Grassmann manifolds

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The Grassmannians $G_1(V)$ are projective spaces, denoted $\P (V)$. Note that $G_1(F^2)=S^d$, where $d=dim_R F$. If we identify $S^d$ with the one-point compactification of $\F$ the projection $p$ corresponds to the map $p_d :S^{2d-1}\to S^d$ given by $p_d(z_0,z_1)=z_0/z_1$ where $z_i\in\F$. Note, that the same formula works for octonions, however the higher dimensional projective spaces over octonions do not exist. The maps $p_d :S^{2d-1}\to S^d$ for $d=1,2,4,8$ are called the Hopf maps and they play a very important role in homotopy theory; a fiber of $p_d$ is a sphere $S^{d-1}$.
The Grassmannians $G_1(V)$ are projective spaces, denoted $\P (V)$. Note that $G_1(F^2)=S^d$, where $d=dim_R F$. If we identify $S^d$ with the one-point compactification of $\F$ the projection $p$ corresponds to the map $p_d :S^{2d-1}\to S^d$ given by $p_d(z_0,z_1)=z_0/z_1$ where $z_i\in\F$. Note, that the same formula works for octonions, however the higher dimensional projective spaces over octonions do not exist. The maps $p_d :S^{2d-1}\to S^d$ for $d=1,2,4,8$ are called the Hopf maps and they play a very important role in homotopy theory; a fiber of $p_d$ is a sphere $S^{d-1}$.
There is an embedding of the Grassmannian $G_k(\F^n)$ in the cartesian space $\F^{n^2}=\Hom\,(F^n,F^n)$ which assigns to every subsapce the orthogonal projection on it. The embedding defines a natural (operator) metric on $G_k(\F^n)$.
There is an embedding of the Grassmannian $G_k(\F^n)$ in the cartesian space $\F^{n^2}=\Hom\,(F^n,F^n)$ which assigns to every subsapce the orthogonal projection on it. The embedding defines a natural (operator) metric on $G_k(\F^n)$.

Revision as of 13:55, 26 November 2010


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Contents

1 Introduction

Grassmann manifolds are named after Hermann Grassmann, a German school teacher in Stettin who developed basic notions of linear algebra. Let \F be the real, complex or quaternion field and V a vector space over K of dimension n and let k\leq n. A Grassmann manifolds of k-dimensional subspaces is a set G_k(V) of k-dimensional subspaces. The set G_k(V) is a quotient of a subset of V\times ...\times V consisting of linearly independent k-tuples of vectors with the subspace topology. We define topology on G_k(V) as the quotient topology.

Theorem 1.1 [{Milnor&Stasheff1974].} G_k(V) is a Hausdorff, compact space.
Theorem 1.2 [{Milnor&Stasheff1974].} G_k(V) is a connected, compact smooth manifold of dimension dk(n-k).

Note that the Grassmann manifold G_k(V) around W\in G_k(V) is locally modelled on the vector space Hom (W^\bot ,W). </div>

Grassmann manifold is a homogeneous space of the general linear group. General linear group
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acts transitively on G_k(V) with an isotropy group consisting of automorphisms preserving a given subspace. If the space V is equipped with a scalar product (hermitian metric resp.) then the group of isometries O(V) acts transitively and the isotropy group of W is O(W^\bot)\times O(W).
Proposition 1.3 [{Milnor&Stasheff1974].} There exist a natural diffeomorphism G_k(V)\simeq G_{n-k}(V^*)
The Grassmannians G_1(V) are projective spaces, denoted \P (V). Note that G_1(F^2)=S^d, where
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. If we identify S^d with the one-point compactification of \F the projection p corresponds to the map p_d :S^{2d-1}\to S^d given by p_d(z_0,z_1)=z_0/z_1 where z_i\in\F. Note, that the same formula works for octonions, however the higher dimensional projective spaces over octonions do not exist. The maps p_d :S^{2d-1}\to S^d for
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are called the Hopf maps and they play a very important role in homotopy theory; a fiber of p_d is a sphere S^{d-1}. There is an embedding of the Grassmannian
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in the cartesian space \F^{n^2}=\Hom\,(F^n,F^n) which assigns to every subsapce the orthogonal projection on it. The embedding defines a natural (operator) metric on
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.


Prove that there is a free action of the group
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on
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sucht that the orbit space is homeomorphic to
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. Similarly for the noncompact Stiefel manifold.

\end{zad}

Prove that the map
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is locally trivial (even a principal
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-bundle), thus a fibration.

They are examples of coadjoint orbits [Kirillov2004]

[Milnor&Stasheff1974]

Theorem 1.4.



2 Construction and examples

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3 Invariants

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4 Classification/Characterization

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5 Further discussion

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6 References

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