A combinatorial interpretation of the inverse kostka matrix

The Kostka matrix K relates the. homogeneous and the Schur bases in the ring of symmetric functions where K _λ,μenumerates the number of column strict tableaux of shape λ and type μ. We make use of the Jacobi -Trudi identity to give a combinatorial interpretation for the inverse of the Kostka matrix in terms of certain types of signed rim hook tabloids. Using this interpretation, the matrix identity KK ^?1=Iis given a purely combinatorial proof. The generalized Jacobi-Trudi identity itself is also shown to admit a combinatorial proof via these rim hook tabloids. A further application of our combinatorial interpretation is a simple rule for the evaluation of a specialization of skew Schur functions that arises in the computation of plethysms.     

Shuffles of permutations and the Kronecker product

The Kronecker product of two homogeneous symmetric polynomialsP ₁,P ₂ is defined by means of the Frobenius map by the formulaP ₁oP ₂=F(F ⁻¹ P ₁)(F ⁻¹ P ₂). WhenP ₁ andP ₂ are the Schur functionsS _I ,S _J then the resulting productS _I oS _J is the Frobenius characteristic of the tensor product of the two representations corresponding to the diagramsI andJ. Taking the scalar product ofS _I oS _J with a third Schur functionsS _K gives the so called Kronecker coefficientc _I,J,K =<S _I oS _J ,S _K >. In recent work lascoux [7] and Gessel [3] have given what appear to be two separate combinatorial interpretations for thec _I,J,K in terms of some classes of permutations. In Lascoux's workI andJ are restricted to be hooks and in Gessel's both have to be zigzag partitions. In this paper we give a general result relating shuffles of permutations and Kronecker products. This leads us to a combinatorial interpretation of <S _I oS _J ,S _K > forS _I a product of homogeneous symmetric functions andJ, K unrestricted skew shapes. We also show how Gessel's and Lascoux's results are related and show how they can be derived from a special case of our result. Work supported by NSF grant at the University of California, San Diego.     

Genomic tableaux

We explain how genomic tableaux [Pechenik–Yong ’15] are a semistandard complement to increasing tableaux [Thomas–Yong ’09]. From this perspective, one inherits genomic versions of jeu de taquin, Knuth equivalence, infusion and Bender–Knuth involutions, as well as Schur functions from (shifted) semistandard Young tableaux theory. These are applied to obtain new Littlewood–Richardson rules for K-theory Schubert calculus of Grassmannians (after [Buch ’02]) and maximal orthogonal Grassmannians (after [Clifford–Thomas–Yong ’14], [Buch–Ravikumar ’12]). For the unsolved case of Lagrangian Grassmannians, sharp upper and lower bounds using genomic tableaux are conjectured.     

An algorithmic sign-reversing involution for special rim-hook tableaux

Eğecioğlu and Remmel [Linear Multilinear Algebra 26 (1990) 59–84] gave an interpretation for the entries of the inverse Kostka matrix K⁻¹ in terms of special rim-hook tableaux. They were able to use this interpretation to give a combinatorial proof that KK⁻¹=I but were unable to do the same for the equation K⁻¹K=I. We define an algorithmic sign-reversing involution on rooted special rim-hook tableaux which can be used to prove that the last column of this second product is correct. In addition, following a suggestion of Chow [preprint, math.CO/9712230, 1997] we combine our involution with a result of Gasharov [Discrete Math. 157 (1996) 193–197] to give a combinatorial proof of a special case of the (3+1)-free Conjecture of Stanley and Stembridge [J. Combin. Theory Ser. A 62 (1993) 261–279].     

Unipotent Brauer Character Values of GL(n, \mathbb{F}_q ) and the Forgotten Basis of the Hall Algebra

We give a formula for the values of irreducible unipotent p-modular Brauer characters of at unipotent elements, where p is a prime not dividing q, in terms of (unknown!) weight multiplicities of quantum GL _n and certain generic polynomials S _,(q). These polynomials arise as entries of the transition matrix between the renormalized Hall-Littlewood symmetric functions and the forgotten symmetric functions. We also provide an alternative combinatorial algorithm working in the Hall algebra for computing S _,(q).     

On the relationship between combinatorial functions and representation theory

The paper is devoted to the study of well-known combinatorial functions on the symmetric group S _n —the major index maj, the descent number des, and the inversion number inv—from the representation-theoretic point of view. We show that these functions generate the same ideal in the group algebra C[S _n ], and the restriction of the left regular representation of the group S _n to this ideal is isomorphic to its representation in the space of n×n skew-symmetric matrices. This allows us to obtain formulas for the functions maj, des, and inv in terms of matrices of an exceptionally simple form. These formulas are applied to find the spectra of the elements under study in the regular representation, as well as derive a series of identities relating these functions to one another and to the number fix of fixed points.     

