The Chern–Schwartz–MacPherson class (CSM) and the Segre–Schwartz–MacPherson
class (SSM) are deformations of the fundamental class of an algebraic variety. They
encode finer enumerative invariants of the variety than its fundamental class. In this
paper we offer three contributions to the theory of equivariant CSM/SSM classes.
First, we prove an interpolation characterization for CSM classes of certain
representations. This method — inspired by recent work of Maulik and Okounkov
and of Gorbounov, Rimányi, Tarasov and Varchenko — does not require a
resolution of singularities and often produces explicit (not sieve) formulas
for CSM classes. Second, using the interpolation characterization we prove
explicit formulas — including residue generating sequences — for the CSM and
SSM classes of matrix Schubert varieties. Third, we suggest that a stable
version of the SSM class of matrix Schubert varieties will serve as the building
block of equivariant SSM theory, similarly to how the Schur functions are the
building blocks of fundamental class theory. We illustrate these phenomena,
and related stability and (two-step) positivity properties for some relevant
representations.
Keywords
characteristic classes of singular varieties,
Chern–Schwartz–MacPherson class, degeneracy loci