Applications of minor summation formula III, Plücker relations, lattice paths and Pfaffian identities

The initial purpose of the present paper is to provide a combinatorial proof of the minor summation formula of Pfaffians in [Ishikawa, Wakayama, Minor summation formula of Pfaffians, Linear and Multilinear Algebra 39 (1995) 285-305] based on the lattice path method. The second aim is to study applications of the minor summation formula for obtaining several identities. Especially, a simple proof of Kawanaka's formula concerning a q-series identity involving the Schur functions [Kawanaka, A q-series identity involving Schur functions and related topics, Osaka J. Math. 36 (1999) 157-176] and of the identity in [Kawanaka, A q-Cauchy identity involving Schur functions and imprimitive complex reflection groups, Osaka J. Math. 38 (2001) 775-810] which is regarded as a determinant version of the previous one are given.     

Skew quasisymmetric Schur functions and noncommutative Schur functions

Recently a new basis for the Hopf algebra of quasisymmetric functions QSym, called quasisymmetric Schur functions, has been introduced by Haglund, Luoto, Mason, van Willigenburg. In this paper we extend the definition of quasisymmetric Schur functions to introduce skew quasisymmetric Schur functions. These functions include both classical skew Schur functions and quasisymmetric Schur functions as examples, and give rise to a new poset LC that is analogous to Young's lattice. We also introduce a new basis for the Hopf algebra of noncommutative symmetric functions NSym. This basis of NSym is dual to the basis of quasisymmetric Schur functions and its elements are the pre-image of the Schur functions under the forgetful map χ:NSym→Sym. We prove that the multiplicative structure constants of the noncommutative Schur functions, equivalently the coefficients of the skew quasisymmetric Schur functions when expanded in the quasisymmetric Schur basis, are nonnegative integers, satisfying a Littlewood–Richardson rule analogue that reduces to the classical Littlewood–Richardson rule under χ.As an application we show that the morphism of algebras from the algebra of Poirier–Reutenauer to Sym factors through NSym. We also extend the definition of Schur functions in noncommuting variables of Rosas–Sagan in the algebra NCSym to define quasisymmetric Schur functions in the algebra NCQSym. We prove these latter functions refine the former and their properties, and project onto quasisymmetric Schur functions under the forgetful map. Lastly, we show that by suitably labeling LC, skew quasisymmetric Schur functions arise in the theory of Pieri operators on posets.     

Extremal functions as divisors for kernels of Toeplitz operators

In this paper, an extremal function of a Banach space of analytic functions in the unit disk (not all functions vanishing at 0) is a function solving the extremal problem for functions f of norm 1. We study extremal functions of kernels of Toeplitz operators on Hardy spaces H^p, 1<p<∞. Such kernels are special cases of so-called nearly invariant subspaces with respect to the backward shift, for which Hitt proved that when p=2, extremal functions act as isometric divisors. We show that the extremal function is still a contractive divisor when p<2 and an expansive divisor when p>2 (modulo p-dependent multiplicative constants). We give examples showing that the extremal function may fail to be a contractive divisor when p>2 and also fail to be an expansive divisor when p<2. We discuss to what extent these results characterize the Toeplitz operators via invariant subspaces for the backward shift.     

Duality and deformations of stable Grothendieck polynomials

Stable Grothendieck polynomials can be viewed as a K-theory analog of Schur polynomials. We extend stable Grothendieck polynomials to a two-parameter version, which we call canonical stable Grothendieck functions. These functions have the same structure constants (with scaling) as stable Grothendieck polynomials and (composing with parameter switching) are self-dual under the standard involutive ring automorphism. We study various properties of these functions, including combinatorial formulas, Schur expansions, Jacobi–Trudi-type identities, and associated Fomin–Greene operators.     

A recursion formula for k-Schur functions

The Bernstein operators allow one to build recursively the Schur functions. We present a recursion formula for k-Schur functions at t=1 based on combinatorial operators that generalize the Bernstein operators. The recursion leads immediately to a combinatorial interpretation for the expansion coefficients of k-Schur functions at t=1 in terms of homogeneous symmetric functions.     

