We present a nearby cycle sheaf construction in the context of symmetric spaces. This construction can be regarded as a replacement for the Grothendieck-Springer resolution in classical Springer theory.
Every compact symmetric space $M$ admits a dual noncompact symmetric space $check{M}$. When $M$ is a generalized Grassmannian, we can view $check{M}$ as a open submanifold of it consisting of space-like subspaces cite{HL}. Motivated from this, we stu
dy the embeddings from noncompact symmetric spaces to their compact duals, including space-like embedding for generalized Grassmannians, Borel embedding for Hermitian symmetric spaces and the generalized embedding for symmetric R-spaces. We will compare these embeddings and describe their images using cut loci.
We construct stable vector bundles on the space of symmetric forms of degree d in n+1 variables which are equivariant for the action of SL_{n+1}(C), and admit an equivariant free resolution of length 2. For n=1, we obtain new examples of stable vecto
r bundles of rank d-1 on P^d, which are moreover equivariant for SL_2(C). The presentation matrix of these bundles attains Westwicks upper bound for the dimension of vector spaces of matrices of constant rank and fixed size.
We develop techniques for studying fundamental groups and integral singular homology of symmetric Delta-complexes, and apply these techniques to study moduli spaces of stable tropical curves of unit volume, with and without marked points. As one appl
ication, we show that Delta_g and Delta_{g,n} are simply connected, for positive g. We also show that Delta_3 is homotopy equivalent to the 5-sphere, and that Delta_4 has 3-torsion in H_5.
We show that the group of conformal homeomorphisms of the boundary of a rank one symmetric space (except the hyperbolic plane) of noncompact type acts as a maximal convergence group. Moreover, we show that any family of uniformly quasiconformal homeo
morphisms has the convergence property. Our theorems generalize results of Gehring and Martin in the real hyperbolic case for Mobius groups. As a consequence, this shows that the maximal convergence subgroups of the group of self homeomorphisms of the $d$-sphere are not unique up to conjugacy. Finally, we discuss some implications of maximality.