Let $X$ be an affine holomorphic symplectic variety of dimension $2n$, with the associated Poisson bracket { , }. Let's say it's an integrable system when there are $n$ algebraically independent holomorphic functions $I_i$ ($i=1,\ldots,n$) on $X$ such that they Poisson-commute: $\{I_i,I_j\}=0$.

Pick a simple Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$, and pick a coadjoint orbit $O\subset \mathfrak{g}^*$. As is well-known, this is naturally a holomorphic symplectic variety: $x,y\in \mathfrak{g}$ gives a function on $O$, and its Poisson bracket is then given by the Lie bracket:

$\{x,y\}_{PB}=[x,y]$.

I wonder which coadjoint orbit is integrable, in the sense given above.

For example, any regular orbit $O$ of $\mathfrak{g}=\mathfrak{gl}(n)$ is integrable: let $X:\mathfrak{g}^*\to\mathfrak{g}$ be the identification via the invariant inner product, choose a generic element $a\in \mathfrak{g}$, and consider a function on $O$ given by

$P_k(t)= \mathrm{tr} (X+ta)^k$

where $t$ is a complex number. (I'm sorry for a slightly confusing notation, but $a$ here is a constant function on $O$ taking value in $\mathfrak{g}$.)

After some manipulation, $P_k(t)$ and $P_{k'}(t')$ are seen to Poisson-commute. Therefore, coefficients $P_{k,i}$ of $t^i$ of $P_k(t)$ all Poisson-commute. Note that $P_{k,k}$ is a constant function on $O$, because $O$ is a coadjoint orbit. Then there are in total $1+2+\cdots+(n-1) = (\dim \mathfrak{gl}(n)-\mathrm{rank} \mathfrak{gl}(n))/2$ independent commuting operators.

Let me conjecture that all coadjoint orbits are integrable.

Another large class of affine holomorphic symplectic varieties are Nakajima's quiver varieties, which include all the coadjoint orbits of $\mathfrak{gl}(n)$. A similar question can be asked: which quiver variety is integrable in this sense?

Update

Thanks to the answers so far, I could track down references, see e.g. the end of Sec. 4 of this paper, showing that any coadjoint orbit of real compact Lie algebras is integrable. I guess the proof should carry over to the semisimple orbits (and presumably nilpotent Richardson orbits) of complex semisimple Lie algebras, in the holomorphic sense. So the question now is: how about nilpotent orbits in $\mathfrak{g}_{\mathbb{C}}$?

Update 2

Indeed, A. Joseph says in this article that he essentially proved that Richardson orbits are integrable in this article (in the setting of enveloping algebras, not the associated graded.) It would be interesting e.g. non-special orbits are not integrable... but I have no idea.

3 added the update so far.

Let $X$ be an affine holomorphic symplectic variety of dimension $2n$, with the associated Poisson bracket { , }. Let's say it's an integrable system when there are $n$ algebraically independent holomorphic functions $I_i$ ($i=1,\ldots,n$) on $X$ such that they Poisson-commute: $\{I_i,I_j\}=0$.

Pick a simple Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$, and pick a coadjoint orbit $O\subset \mathfrak{g}^*$. As is well-known, this is naturally a holomorphic symplectic variety: $x,y\in \mathfrak{g}$ gives a function on $O$, and its Poisson bracket is then given by the Lie bracket:

$\{x,y\}_{PB}=[x,y]$.

I wonder which coadjoint orbit is integrable, in the sense given above.

For example, any regular orbit $O$ of $\mathfrak{g}=\mathfrak{gl}(n)$ is integrable: let $X:\mathfrak{g}^*\to\mathfrak{g}$ be the identification via the invariant inner product, choose a generic element $a\in \mathfrak{g}$, and consider a function on $O$ given by

$P_k(t)= \mathrm{tr} (X+ta)^k$

where $t$ is a complex number. (I'm sorry for a slightly confusing notation, but $a$ here is a constant function on $O$ taking value in $\mathfrak{g}$.)

After some manipulation, $P_k(t)$ and $P_{k'}(t')$ are seen to Poisson-commute. Therefore, coefficients $P_{k,i}$ of $t^i$ of $P_k(t)$ all Poisson-commute. Note that $P_{k,k}$ is a constant function on $O$, because $O$ is a coadjoint orbit. Then there are in total $1+2+\cdots+(n-1) = (\dim \mathfrak{gl}(n)-\mathrm{rank} \mathfrak{gl}(n))/2$ independent commuting operators.

Let me conjecture that all coadjoint orbits are integrable.

Another large class of affine holomorphic symplectic varieties are Nakajima's quiver varieties, which include all the coadjoint orbits of $\mathfrak{gl}(n)$. A similar question can be asked: which quiver variety is integrable in this sense?

Update

Thanks to the answers so far, I could track down references, see e.g. the end of Sec. 4 of this paper, showing that any coadjoint orbit of real compact Lie algebras is integrable. I guess the proof should carry over to the semisimple orbits (and presumably nilpotent Richardson orbits) of complex semisimple Lie algebras, in the holomorphic sense. So the question now is: how about nilpotent orbits in $\mathfrak{g}_{\mathbb{C}}$?

Let $X$ be an affine holomorphic symplectic variety of dimension $2n$, with the associated Poisson bracket { , }. Let's say it's an integrable system when there are $n$ algebraically independent holomorphic functions $I_i$ ($i=1,\ldots,n$) on $X$ such that they Poisson-commute: $\{I_i,I_j\}=0$.

Pick a simple Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$, and pick a coadjoint orbit $O\subset \mathfrak{g}^*$. As is well-known, this is naturally a holomorphic symplectic variety: $x,y\in \mathfrak{g}$ gives a function on $O$, and its Poisson bracket is then given by the Lie bracket:

$\{x,y\}_{PB}=[x,y]$.

I wonder which coadjoint orbit is integrable, in the sense given above.

For example, any regular orbit $O$ of $\mathfrak{g}=\mathfrak{gl}(n)$ is integrable: let $X:\mathfrak{g}^*\to\mathfrak{g}$ be the identification via the invariant inner product, choose a generic element $a\in \mathfrak{g}$, and consider a function on $O$ given by

$P_k(t)= \mathrm{tr} (X+ta)^k$

where $t$ is a complex number. (I'm sorry for a slightly confusing notation, but $a$ here is a constant function on $O$ taking value in $\mathfrak{g}$.)

After some manipulation, $P_k(t)$ and $P_{k'}(t')$ are seen to Poisson-commute. Therefore, coefficients $P_{k,i}$ of $t^i$ of $P_k(t)$ all Poisson-commute. Note that $P_{k,k}$ is a constant function on $O$, because $O$ is a coadjoint orbit. Then there are in total $1+2+\cdots+(n-1) = (\dim \mathfrak{gl}(n)-\mathrm{rank} \mathfrak{gl}(n))/2$ independent commuting operators.

Let me conjecture that all coadjoint orbits are integrable.

Another large class of affine holomorphic symplectic varieties are Nakajima's quiver varieties, which include all the coadjoint orbits of $\mathfrak{gl}(n)$. A similar question can be asked: which quiver variety is integrable in this sense?

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