Decomposable compositions, symmetric quasisymmetric functions and equality of ribbon Schur functions

We define an equivalence relation on integer compositions and show that two ribbon Schur functions are identical if and only if their defining compositions are equivalent in this sense. This equivalence is completely determined by means of a factorization for compositions: equivalent compositions have factorizations that differ only by reversing some of the terms. As an application, we can derive identities on certain Littlewood-Richardson coefficients.Finally, we consider the cone of symmetric functions having a nonnnegative representation in terms of the fundamental quasisymmetric basis. We show the Schur functions are among the extremes of this cone and conjecture its facets are in bijection with the equivalence classes of compositions.     

Cylindric skew Schur functions

Cylindric skew Schur functions, which are a generalisation of skew Schur functions, arise naturally in the study of P-partitions. Also, recent work of A. Postnikov shows they have a strong connection with a problem of considerable current interest: that of finding a combinatorial proof of the non-negativity of the 3-point Gromov-Witten invariants. After explaining these motivations, we study cylindric skew Schur functions from the point of view of Schur-positivity. Using a result of I. Gessel and C. Krattenthaler, we generalise a formula of A. Bertram, I. Ciocan-Fontanine and W. Fulton, thus giving an expansion of an arbitrary cylindric skew Schur function in terms of skew Schur functions. While we show that no non-trivial cylindric skew Schur functions are Schur-positive, we conjecture that this can be reconciled using the new concept of cylindric Schur-positivity.     

Cauchy integrals,Calderón projectors,and Toeplitz operators on uniformly rectifiable domains

We develop properties of Cauchy integrals associated to a general class of first-order elliptic systems of differential operators D on a bounded, uniformly rectifiable (UR) domain Ω in a Riemannian manifold M. We show that associated to such Cauchy integrals are analogues of Hardy spaces of functions on Ω annihilated by D  , and we produce projections, of Calderón type, onto subspaces of L^p(∂Ω)$L^p(\partial \Omega )$ consisting of boundary values of elements of such Hardy spaces. We consider Toeplitz operators associated to such projections and study their index properties. Of particular interest is a “cobordism argument,” which often enables one to identify the index of a Toeplitz operator on a rough UR domain with that of one on a smoothly bounded domain.     

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.     

Multiplicity Free Schur, Skew Schur, and Quasisymmetric Schur Functions

In this paper we classify all Schur functions and skew Schur functions that are multiplicity free when expanded in the basis of fundamental quasisymmetric functions, termed F-multiplicity free. Combinatorially, this is equivalent to classifying all skew shapes whose standard Young tableaux have distinct descent sets. We then generalize our setting, and classify all F-multiplicity free quasisymmetric Schur functions with one or two terms in the expansion, or one or two parts in the indexing composition. This identifies composition shapes such that all standard composition tableaux of that shape have distinct descent sets. We conclude by providing such a classification for quasisymmetric Schur function families, giving a classification of Schur functions that are in some sense almost F-multiplicity free.     

Vertex-algebraic structure of the principal subspaces of level one modules for the untwisted affine Lie algebras of types A,D,E

Generalizing some of our earlier work, we prove natural presentations of the principal subspaces of the level one standard modules for the untwisted affine Lie algebras of types A, D and E, and also of certain related spaces. As a consequence, we obtain a canonical complete set of recursions (q-difference equations) for the (multi-)graded dimensions of these spaces, and we derive their graded dimensions. Our methods are based on intertwining operators in vertex operator algebra theory.     

Quasi-particle fermionic formulas for (k, 3)-admissible configurations

We construct new monomial quasi-particle bases of Feigin-Stoyanovsky type subspaces for the affine Lie algebra sl(3;ℂ)∧ from which the known fermionic-type formulas for (k, 3)-admissible configurations follow naturally. In the proof we use vertex operator algebra relations for standard modules and coefficients of intertwining operators.     

