On Combinatorics of Quiver Component Formulas

Buch and Fulton [9] conjectured the nonnegativity of the quiver coefficients appearing in their formula for a quiver cycle. Knutson, Miller and Shimozono [24] proved this conjecture as an immediate consequence of their component formula. We present an alternative proof of the component formula by substituting combinatorics for Gröbner degeneration [23, 24]. We relate the component formula to the work of Buch, Kresch, Tamvakis and the author [10] where a splitting formula for Schubert polynomials in terms of quiver coefficients was obtained. We prove analogues of this latter result for the type BCD-Schubert polynomials of Billey and Haiman [4]. The form of these analogues indicate that it should be interesting to pursue a geometric context that explains them.     

Positivity of quiver coefficients through Thom polynomials

We use the Thom Polynomial theory developed by Fehér and Rimányi to prove the component formula for quiver varieties conjectured by Knutson, Miller, and Shimozono. This formula expresses the cohomology class of a quiver variety as a sum of products of Schubert polynomials indexed by minimal lace diagrams, and implies that the quiver coefficients of Buch and Fulton are non-negative. We also apply our methods to give a new proof of the component formula from the Gröbner degeneration of quiver varieties, and to give generating moves for the KMS-factorizations that form the index set in K-theoretic versions of the component formula.     

On cluster algebras arising from unpunctured surfaces II

We study cluster algebras with principal and arbitrary coefficient systems that are associated to unpunctured surfaces. We give a direct formula for the Laurent polynomial expansion of cluster variables in these cluster algebras in terms of certain paths on a triangulation of the surface. As an immediate consequence, we prove the positivity conjecture of Fomin and Zelevinsky for these cluster algebras.Furthermore, we obtain direct formulas for F-polynomials and g-vectors and show that F-polynomials have constant term equal to 1. As an application, we compute the Euler-Poincaré characteristic of quiver Grassmannians in Dynkin type A and affine Dynkin type .     

On a Conjectured Formula for Quiver Varieties

In A.S. Buch and W. Fulton [Invent. Math. 135 (1999), 665–687] a formula for the cohomology class of a quiver variety is proved. This formula writes the cohomology class of a quiver variety as a linear combination of products of Schur polynomials. In the same paper it is conjectured that all of the coefficients in this linear combination are non-negative, and given by a generalized Littlewood-Richardson rule, which states that the coefficients count certain sequences of tableaux called factor sequences. In this paper I prove some special cases of this conjecture. I also prove that the general conjecture follows from a stronger but simpler statement, for which substantial computer evidence has been obtained. Finally I will prove a useful criterion for recognizing factor sequences.     

Friezes

The construction of friezes is motivated by the theory of cluster algebras. It gives, for each acyclic quiver, a family of integer sequences, one for each vertex. We conjecture that these sequences satisfy linear recursions if and only if the underlying graph is a Dynkin or an Euclidean (affine) graph. We prove the “only if” part, and show that the “if” part holds true for all non-exceptional Euclidean graphs, leaving a finite number of finite number of cases to be checked. Coming back to cluster algebras, the methods involved allow us to give formulas for the cluster variables in case Am and ; the novelty is that these formulas use 2 by 2 matrices over the semiring of Laurent polynomials generated by the initial variables (which explains simultaneously positivity and the Laurent phenomenon). One tool involved consists of the SL₂-tilings of the plane, which are particular cases of T-systems of Mathematical Physics.     

The Automorphism Conjecture for Small Sets and Series Parallel Sets

The automorphism conjecture for ordered sets states that the automorphism to endomorphism ratio will tend to zero as the size of the ordered set goes to infinity. We show by computer enumeration that up to size 11 the ratio is largest for weakly ordered sets. Subsequently, we derive exact recursive formulas for the number of homomorphisms between two related types of weakly ordered sets and we prove a strong automorphism conjecture for series-parallel ordered sets. We conclude with an example that shows that the automorphism to endomorphism ratio can exceed for arbitrarily large .This work was sponsored by Louisiana Board of Regents RCS grant LEQSF(1999-02)-RD-A-27.     

