Determinantal and Pfaffian identities for ninth variation skew Schur functions and Q-functions

Recently Okada defined algebraically ninth variation skew Q-functions, in parallel to Macdonald’s ninth variation skew Schur functions. Here we introduce a skew shifted tableaux definition of these ninth variation skew Q-functions, and prove by means of a non-intersecting lattice path model a Pfaffian outside decomposition result in the form of a ninth variation version of Hamel’s Pfaffian outside decomposition identity. As corollaries to this we derive Pfaffian identities generalising those of Józefiak–Pragacz, Nimmo, and most recently Okada. As a preamble to this we present a parallel development based on (unshifted) semistandard tableaux that leads to a ninth variation version of the outside decomposition determinantal identity of Hamel and Goulden. In this case the corollaries we offer include determinantal identities generalising the Schur and skew Schur function identities of Jacobi–Trudi, Giambelli, Lascoux–Pragacz, Stembridge, and Okada.     

Staircase skew Schur functions are Schur P-positive

We prove Stanley??s conjecture that, if ?? _n is the staircase shape, then the skew Schur functions $s_{\delta_{n} / \mu}$ are non-negative sums of Schur P-functions. We prove that the coefficients in this sum count certain fillings of shifted shapes. In particular, for the skew Schur function $s_{\delta_{n} / \delta _{n-2}}$ , we discuss connections with Eulerian numbers and alternating permutations.     

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.     

Extended Bressoud-Wei and Koike skew Schur function identities

The Jacobi-Trudi identity expresses a skew Schur function as a determinant of complete symmetric functions. Bressoud and Wei extend this idea, introducing an integer parameter t?−1 and showing that signed sums of skew Schur functions of a certain shape are expressible once again as a determinant of complete symmetric functions. Koike provides a Jacobi-Trudi-style definition of universal rational characters of the general linear group and gives their expansion as a signed sum of products of Schur functions in two distinct sets of variables. Here we extend Bressoud and Wei's formula by including an additional parameter and extending the result to the case of all integer t. Then we introduce this parameter idea to the Koike formula, extending it in the same way. We prove our results algebraically using Laplace determinantal expansions.     

Schur positivity of skew Schur function differences and applications to ribbons and Schubert classes

Some new relations on skew Schur function differences are established both combinatorially using Schützenberger’s jeu de taquin, and algebraically using Jacobi-Trudi determinants. These relations lead to the conclusion that certain differences of skew Schur functions are Schur positive. Applying these results to a basis of symmetric functions involving ribbon Schur functions confirms the validity of a Schur positivity conjecture due to McNamara. A further application reveals that certain differences of products of Schubert classes are Schubert positive. For Manfred Schocker 1970–2006. S.J. van Willigenburg was supported in part by the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.     

The skew chromatic index of a graph

We define a skew edge coloring of a graph to be a set of two edge colorings such that no two edges are assigned the same unordered pair of colors. The skew chromatic index s(G) is the minimum number of colors required for a skew edge coloring of G. We show that this concept is closely related to that of skew Room squares and use this relation to prove that s(G) is at most o(G) + 4. We also find better upper bounds for s(G) when G is cyclic, cubic, or bipartite. In particular we use a construction involving Latin squares to show that if G is complete bipartite of order 2n, s(G) is bounded above by roughly $\text{3n}\text{2}$.     

Lazy cohomology: An analogue of the Schur multiplier for arbitrary Hopf algebras

We propose a detailed systematic study of a group associated, by elementary means of lazy 2-cocycles, to any Hopf algebra A. This group was introduced by Schauenburg in order to generalize Kac's exact sequence. We study the various interplays of lazy cohomology in Hopf algebra theory: Galois and biGalois objects, Brauer groups and projective representations. We obtain a Kac-Schauenburg-type sequence for double crossed products of possibly infinite-dimensional Hopf algebras. Finally, the explicit computation of for monomial Hopf algebras and for a class of cotriangular Hopf algebras is performed.     

An analogue of Hajós' Theorem for the circular chromatic number

This paper designs a set of graph operations and proves that starting from , by repeatedly applying these operations, one can construct all graphs with (for ). This can be viewed as an analogue of Hajós' Theorem for the circular chromatic number.

     

Q-functions of Hermitian Contractions of Krein-Ovcharenko Type

In this paper operator-valued Q-functions of Krein-Ovcharenko type are introduced. Such functions arise from the extension theory of Hermitian contractive operators A in a Hilbert space ℌ. The definition is related to the investigations of M.G. Krein and I.E. Ovcharenko of the so-called Q_μ- and Q_M-functions. It turns out that their characterizations of such functions hold true only in the matrix valued case. The present paper extends the corresponding properties for wider classes of selfadjoint contractive extensions of A. For this purpose some peculiar but fundamental properties on the behaviour of operator ranges of positive operators will be used. Also proper characterizations for Q_μ- and Q_M-functions in the general operator-valued case are given. Shorted operators and parallel sums of positive operators will be needed to give a geometric understanding of the function-theoretic properties of the corresponding Q-functions.     

An algebra of skew primitive elements

We study the various term operations on the set of skew primitive elements of Hopf algebras, generated by skew primitive semi-invariants of an Abelian group of grouplike elements. All 1-linear binary operations are described and trilinear and quadrilinear operations are given a detailed treatment. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of multilinear operations are specified in terms of the property of particular polynomials being linearly dependent and of one arithmetic condition. We dub the conjecture that this condition implies, in fact, the linear dependence of the polynomials in question and so is itself sufficient. Supported by RFFR grant No. 95-01-01356, and by the National Society of researchers, Mexico (exp. 18740, 1997). Translated fromAlgebra i Logika, Vol. 37, No. 2, pp. 181–223, March–April, 1998.     

Equality of Schur and Skew Schur Functions

We determine the precise conditions under which any skew Schur function is equal to a Schur function over both infinitely and finitely many variables. Received May 29, 2004     

An uncountably chromatic triple system

It is consistent that there exists an uncountably chromatic triple system which does not contain two triples with two common points or circuits of lengths 3, 5.     

A quantum analogue of generic bases for affine cluster algebras

We construct quantized versions of generic bases in quantum cluster algebras of finite and affine types.Under the specialization of q and coefficients to 1,these bases are generic bases of finite and affine cluster algebras.     

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.