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Consider the flag manifold $M = U(n, \mathbb{C})/T^n$, where $T^n$ is the maximal torus of unitary diagonal matrices. Fixing a diagonal matrix $D$ with distinct reals on its diagonal, we can identify $M$ with the coadjoint orbit $$M = \{U D U^* : U \in U(n, \mathbb{C})\}$$ and we can give $M$ the symplectic form $$\omega_X(\dot X_1, \dot X_2) = \langle D, [\Omega_1, \Omega_2] \rangle$$ for $X \in M \subset Herm(n)$ and $\dot X_i = \Omega_i X - X \Omega_i \in T_X M$ for $\Omega_i$ skew-Hermitian.

I know that $M$ can also be given the structure of a complex manifold with a Kahler metric compatible with $\omega$.

Question: What is an explicit formula for this Kahler metric (i.e., the Hermitian inner product on tangent spaces)? I'm hoping for something analogous to $\omega$ above (so it will depend on $D$).


Some thoughts/attempts:

  • If $J$ is the complex structure on $M$, then the Kahler metric should be given by $\omega(\cdot, J \cdot)$, as indicated in Section IV.5 of Alekseevsky's "Flag Manifolds". However, I am unable to derive an explicit formula for the linear map $J$
  • I've seen in many places that $M$ is a complex manifold because it can be identified with $GL(n, \mathbb{C}) / B(n, \mathbb{C})$, where $B(n, \mathbb{C})$ is the group of complex invertible upper triangular matrices. However, I don't understand how to get a complex structure from this representation.
  • Even in the simpler case of the complex projective space $\mathbb{C}^n / \mathbb{C}_*$, I don't see how to get an explicit formula for the complex structure.
  • There have been several MO questions about this (e.g., this), but none seem to give what I am looking for.

Appreciate the help!

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  • $\begingroup$ Proposition 8.2 in "D. V. Alekseevsky, A. M. Perelomov, Invariant Kaehler-Einstein metrics on compact homogeneous spaces, Funct. Anal. Appl., 20 (3) (1986) 171- 182" yields the Kahler potential (hence the Kahler metric) in a special set of coordinates. In the case of the complex projective space this gives the formula for the Fubini Study metric in the usual local affine coordinates. $\endgroup$ Commented Apr 12 at 12:43
  • $\begingroup$ @FabriceBaudoin Thanks for the pointer, although this doesn't really give me what I'm looking for -- I still don't see how to get an explicit formula for the metric (eg in terms of matrices). $\endgroup$ Commented Apr 12 at 13:23

1 Answer 1

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It's a bit unclear to me what conventions you're using to identify $\mathfrak{u}(n)^*$ with $Herm(n)$ - it seems like you're taking $\langle X, Y\rangle = i\operatorname{Tr}(XY)$ or something. But I'm going to use $\langle X,Y\rangle = \operatorname{Tr}(XY)$ to identify $\mathfrak{u}(n)^*$ with $\mathfrak{u}(n)$, the latter being the anti-Hermitian $n\times n$ matrices (so we're working on the adjoint orbit in $\mathfrak{u}(n)$).

First, to correct one thing from your question: the symplectic form is $$ \omega_X(\dot{X}_1,\dot{X}_2) = \langle X, [\Omega_1,\Omega_2]\rangle. $$ The expression you give holds when $X=D$. I'm now taking $D = \operatorname{diag}(i\lambda_1, \ldots, i\lambda_n)$ where the $\lambda_i$ are all real.