Tensor products and dimensions of simple modules for symmetric groups

LetK be an algebraically closed field of characteristic,p>0 and letD ^λ be the simple modules of the symmetric groupS _r overK where λ is a p-regular partition ofr. The dimensions ofD ^λ for λ with at mostn parts are the same as the multiplicities of direct summands ofD ^⊗r whereE is the natural module for the groupGL _n (K). Whenn=2 we determine generating functions for these multiplicities and hence for the dimensions ofD ^λ for all partitions λ with two parts. These can be expressed as rational functions of Chebyshev polynomials; and we obtain explicit formulae for the coefficients.     

Weakly symmetric spaces and bounded symmetric domains

LetG be a connected, simply-connected, real semisimple Lie group andK a maximal compactly embedded subgroup ofG such thatD=G/K is a hermitian symmetric space. Consider the principal fiber bundleM=G/K _s G/K, whereK _s is the semisimple part ofK=K _s ·Z _K ⁰ andZ _K ⁰ is the connected center ofK. The natural action ofG onM extends to an action ofG ¹=G×Z _K ⁰ . We prove as the main result thatM is weakly symmetric with respect toG ¹ and complex conjugation. In the case whereD is an irreducible classical bounded symmetric domain andG is a classical matrix Lie group under a suitable quotient, we provide an explicit construction ofM=D×S ¹ and determine a one-parameter family of Riemannian metrics onM invariant underG ¹. Furthermore,M is irreducible with respect to . As a result, this provides new examples of weakly symmetric spaces that are nonsymmetric, including those already discovered by Selberg (cf. [M]) for the symplectic case and Berndt and Vanhecke [BV1] for the rank-one case.Research partially supported by an NSF grant. The author wishes to thank the International Erwin Schroedinger Institute for its hospitality during the preparation of this paper.     

Effective scalar products of D-finite symmetric functions

Many combinatorial generating functions can be expressed as combinations of symmetric functions, or extracted as sub-series and specializations from such combinations. Gessel has outlined a large class of symmetric functions for which the resulting generating functions are D-finite. We extend Gessel's work by providing algorithms that compute differential equations, these generating functions satisfy in the case they are given as a scalar product of symmetric functions in Gessel's class. Examples of applications to k-regular graphs and Young tableaux with repeated entries are given. Asymptotic estimates are a natural application of our method, which we illustrate on the same model of Young tableaux. We also derive a seemingly new formula for the Kronecker product of the sum of Schur functions with itself.     

Rational tableaux and the tensor algebra of gln

A generalization of the usual column-strict tableaux (equivalent to a construction of R. C. King) is presented as a natural combinatorial tool for the study of finite dimensional representations of GL_n(C). These objects are called rational tableaux since they play the same role for rational representations of GL_n as ordinary tableaux do for polynomial representations. A generalization of Schensted's insertion algorithm is given for rational tableaux, and is used to count the. multiplicities of the irreducible GL_n-modules in the tensor algebra of GL_n. The problem of counting multiplicities when the kth tensor power gl_n^⊗k is decomposed into modules which are simultaneously irreducible with respect to GL_n and the symmetric group S_k is also considered. The existence of an insertion algorithm which describes this decomposition is proved. A generalization of border strip tableaux, in which both addition and deletion of border strips is allowed, is used to describe the characters associated with this decomposition. For large n, these generalized border strip tableaux have a simple structure which allows derivation of identities due to Hanlon and Stanley involving the (large n) decomposition of gl_n^⊗k.     

L-Splines

In this paper, we study the problem of unique interpolation and approximation by a class of spline functions,L-splines, containing as special cases the deficient and generalized spline functions ofAhlberg, Nilson, andWalsh [3, 5, 6], the Chebyshevian spline functions ofKarlin andZiegler [27], and the piecewise Hermite polynomial functions, as considered in [17]. We first give sufficient conditions for unique interpolation byL-spline functions in Section 2. Then, we obtain newL andL ² error estimates for interpolation byL-splines in Section 4, and show that these error estimates are, in a certain sense, sharp. In addition, we make a similar study for theg-splines ofSchoenberg, cf. [44, 3], in Section 5. In Section 6, an application of these new error estimates is made to the analysis of the error made in the use of finite dimensional subspaces ofL-splines andg-splines. in the Rayleigh-Ritz procedure for the class of nonlinear two-point boundary value problems studied in [17].Because of the rapid growth of the number of papers devoted to or connected with the topic of splines, we believe that a compilation of papers on splines for the reader's use is desirable, and such a list is found in the References at the end of this paper.This research was supported in part by NSF Grant GP-5553Papers not specifically concerned with splines are referred to in the text by [1, 2], etc.     

