Grassmann manifolds

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The tangent bundle to Grassmaniann can be expressed in terms of the canonical bundle: $TG_k(V)= \Hom (\gamma_k^\bot , \gamma_k).$
The tangent bundle to Grassmaniann can be expressed in terms of the canonical bundle: $TG_k(V)= \Hom (\gamma_k^\bot , \gamma_k).$
{{beginthm|Proposition|}} There exist a natural diffeomorphism $G_k(V)\simeq G_{n-k}(V^*)$. {{endthm}}
{{beginthm|Proposition|}} There exist a natural diffeomorphism $G_k(V)\simeq G_{n-k}(V^*)$. {{endthm}}
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There is an embedding of the Grassmannian $G_k(V)$ in the Cartesian space $\F^{n^2}=\Hom\,(F^n,F^n)$ which assigns to every subspace the orthogonal projection on it. If $V$ is equipped with a norm, the embedding defines a natural (operator) metric on $G_k(V)$.
There is an embedding of the Grassmannian $G_k(V)$ in the Cartesian space $\F^{n^2}=\Hom\,(F^n,F^n)$ which assigns to every subspace the orthogonal projection on it. If $V$ is equipped with a norm, the embedding defines a natural (operator) metric on $G_k(V)$.
Infinite dimensional Grassmannians. Natural inclusions of vector space $\F^1 \subset \F^2 \subset ...\F^n \subset ...$ defines inclusions of Grassmannians. The colimit of the resulting sequence is denoted $G_k(\F{\infty} ).$
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Infinite dimensional Grassmannians. Natural inclusions of vector space $\F ^1 \subset \F ^2 \subset ...\F ^n \subset ...$ defines inclusions of Grassmannians. The colimit of the resulting sequence is denoted $G_k(\F{\infty} ).$

Revision as of 19:48, 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. They play a key role in topology and geometry as the universal spaces of vector bundles.


2 Construction and examples

Let \F=\Rr ,\Cc , \Hh be the real, complex or quaternion field and V a vector space over
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of dimension n and let
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. A Grassmann manifolds of k-dimensional subspaces is a set
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of k-dimensional subspaces. The set
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is a quotient of a subset of
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consisting of linearly independent k-tuples of vectors with the subspace topology. We define topology on
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as the quotient topology.
Theorem 2.1 [Milnor&Stasheff1974].
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is a Hausdorff, compact space.
Theorem 2.2 [Milnor&Stasheff1974].
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is a connected, compact smooth manifold of dimension
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. For \F=\Cc ,\Hh it is also a complex manifold.
Note that the Grassmann manifold
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around
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is locally modelled on the vector space
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Grassmann manifold is a homogeneous space of the general linear group. General linear group
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acts transitively on
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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
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acts transitively and the isotropy group of W is
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. The Grassmann manifold is equipped with the canonical, tautological vector bundle
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which is a subbundle of the trivial bundle
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. The total space is
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The total space of the associated principal bundle is a Stiefel manifold.

The tangent bundle to Grassmaniann can be expressed in terms of the canonical bundle: TG_k(V)= \Hom (\gamma_k^\bot , \gamma_k).

Proposition 2.3. There exist a natural diffeomorphism
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.
The Grassmannians
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are projective spaces, denoted
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. Note that
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, where
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. If we identify
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with the one-point compactification of
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the projection of the canonical principal bundle corresponds to the map
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given by
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where
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. Note, that the same formula works for octonions \Oo, however the higher dimensional projective spaces over octonions do not exist. The maps
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for d= 2,4,8 are called the Hopf maps and they play a very important role in homotopy theory; a fibre of
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is a sphere
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. There is an embedding of the Grassmannian
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in the Cartesian space
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which assigns to every subspace the orthogonal projection on it. If V is equipped with a norm, the embedding defines a natural (operator) metric on
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.

Infinite dimensional Grassmannians. Natural inclusions of vector space \F ^1 \subset \F ^2 \subset ...\F ^n \subset ... defines inclusions of Grassmannians. The colimit of the resulting sequence is denoted G_k(\F{\infty} ).


Invariants

Homotopy groups: Bot periodicity, relation to homotopy group of spheres

Cohomology groups.

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3 Classification/Characterization

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4 Further discussion

Grassmann manifolds are examples of coadjoint orbits [Kirillov2004].

5 References

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