In general, if $\mathfrak{g}$ is a simple, real and compact Lie algebra, then $\operatorname{ad}_X$ for $X\in\mathfrak{g}$ will have pure imaginary eigenvalues, with corresponding eigenvectors in the complexification $\mathfrak{g}^\mathbb{C}$ of $\mathfrak{g}$. Let $\mathfrak{n}^0_X, \mathfrak{n}^+_X, \mathfrak{n}^-_X$ denote the span of the eigenvectors corresponding to zero, positive, and negative imaginary axis eigenvalues respectively. Note that $\mathfrak{n}_X^0 = \mathfrak{g}_X^\mathbb{C}$, the complexification of the stabiliser algebra of $\mathfrak{g}$ at $X$. Define $$ P_X:= \lbrace \operatorname{ad}_XY \mid Y\in \mathfrak{n}_X^-\rbrace. $$ Then it's not too difficult to see that $P$ is an $\operatorname{Ad}_G$-invariant totally complex polarization for the adjoint orbit $\mathcal{O}\subset \mathfrak{g}$ through $X$, meaning that $P$ is integrable, Lagrangian wrt $\omega$, and $P_X \oplus \overline{P_X} = (T_X\mathcal{O})^\mathbb{C}$. The corresponding complex structure $J$ on $\mathcal{O}$ multiplies $P$ by $+i$, and $\overline{P}$ by $-i$.

This construction is equivalent to the one described in the linked answer in your question: there you take a Cartan subalgebra $\mathfrak{h}$ of $\mathfrak{g}^\mathbb{C}$ containing $X$, and take the root-space decomposition $$ \mathfrak{g}^\mathbb{C} = \mathfrak{h} \oplus \bigoplus_{\alpha\in \Delta} R_\alpha. $$ Then in my notation above $$ \mathfrak{n}_X^0 = \mathfrak{h}\oplus\bigoplus_{\alpha(X)=0}R_\alpha\quad\text{and}\quad \mathfrak{n}_X^\pm = \bigoplus_{\alpha(X)\in i\mathbb{R}_{\pm}} R_\alpha. $$

Applying the above construction to the case $\mathfrak{g} = \mathfrak{u}(n)$, and taking $D = \operatorname{diag}(i\lambda_1, \ldots, i\lambda_n)$, the eigenvectors of $\operatorname{ad}_D$ are the matrices $E_{pq}$ with a 1 in the $pq$ entry, and $0$ elsewhere $$ [D,E_{pq}] = i(\lambda_p-\lambda_q)E_{pq}. $$ If we further assume that $\lambda_i>\lambda_j$ for $i>j$, then $\mathfrak{n}_D^0$ is just all the diagonal $n\times n$ complex matrices, and $\mathfrak{n}_D^\pm$ are the lower/upper triangular matrices. Then $$ J_D(\operatorname{ad}_D(E_{pq})) = i\operatorname{sign}(q-p)\operatorname{ad}_D(E_{pq}). $$

The Kaehler metric at $D$ (extended by linearity to the complexified tangent space) is given by $$ g_D(\operatorname{ad}_D(E_{pq}),\operatorname{ad}_D(E_{rs})) = \omega_D(\operatorname{ad}_D(E_{pq}),J_D\operatorname{ad}_D(E_{rs})) = i\operatorname{sign}(s-r) \langle D, [E_{pq},E_{rs}]\rangle. $$ This is non-zero only if $rs=qp$, in which case it becomes $$ i\operatorname{sign}(p-q) \langle D, E_{pp}-E_{qq}\rangle = -\operatorname{sign}(p-q)(\lambda_p-\lambda_q) = -|\lambda_p-\lambda_q|. $$ To find its value on real vectors, you need to take appropriate linear combinations of the $E_{pq}$, $$ g_D(\operatorname{ad}_D(E_{pq}-E_{qp}),\operatorname{ad}_D(E_{pq}-E_{qp})) = g_D(\operatorname{ad}_D(iE_{pq}+iE_{qp}),\operatorname{ad}_D(iE_{pq}+iE_{qp})) = 2|\lambda_p-\lambda_q|\\ g_D(\operatorname{ad}_D(E_{pq}-E_{qp}),\operatorname{ad}_D(iE_{pq}+iE_{qp}))=0 $$ etc.

The expression for the metric is extended to arbitrary $X = \operatorname{Ad}_UD$ by $\operatorname{U}(n)$-invariance of all structures, $$ g_X(\operatorname{ad}_X(Y_1), \operatorname{ad}_X(Y_2)) = g_D(\operatorname{ad}_D(\operatorname{Ad}_{U^{-1}}Y_1),\operatorname{ad}_D(\operatorname{Ad}_{U^{-1}}Y_2)). $$

I've spent a good hour chasing signs in this answer, so you should check all my conventions carefully (they could be off in places).

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