Equivalence of Demazure and Bott-Samelson Resolutions via Factorization

Abstract: Let $G$, $B$, and $H$ denote a complex semi-simple algebraic group, a Borel subgroup of $G$, and a maximal complex torus in $B$, respectively. Choose a compact real form $K$ of $G$ such that $T=K\cap H$ is a maximal torus in $T$. Then there are two models for the flag space of $G$: the complex quotient $X=G/B$ and the real quotient $K/T$. These models are smoothly equivalent via the map $\tilde{\mathbf k}\colon G/B\to K/T$ induced by factorization in $G$ relative to the Iwasawa decomposition $G=KAN$, where $N$ is the nilradical of $B$ and $H=TA$. Likewise, there are two models for resolutions of the Schubert subvarieties $\overline{X_w}\subset X$: the Demazure resolution of $\overline{X_w}$ which is constructed via a complex algebraic quotient and the Bott-Samelson resolution of $\mathbf k(\overline{X_w})$ which is constructed as a real quotient of compact groups. This paper makes explicit the equivalence and compatibility of these two resolutions using factorization. As an application, we can compute the change of variables map relating the standard complex algebraic coordinates on $X_w$ to Lu's real algebraic coordinates on $\tilde{\mathbf k}(X_w)$.