Symmetric pairs and branching laws

Abstract: Let $G$ be a compact connected Lie group and let H be a subgroup fixed by an involution. A classical result assures that the action of the complex reductive group $H_C$ on the flag variety $F$ of $G$ admits a finite number of orbits. In this article we propose a formula for the branching coefficients of the symmetric pair $(G,H)$ that is parametrized by $H_C\backslash F$.