Free fermions, <Emphasis Type="Italic">W</Emphasis>-algebras,and isomonodromic deformations

We consider the theory of multicomponent free massless fermions in two dimensions and use it to construct representations of W-algebras at integer Virasoro central charges. We define the vertex operators in this theory in terms of solutions of the corresponding isomonodromy problem. We use this construction to obtain some new insights into tau functions of the multicomponent Toda-type hierarchies for the class of solutions given by the isomonodromy vertex operators and to obtain a useful representation for tau functions of isomonodromic deformations.     

Pseudo q-Engel expansions and Rogers-Ramanujan type identities

Abstract

Andrews, Knopfmacher and Knopfmacher have used the Schur polynomials to consider the celebrated Rogers-Ramanujan identities in the context of q-Engel expansions. We extend this view using similar polynomials, provided by Sills, in the context of Slater's list of 130 Rogers-Ramanujan type identities.     

A note on the r-Whitney numbers of Dowling lattices

The complete and elementary symmetric functions are specializations of Schur functions. In this paper, we use this fact to give two identities for the complete and elementary symmetric functions. This result can be used to proving and discovering some algebraic identities involving r-Whitney and other special numbers.     

Hermitian Weighted Composition Operators and Bergman Extremal Functions

Weighted composition operators have been related to products of composition operators and their adjoints and to isometries of Hardy spaces. In this paper, Hermitian weighted composition operators on weighted Hardy spaces of the unit disk are studied. In particular, necessary conditions are provided for a weighted composition operator to be Hermitian on such spaces. On weighted Hardy spaces for which the kernel functions are ${(1 - \overline{w}z)^{-\kappa}}$ for κ ≥ 1, including the standard weight Bergman spaces, the Hermitian weighted composition operators are explicitly identified and their spectra and spectral decompositions are described. Some of these Hermitian operators are part of a family of closely related normal weighted composition operators. In addition, as a consequence of the properties of weighted composition operators, we compute the extremal functions for the subspaces associated with the usual atomic inner functions for these weighted Bergman spaces and we also get explicit formulas for the projections of the kernel functions on these subspaces.     

Generating functions for real character degree sums of finite general linear and unitary groups

We compute generating functions for the sum of the real-valued character degrees of the finite general linear and unitary groups, through symmetric function computations. For the finite general linear group, we get a new combinatorial proof that every real-valued character has Frobenius–Schur indicator 1, and we obtain some q-series identities. For the finite unitary group, we expand the generating function in terms of values of Hall–Littlewood functions, and we obtain combinatorial expressions for the character degree sums of real-valued characters with Frobenius–Schur indicator 1 or ?1.     

Vertex Operators for Standard Bases of the Symmetric Functions

We present formulas for operators which add a row or a column to the partition indexing the power, monomial, forgotten, Schur, homogeneous and elementary symmetric functions. As an application of these operators we show that the operator that adds a column to the Schur unctions can be used to calculate a formula for the number of pairs of standard tableaux the same shape and height less than or equal to a fixed k.     

Poisson process Fock space representation, chaos expansion and covariance inequalities

We consider a Poisson process ?? on an arbitrary measurable space with an arbitrary sigma-finite intensity measure. We establish an explicit Fock space representation of square integrable functions of ??. As a consequence we identify explicitly, in terms of iterated difference operators, the integrands in the Wiener?CIt? chaos expansion. We apply these results to extend well-known variance inequalities for homogeneous Poisson processes on the line to the general Poisson case. The Poincaré inequality is a special case. Further applications are covariance identities for Poisson processes on (strictly) ordered spaces and Harris?CFKG-inequalities for monotone functions of ??.     

Spin invariant theory for the symmetric group

We formulate a theory of invariants for the spin symmetric group in some suitable modules which involve the polynomial and exterior algebras. We solve the corresponding graded multiplicity problem in terms of specializations of the Schur Q-functions and a shifted q-hook formula. In addition, we provide a bijective proof for a formula of the principal specialization of the Schur Q-functions.