Computational techniques for the construction of quasi-symmetric block designs are explored and applied to the case with $56$ points. One new $(56,16,18)$ and many new $(56,16,6)$ designs are discovered, and non-existence of $(56,12,9)$ and $(56,20,19)$ designs with certain automorphism groups is proved. The number of known symmetric $(78,22,6)$ designs is also significantly increased.
We define two-parameter families of noncommutative symmetric functions and quasi-symmetric functions, which appear to be the proper analogues of the Macdonald symmetric functions in these settings.
This article is devoted to the study of several algebras which are related to symmetric functions, and which admit linear bases labelled by various combinatorial objects: permutations (free quasi-symmetric functions), standard Young tableaux (free symmetric functions) and packed integer matrices (matrix quasi-symmetric functions). Free quasi-symmetric functions provide a kind of noncommutative Frobenius characteristic for a certain category of modules over the 0-Hecke algebras. New examples of indecomposable $H_n(0)$-modules are discussed, and the homological properties of $H_n(0)$ are compute…
We prove a Cauchy identity for free quasi-symmetric functions and apply it to the study of various bases. A free Weyl formula and a generalization of the splitting formula are also discussed.
We give a new proof of Chung and Graham's ``G-descent expansion'' of the classical chromatic polynomial, as well as a special case of the quasi-symmetric function expansion of the path-cycle symmetric function Xi_D. Both proofs rely on Stanley's quasi-symmetric function expansion of the chromatic symmetric function X_G. We also show that Stanley's expansion suggests that a Robinson-Schensted algorithm for (3+1)-free posets---something that has been sought for unsuccessfully for some time---ought to ``respect descents'' in a certain precise sense.
I give an elementary proof that a quasi-symmetric design without repeated blocks on $v$ points has at most $v\choose2$ blocks, with equality if and only if it is a tight $4$-design.
We define a new basis of the algebra of quasi-symmetric functions by lifting the cycle-index polynomials of symmetric groups to noncommutative polynomials with coefficients in the algebra of free quasi-symmetric functions, and then projecting the coefficients to $QSym$. By duality, we obtain a basis of noncommutative symmetric functions, for which a product formula and a recurrence in the form of a combinatorial complex are obtained. This basis allows to identify noncommutative symmetric functions with the quotient of FQSym induced by the pattern-replacement relation $321 \equiv 231$ and $312 …
We introduce dual Hopf algebras which simultaneously combine the concepts of the k-Schur function theory with the quasi-symmetric Schur function theory. We construct dual basis of these Hopf algebras with remarkable properties.
The dual codes of the ternary linear codes of the residual designs of biplanes on 56 points are used to prove the nonexistence of quasi-symmetric 2-$(56,12,9)$ and 2-$(57,12,11)$ designs with intersection numbers 0 and 3, and the nonexistence of a 2-$(267,57,12)$ quasi-3 design. The nonexistence of a 2-$(149,37,9)$ quasi-3 design is also proved.
Egge, Loehr, and Warrington proved a formula for the Schur function expansion of a symmetric function in terms of its expansion in fundamental quasi-symmetric functions. Their formula involves the coefficients of a modified inverse Kostka matrix. Recently Garsia and Remmel gave a simpler reformulation of Egge, Loehr, and Warrington's result, with a new proof. We give here a simple proof of Garsia and Remmel's version, using a sign-reversing involution.
We introduce analogues of the Hopf algebra of Free quasi-symmetric functions with bases labelled by colored permutations. As applications, we recover in a simple way the descent algebras associated with wreath products $Γ\wr\SG_n$ and the corresponding generalizations of quasi-symmetric functions. Also, we obtain Hopf algebras of colored parking functions, colored non-crossing partitions and parking functions of type $B$.
We construct bases of quasi-symmetric functions whose product rule is given by the shuffle of binary words, as for multiple zeta values in their integral representations, and then extend the construction to the algebra of free quasi-symmetric functions colored by positive integers. As a consequence, we show that the fractions introduced in [Guo and Xie, Ramanujan Jour. 25 (2011) 307-317] provide a realization of this algebra by rational moulds extending that of free quasi-symmetric functions given in [Chapoton et al., Int. Math. Res. Not. IMRN 2008, no. 9, Art. ID rnn018].
We present some graphical characterizations of positive definite symmetric quasi-Cartan matrices of Dynkin type $\mathbb{A}_{n}$ and $\mathbb{D}_{n}$. Our proofs are constructive, purely graph theoretical, and almost self-contained in the sense that they rely on the classical inflations method only.