Properties of Certain Integral Operators

For analytic functions f() belonging to the class A_p, integral operators I_n^a (f()) are introduced. The object of the present paper is to derive some interesting properties of integral operators I_n^a(f(z)). Our results contain some previous results by M. Obradovié [4], S. Owa, M. Obradovi, and M. Nunokawa [6], and by D.K. Thomas [7].AMS Subject Classification (2000) primary 30C45 secondary 32A20Supported, in part, by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Science and Culture under a grant-in-aid for general scientific research.     

Multiplying Schur functions

A new combinatorial rule for expanding the product of Schur functions as a sum of Schur functions is formulated. The rule has several advantages over the Littlewood-Richardson rule (D. E. Littlewood and A. R. Richardson, Philos. Trans. Roy. Soc. London Ser. A233 (1934), 49–141). First this rule allows for direct computation of the expansion of the product of any number of Schur functions, not just the product of two Schur functions. Also, the rule is easily stated and is well suited to computer implementation. It is shown that the rule implies the Littlewood-Richardson rule and gives a combinatorial proof that the coefficient of S_λ in the product S_μS_ν equals the coefficient of S_ν in the expansion of the skew Schur function S_λ/μ. The rule is derived from some results proved independently by A. P. Hillman and R. M. Grassl (J. Combin. Comput. Sci. Systems5 (1980), 305–316) and by D. White (J. Combin. Theory Ser. A30 (1981), 237–247) on the Robinson-Schensted-Knuth correspondence.     

Values of rational functions on non-hilbertian fields and a question of Weissauer

We answer in the negative a question raised by Fried and Jarden, asking whether the quotient field of a unique factorization domain with infinitely many primes is necessarily hilbertian. This implies a negative answer to a related question of Weissauer. Our constructions are simple and take place inside the field of algebraic numbers. Simultaneously we investigate the relation of hilbertianity of a fieldK with the structure of the value sets of rational functions onK: we construct a non-hilbertian subfieldK of such that, given anyf ₁ ,…,f _h ∈K(x), each of degree ≥2, the union ∪ _z=1 ^h f _z(K) does not containK. See e.g. [FrJ], [L1], [L2], [Sch], [Se1], or [Se2] for the classical theory of hilbertian fields.     

Properties of the nonsymmetric Robinson–Schensted–Knuth algorithm

We introduce a generalization of the Robinson–Schensted–Knuth insertion algorithm for semi-standard augmented fillings whose basement is an arbitrary permutation σ∈S _n . If σ is the identity, then our insertion algorithm reduces to the insertion algorithm introduced by the second author (Sémin. Lothar. Comb. 57:B57e, 2006) for semi-standard augmented fillings and if σ is the reverse of the identity, then our insertion algorithm reduces to the original Robinson–Schensted–Knuth row insertion algorithm. We use our generalized insertion algorithm to obtain new decompositions of the Schur functions into nonsymmetric elements called generalized Demazure atoms (which become Demazure atoms when σ is the identity). Other applications include Pieri rules for multiplying a generalized Demazure atom by a complete homogeneous symmetric function or an elementary symmetric function, a generalization of Knuth’s correspondence between matrices of non-negative integers and pairs of tableaux, and a version of evacuation for composition tableaux whose basement is an arbitrary permutation σ.     