Positivity preserving transformations for -binomial coefficients

Several new transformations for -binomial coefficients are found, which have the special feature that the kernel is a polynomial with nonnegative coefficients. By studying the group-like properties of these positivity preserving transformations, as well as their connection with the Bailey lemma, many new summation and transformation formulas for basic hypergeometric series are found. The new -binomial transformations are also applied to obtain multisum Rogers-Ramanujan identities, to find new representations for the Rogers-Szegö polynomials, and to make some progress on Bressoud's generalized Borwein conjecture. For the original Borwein conjecture we formulate a refinement based on new triple sum representations of the Borwein polynomials.

     

Quiver varieties and finite dimensional representations of quantum affine algebras

We study finite dimensional representations of the quantum affine algebra using geometry of quiver varieties introduced by the author.

As an application, we obtain character formulas expressed in terms of intersection cohomologies of quiver varieties.

     

Asymptotics of Plancherel measures for symmetric groups

We consider the asymptotics of the Plancherel measures on partitions of as goes to infinity. We prove that the local structure of a Plancherel typical partition in the middle of the limit shape converges to a determinantal point process with the discrete sine kernel.

On the edges of the limit shape, we prove that the joint distribution of suitably scaled 1st, 2nd, and so on rows of a Plancherel typical diagram converges to the corresponding distribution for eigenvalues of random Hermitian matrices (given by the Airy kernel). This proves a conjecture due to Baik, Deift, and Johansson by methods different from the Riemann-Hilbert techniques used in their original papers and from the combinatorial proof given by the second author. Our approach is based on an exact determinantal formula for the correlation functions of the poissonized Plancherel measures in terms of a new kernel involving Bessel functions. Our asymptotic analysis relies on the classical asymptotic formulas for the Bessel functions and depoissonization techniques.

     

The noncommutative Wiener lemma, linear independence, and spectral properties of the algebra of time-frequency shift operators

In this paper we analyze the Banach *-algebra of time-frequency shifts with absolutely summable coefficients. We prove a noncommutative version of the Wiener lemma. We also construct a faithful tracial state on this algebra which proves the algebra contains no compact operators. As a corollary we obtain a special case of the Heil-Ramanathan-Topiwala conjecture regarding linear independence of finitely many time-frequency shifts of one function. We also estimate the coefficient decay of the inverse of finite linear combinations of time-frequency shifts.

     

A -adic supercongruence conjecture of van Hamme

In this paper we prove a -adic supercongruence conjecture of van Hamme by placing it in the context of the Beukers-like supercongruences of Rodriguez-Villegas. This conjecture is a -adic analog of a formula of Ramanujan.

     

The intersection of a matroid and a simplicial complex

A classical theorem of Edmonds provides a min-max formula relating the maximal size of a set in the intersection of two matroids to a ``covering" parameter. We generalize this theorem, replacing one of the matroids by a general simplicial complex. One application is a solution of the case of a matroidal version of Ryser's conjecture. Another is an upper bound on the minimal number of sets belonging to the intersection of two matroids, needed to cover their common ground set. This, in turn, is used to derive a weakened version of a conjecture of Rota. Bounds are also found on the dual parameter--the maximal number of disjoint sets, all spanning in each of two given matroids. We study in detail the case in which the complex is the complex of independent sets of a graph, and prove generalizations of known results on ``independent systems of representatives" (which are the special case in which the matroid is a partition matroid). In particular, we define a notion of -matroidal colorability of a graph, and prove a fractional version of a conjecture, that every graph is -matroidally colorable.

The methods used are mostly topological.

     

Quantum cohomology and the -Schur basis

We prove that structure constants related to Hecke algebras at roots of unity are special cases of -Littlewood-Richardson coefficients associated to a product of -Schur functions. As a consequence, both the 3-point Gromov-Witten invariants appearing in the quantum cohomology of the Grassmannian, and the fusion coefficients for the WZW conformal field theories associated to are shown to be -Littlewood-Richardson coefficients. From this, Mark Shimozono conjectured that the -Schur functions form the Schubert basis for the homology of the loop Grassmannian, whereas -Schur coproducts correspond to the integral cohomology of the loop Grassmannian. We introduce dual -Schur functions defined on weights of -tableaux that, given Shimozono's conjecture, form the Schubert basis for the cohomology of the loop Grassmannian. We derive several properties of these functions that extend those of skew Schur functions.

