We present a general method for constructing real solutions to some problems
in enumerative geometry which gives lower bounds on the maximum number of real
solutions. We apply this method to show that two new classes of enumerative
geometric problems on flag manifolds may have all their solutions be real and
modify this method to show that another class may have no real solutions, which
is a new phenomenon. This method originated in a numerical homotopy
continuation algorithm adapted to the special Schubert calculus on
Grassmannians and in principle gives optimal numerical homotopy algorithms for
finding explicit solutions to these other enumerative problems.Comment: 19 pages, LaTeX-2e; Updated and final version. To appear in the issue
of Michigan Mathematical Journal dedicated to Bill Fulto