Parabolic Kazhdan-Lusztig basis, Schubert classes, and equivariant oriented cohomology

Abstract: We study the equivariant oriented cohomology ring $h_T(G/P)$ of partial flag varieties using the moment map approach. We define the right Hecke action on this cohomology ring, and then prove that the respective Bott-Samelson classes in $h_{T}(G/P)$ can be obtained by applying this action to the fundamental class of the identity point, hence generalizing previously known results by Brion, Knutson, Peterson, Tymoczko and others. We then focus on the equivariant oriented cohomology theory corresponding to the 2-parameter Todd genus. We give a new interpretation of Deodhar's construction of the parabolic Kazhdan-Lusztig basis. Based on it, we define the parabolic Kazhdan-Lusztig (KL) Schubert classes independently of a reduced word. We make a positivity conjecture, and a conjecture about the relationship of such classes with smoothness of Schubert varieties. We then prove several special cases.