     

Théorèmes de Riemann–Roch pour les champs de Deligne–Mumford

We develop a cohomology theory for Deligne–Mumford stacks, adapted to Hirzebruch–Riemann–Roch formulas. For this, we define the cohomology with coefficients in the representations and a Chern character, and we prove a Grothendieck–Riemann–Roch formula for the associated Riemann–Roch transformation.     

Applications of the Wold decomposition to the study of row contractions associated with directed graphs

Based on a Wold decomposition for families of partial isometries and projections of Cuntz-Krieger-Toeplitz-type, we extend several fundamental theorems from the case of single vertex graphs to the general case of countable directed graphs with no sinks. We prove a Szego-type factorization theorem for CKT families, which leads to information on the structure of the unit ball in free semigroupoid algebras, and show that joint similarity implies joint unitary equivalence for such families. For each graph we prove a generalization of von Neumann's inequality which applies to row contractions of operators on Hilbert space which are related to the graph in a natural way. This yields a functional calculus determined by quiver algebras and free semigroupoid algebras. We establish a generalization of Coburn's theorem for the -algebra of a CKT family, and prove a universality theorem for -algebras generated by these families. In both cases, the -algebras generated by quiver algebras play the universal role.

     

Die mehrstellenformeln für den Laplaceoperator

Summary Difference methods for the numerical solution of linear partial differential equations may often be improved by using a weighted right hand side instead of the original right hand side of the differential equation. Difference formulas, for which that is possible, are called Mehrstellenformeln or Hermitian formulas. In this paper the Hermitian formulas for the approximation of Laplace's operator are characterized by a very simple condition. We prove, that in two-dimensional case for a Hermitian formula of ordern at leastn+3 discretization points are necessary. We give examples of such optimal formulas of arbitrary high-order.

     

Schubert polynomials for the affine Grassmannian

Confirming a conjecture of Mark Shimozono, we identify polynomial representatives for the Schubert classes of the affine Grassmannian as the -Schur functions in homology and affine Schur functions in cohomology. The results are obtained by connecting earlier combinatorial work of ours to certain subalgebras of Kostant and Kumar's nilHecke ring and to work of Peterson on the homology of based loops on a compact group. As combinatorial corollaries, we settle a number of positivity conjectures concerning -Schur functions, affine Stanley symmetric functions and cylindric Schur functions.

     

Mixed Hodge polynomials of character varieties

We calculate the E-polynomials of certain twisted GL(n,ℂ)-character varieties of Riemann surfaces by counting points over finite fields using the character table of the finite group of Lie-type and a theorem proved in the appendix by N. Katz. We deduce from this calculation several geometric results, for example, the value of the topological Euler characteristic of the associated PGL(n,ℂ)-character variety. The calculation also leads to several conjectures about the cohomology of : an explicit conjecture for its mixed Hodge polynomial; a conjectured curious hard Lefschetz theorem and a conjecture relating the pure part to absolutely indecomposable representations of a certain quiver. We prove these conjectures for n=2.     

Vol3 and other exceptional hyperbolic 3-manifolds

D. Gabai, R. Meyerhoff and N. Thurston identified seven families of exceptional hyperbolic manifolds in their proof that a manifold which is homotopy equivalent to a hyperbolic manifold is hyperbolic. These families are each conjectured to consist of a single manifold. In fact, an important point in their argument depends on this conjecture holding for one particular exceptional family. In this paper, we prove the conjecture for that particular family, showing that the manifold known as in the literature covers no other manifold. We also indicate techniques likely to prove this conjecture for five of the other six families.

     

Formal Markoff maps are positive

This note defines a family of Laurent polynomials indexed in which generalize the Markoff numbers and relate to the character variety of the one-cusped torus. We describe which monomials appear in each polynomial and prove all the coefficients are positive integers. We also conjecture a generalization of that positivity result.