We introduce analogs of the Hopf algebra of Free quasi-symmetric functions with bases labelled by colored permutations. When the color set is a semigroup, an internal product can be introduced. This leads to the construction of generalized descent algebras associated with wreath products $Γ\wr\SG_n$ and to the corresponding generalizations of quasi-symmetric functions. The associated Hopf algebras appear as natural analogs of McMahon's multisymmetric functions. As a consequence, we obtain an internal product on ordinary multi-symmetric functions. We extend these constructions to Hopf algebras …
The immaculate basis of the non-commutative symmetric functions was recently introduced by the first and third author to lift certain structures in the symmetric functions to the dual Hopf algebras of the non-commutative and quasi-symmetric functions. It was shown that immaculate basis satisfies a positive, multiplicity free right Pieri rule. It was conjectured that the left Pieri rule may contain signs but that it would be multiplicity free. Similarly, it was also conjectured that the dual quasi-symmetric basis would also satisfy a signed multiplicity free Pieri rule. We prove these two conje…
Egge, Loehr and Warrington gave in \cite{ELW} a combinatorial formula that permits to convert the expansion of a symmetric function, homogeneous of degree $n$, in terms of Gessel's fundamental quasisymmetric functions into an expansion in terms of Schur functions. Surprisingly the Egge, Loehr and Warrington result may be shown to be simply equivalent to replacing the Gessel fundamental by a Schur function indexed by the same composition. In this paper we give a direct proof of the validity of this replacement. This interpretation of the result in \cite{ELW} has already been successfully applie…
This paper completes the classification of quasi-symmetric 2-$(64,24,46)$ designs of Blokhuis-Haemers type supported by the dual code $C^{\perp}$ of the binary linear code $C$ spanned by the lines of $AG(3,2^2)$ initiated in \cite{bgr-vdt}. It is shown that $C^{\perp}$ contains exactly 30,264 nonisomorphic quasi-symmetric 2-$(64,24,46)$ designs obtainable from maximal arcs in $AG(2,2^2)$ via the Blokhuis-Haemers construction. The related strongly regular graphs are also discussed.
We prove that a certain binary linear code associated with the incidence matrix of a quasi-symmetric 2-(37,9,8) design with intersection numbers 1 and 3 must be contained in an extremal doubly even self-dual code of length 40. Using the classification of extremal doubly even self-dual codes of length 40, we show that a quasi-symmetric 2-(37,9,8) design with intersection numbers 1 and 3 does not exist.
The ring of cyclic quasi-symmetric functions and its non-Escher subring are introduced in this paper. A natural basis consists of fundamental cyclic quasi-symmetric functions; for the non-Escher subring they arise as toric $P$-partition enumerators, for toric posets $P$ with a total cyclic order. The associated structure constants are determined by cyclic shuffles of permutations. We then prove the following positivity phenomenon: for every non-hook shape $λ$, the coefficients in the expansion of the Schur function $s_λ$ in terms of fundamental cyclic quasi-symmetric functions are nonnegative.…
We show that certain differences of products of $P$-partition generating functions are positive in the basis of fundamental quasi-symmetric functions L_α. This result interpolates between recent Schur positivity and monomial positivity results of the same flavor. We study the case of chains in detail, introducing certain ``cell transfer'' operations on compositions and an interesting related ``L-positivity'' poset. We introduce and study quasi-symmetric functions called ``wave Schur functions'' and use them to establish, in the case of chains, that the difference of products we study is itself…
We give a combinatorial formula for the inverses of the alternating sums of free quasi-symmetric functions of the form F_{ω(I)} where I runs over compositions with parts in a prescribed set C. This proves in particular three special cases (no restriction, even parts, and all parts equal to 2) which were conjectured by B. C. V. Ung in [Proc. FPSAC'98, Toronto].
We prove that every infinite sequence of skew-symmetric or symmetric matrices M_1, M_2, ... over a fixed finite field must have a pair M_i, M_j (i<j) such that M_i is isomorphic to a principal submatrix of the Schur complement of a nonsingular principal submatrix in M_j, if those matrices have bounded rank-width. This generalizes three theorems on well-quasi-ordering of graphs or matroids admitting good tree-like decompositions; (1) Robertson and Seymour's theorem for graphs of bounded tree-width, (2) Geelen, Gerards, and Whittle's theorem for matroids representable over a fixed finite field h…
We determine the most general form of a smooth function on Young diagrams, that is, a polynomial in the interlacing or multirectangular coordinates whose value depends only on the shape of the diagram. We prove that the algebra of such functions is isomorphic to quasi-symmetric functions, and give a noncommutative analog of this result.
