The adjoint variety of SL_{m+1}(C) is rigid to order three

I show that the adjoint variety of the complex special linear group is rigid to order three.Comment: 15 pages, v

Singular loci of cominuscule Schubert varieties

Let X = G/P be a cominuscule rational homogeneous variety. (Equivalently, X admits the structure of a compact Hermitian symmetric space.) I give a uniform description (that is, independent of type) of the irreducible components of the singular locus of a Schubert variety Y in X in terms of representation theoretic data. The result is based on a recent characterization of the Schubert varieties by an non-negative integer A and a marked Dynkin diagram. Corollaries include: (1) the variety is smooth if and only if A=0; (2) if G of Type ADE, then the singular locus occurs in codimension at least three.Comment: Two tables for the exceptional E6 and E7. Version 2: expository edit

Geodesics in Randers spaces of constant curvature

Geodesics in Randers spaces of constant curvature are classified.Comment: 7 small figures added to latest version, which has been accepted by TAMS. 16 pages, 10 small figure

Schur flexibility of cominuscule Schubert varieties

Let X=G/P be cominuscule rational homogeneous variety. (Equivalently, X admits the structure of a compact Hermitian symmetric space.) We say a Schubert class [S] is Schur rigid if the only irreducible subvarieties Y of X with homology class [Y] = r [S], for an integer r, are Schubert varieties. Robles and The identified a sufficient condition for a Schubert class to be Schur rigid. In this paper we show that the condition is also necessary.Comment: Two figures for the exceptional E6 and E7. Version 3: editorial revision

Characterization of Calabi--Yau variations of Hodge structure over tube domains by characteristic forms

Sheng and Zuo's characteristic forms are invariants of a variation of Hodge structure. We show that they characterize Gross's canonical variations of Hodge structure of Calabi-Yau type over (Hermitian symmetric) tube domains

Classification of smooth horizontal Schubert varieties

We show that the smooth horizontal Schubert subvarieties of a rational homogeneous variety $G/P$ are homogeneously embedded cominuscule $G'/P'$, and are classified by subdiagrams of a Dynkin diagram. This generalizes the classification of smooth Schubert varieties in cominuscule $G/P$.Comment: replaces sections 3 and 4 of arXiv:1407.4507v1, which were eliminated in its revision; comments welcom

Variations of Hodge structure and orbits in flag varieties

Period domains, the classifying spaces for (pure, polarized) Hodge structures, and more generally Mumford-Tate domains, arise as open $G_{\mathbb{R}}$--orbits in flag varieties $G/P$. We investigate Hodge--theoretic aspects of the geometry and representation theory associated with these flag varieties. In particular, we relate the Griffiths--Yukawa coupling to the variety of lines on $G/P$ (under a minimal homogeneous embedding), construct a large class of polarized $G_{\mathbb{R}}$--orbits in $G/P$, and compute the associated Hodge--theoretic boundary components. An emphasis is placed throughout on adjoint flag varieties and the corresponding families of Hodge structures of levels two and four.Comment: v.2, substantially revised and shortened; comments welcom

Calibrated associative and Cayley embeddings

Using the Cartan-Kahler theory, and results on real algebraic structures, we prove two embedding theorems. First, the interior of a smooth, compact 3-manifold may be isometrically embedded into a G_2-manifold as an associative submanifold. Second, the interior of a smooth, compact 4-manifold K, whose double has a trivial bundle of self-dual 2-forms, may be isometrically embedded into a Spin(7)-manifold as a Cayley submanifold. Along the way, we also show that Bochner's Theorem on real analytic approximation of smooth differential forms, can be obtained using real algebraic tools developed by Akbulut and King

Fubini's Theorem in codimension two

We classify codimension two analytic submanifolds X of projective space having the property that any line through a general point p having contact to order two with X at p automatically has contact to order three. We give applications to the study of the Debarre--de Jong conjecture, and of n-dimensional varieties whose Fano variety of lines has dimension 2n-4.Comment: v.1, 11 page

Quotients of non-classical flag domains are not algebraic

A flag domain D = G/V for G a simple real non-compact group G with compact Cartan subgroup is non-classical if it does not fiber holomorphically or anti-holomorphically over a Hermitian symmetric space. We prove that any two points in a non-classical domain D can be joined by a finite chain of compact subvarieties of D. Then we prove that for F an infinite, finitely generated discrete subgroup of G, the analytic space F\D does not have an algebraic structure