating the theory and its contrast with the better understood non-modular setting. It details techniques for the computation of invariants for many modular representations of finite groups, especially the case of the cyclic group of prime order. It includes detailed examples of many topics as well as a quick survey of the elements of algebraic geometry and commutative algebra as they apply to invariant theory. The book is aimed at both graduate students and researchers—an introduction to many important topics in modern algebra within a concrete setting for the former, an exploration of a fascinating subfield of algebraic geometry for the latter.