Four positive formulae for type A quiver polynomials

We give four positive formulae for the (equioriented type A) quiver polynomials of Buch and Fulton [BF99 ]. All four formulae are combinatorial, in the sense that they are expressed in terms of combinatorial objects of certain types: Zelevinsky permutations, lacing diagrams, Young tableaux, and pipe dreams (also known as rc-graphs). Three of our formulae are multiplicity-free and geometric, meaning that their summands have coefficient 1 and correspond bijectively to components of a torus-invariant scheme. The remaining (presently non-geometric) formula is a variant of the conjecture of Buch and Fulton in terms of factor sequences of Young tableaux [BF99 ]; our proof of it proceeds by way of a new characterization of the tableaux counted by quiver constants. All four formulae come naturally in “doubled” versions, two for double quiver polynomials, and the other two for their stable limits, the double quiver functions, where setting half the variables equal to the other half specializes to the ordinary case. Our method begins by identifying quiver polynomials as multidegrees [BB82 , Jos84 , BB85 , Ros89 ] via equivariant Chow groups [EG98 ]. Then we make use of Zelevinsky’s map from quiver loci to open subvarieties of Schubert varieties in partial flag manifolds [Zel85 ]. Interpreted in equivariant cohomology, this lets us write double quiver polynomials as ratios of double Schubert polynomials [LS82 ] associated to Zelevinsky permutations; this is our first formula. In the process, we provide a simple argument that Zelevinsky maps are scheme-theoretic isomorphisms (originally proved in [LM98 ]). Writing double Schubert polynomials in terms of pipe dreams [FK96 ] then provides another geometric formula for double quiver polynomials, via [KM05 ]. The combinatorics of pipe dreams for Zelevinsky permutations implies an expression for limits of double quiver polynomials in terms of products of Stanley symmetric functions [Sta84 ]. A degeneration of quiver loci (orbit closures of GL on quiver representations) to unions of products of matrix Schubert varieties [Ful92 , KM05 ] identifies the summands in our Stanley function formula combinatorially, as lacing diagrams that we construct based on the strands of Abeasis and Del Fra in the representation theory of quivers [AD80 ]. Finally, we apply the combinatorial theory of key polynomials to pass from our lacing diagram formula to a double Schur function formula in terms of peelable tableaux [RS95a , RS98 ], and from there to our formula of Buch–Fulton type.     

Combinatorial Formula for Factorial Schur Q-Functions

We study an interpolation analogue of the Schur Q-functions, the factorial Schur Q-functions. We obtain an expression of factorial Schur Q-functions in terms of shifted tableaux (combinatorial formula). Bibliography: 13 titles.     

Rational Parking Functions and Catalan Numbers

The “classical” parking functions, counted by the Cayley number (n+1) ^n?1, carry a natural permutation representation of the symmetric group S _n in which the number of orbits is the Catalan number \({\frac{1}{n+1} \left( \begin{array}{ll} 2n \\ n \end{array} \right)}\). In this paper, we will generalize this setup to “rational” parking functions indexed by a pair (a, b) of coprime positive integers. These parking functions, which are counted by b ^a?1, carry a permutation representation of S _a in which the number of orbits is the “rational” Catalan number \({\frac{1}{a+b} \left( \begin{array}{ll} a+b \\ a \end{array} \right)}\). First, we compute the Frobenius characteristic of the S _a -module of (a, b)-parking functions, giving explicit expansions of this symmetric function in the complete homogeneous basis, the power-sum basis, and the Schur basis. Second, we study q-analogues of the rational Catalan numbers, conjecturing new combinatorial formulas for the rational q-Catalan numbers \({\frac{1}{[a+b]_{q}} {{\left[ \begin{array}{ll} a+b \\ a \end{array} \right]}_{q}}}\) and for the q-binomial coefficients \({{{\left[ \begin{array}{ll} n \\ k \end{array} \right]}_{q}}}\). We give a bijective explanation of the division by [a+b] _q that proves the equivalence of these two conjectures. Third, we present combinatorial definitions for q, t-analogues of rational Catalan numbers and parking functions, generalizing the Shuffle Conjecture for the classical case. We present several conjectures regarding the joint symmetry and t = 1/q specializations of these polynomials. An appendix computes these polynomials explicitly for small values of a and b.     

Integral Schur algebras forGL 2

The structure of Schur algebrasS(2,r) over the integral domainZ is intensively studied from the quasi-hereditary algebra point of view. We introduce certain new bases forS(2,r) and show that the Schur algebraS(2,r) modulo any ideal in the defining sequence is still such a Schur algebra of lower degree inr. A Wedderburn-Artin decomposition ofS _K (2,r) over a fieldK of characteristic 0 is described. Finally, we investigate the extension groups between two Weyl modules and classify the indecomposable Weyl-filtered modules for the Schur algebrasS _Zp(2,r) withr<p ² . Research supported by ARC Large Grant L20.24210     

A generalization of Le Potier’s vanishing theorem

The main result is a general vanishing theorem for the cohomology of the ample vector bundles obtained as Schur functors of some vectors bundle which is not assumed to be ample itself. This is a generalization of Le Potiers vanishing theorem. It is also proven that for two partitions I and J such that IJ, the ampleness of S_IE implies that of S_JE.Mathematics Subject Classification (2000):14F17