In 2004, J-C. Aval, F. Bergeron and N. Bergeron studied the algebra of diagonally quasi-symmetric functions $\operatorname{\mathsf{DQSym}}$ in the ring $\mathbb{Q}[\mathbf{x},\mathbf{y}]$ with two sets of variables. They made conjectures on the structure of the quotient $\mathbb{Q}[\mathbf{x},\mathbf{y}]/\langle\operatorname{\mathsf{DQSym}}^+\rangle$, which is a quasi-symmetric analogue of the diagonal harmonic polynomials. In this paper, we construct a Hilbert basis for this quotient when there are infinitely many variables i.e. $\mathbf{x}=x_1,x_2,\dots$ and $\mathbf{y}=y_1,y_2,\dots$. Then …
The aim of this work is to extend the study of super-coinvariant polynomials, to the case of the generalized symmetric group $G_{n,m}$, defined as the wreath product $C_m\wr§_n$ of the symmetric group by the cyclic group. We define a quasi-symmetrizing action of $G_{n,m}$ on $\Q[x_1,...,x_n]$, analogous to those defined by Hivert in the case of $§_n$. The polynomials invariant under this action are called quasi-invariant, and we define super-coinvariant polynomials as polynomials orthogonal, with respect to a given scalar product, to the quasi-invariant polynomials with no constant term. Our m…
In this work, an effective construction, via Schützenberger's monoidal factorization, of dual bases for the non commutative symmetric and quasi-symmetric functions is proposed.
In this paper, we attach several new invariants to connected strongly regular graphs (excepting conference graphs on non-square number of vertices) : one invariant called the discriminant, and a p-adic invariant corresponding to each prime number p. We prove parametric restrictions on quasi-symmetric 2-designs with a given connected block graph $G$ and a given defect (absolute difference of the two intersection numbers) solely in terms of the defect and the parameters of $G$, including these new invariants. This is a natural analogue of Schutzenberger's Theorem and the Shrikhande-Chowla-Ryser …
A classical result of Artin states that the ideal generated by symmetric polynomials in $n$ variables is of codimension $n!$. The author, F. Bergeron and N. Bergeron have recently obtained a surprising analogous in the case of quasi-symmetric polynomials. In this case, the ideal is of codimension given by $C_n$, the $n$-th Catalan number. Quasi-symmetric polynomials are the invariants of a certain action of the symmetric group $S_n$ defined by F. Hivert. The aim of this work is to generalize these results to the wreath product $S_n\wr \Z_m$, also known as the generalized symmetric group $G\nm$…
In [5, 6] it has been proved that the ring of quasisymmetric functions over the integers is free polynomial, see also [4]. This is a matter that has been of great interest since 1972; for instance because of the role this statement plays in a classification theory for noncommutative formal groups that has been in development since then, see [2] and [9] and the references in the latter. Meanwhile quasisymmetric functions have found many more aplications, [3]. However, the proofs in [5, 6] do not give explicit polynomial generators for QSymm over the integers. In this note I give a (really quite…
We introduce a new pair of mutually dual bases of noncommutative symmetric functions and quasi-symmetric functions, and use it to derive generalizations of several results on the reduced incidence algebra of the lattice of noncrossing partitions. As a consequence, we obtain a quasi-symmetric version of the Farahat-Higman algebra.
To every subspace arrangement X we will associate symmetric functions P[X] and H[X]. These symmetric functions encode the Hilbert series and the minimal projective resolution of the product ideal associated to the subspace arrangement. They can be defined for discrete polymatroids as well. The invariant H[X] specializes to the Tutte polynomial T[X]. Billera, Jia and Reiner recently introduced a quasi-symmetric function F[X] (for matroids) which behaves valuatively with respect to matroid base polytope decompositions. We will define a quasi-symmetric function G[X] for polymatroids which has thi…
We introduce the Hopf algebra of quasi-symmetric functions with semigroup exponents generalizing the Hopf algebra QSym of quasi-symmetric functions. As a special case we obtain the Hopf algebra WCQSym of weak composition quasi-symmetric functions, which provides a framework for the study of a question proposed by G.-C.~Rota relating symmetric type functions and Rota-Baxter algebras. We provide the transformation formulas between the weak composition monomial and fundamental quasi-symmetric functions, which extends the corresponding results for quasi-symmetric functions. Moreover, we show that …
The aim of this work is to study the quotient ring R_n of the ring Q[x_1,...,x_n] over the ideal J_n generated by non-constant homogeneous quasi-symmetric functions. We prove here that the dimension of R_n is given by C_n, the n-th Catalan number. This is also the dimension of the space SH_n of super-covariant polynomials, that is defined as the orthogonal complement of J_n with respect to a given scalar product. We construct a basis for R_n whose elements are naturally indexed by Dyck paths. This allows us to understand the Hilbert series of SH_n in terms of number of Dyck paths with a given …
We introduce and study affine analogues of the fixed-point-free (FPF) involution Stanley symmetric functions of Hamaker, Marberg, and Pawlowski. Our methods use the theory of quasiparabolic sets introduced by Rains and Vazirani, and we prove that the subset of FPF-involutions is a quasiparabolic set for the affine symmetric group under conjugation. Using properties of quasiparabolic sets, we prove a transition formula for the affine FPF involution Stanley symmetric functions, analogous to Lascoux and Schützenberger's transition formula for Schubert polynomials. Our results suggest several conj…
Motivated by a question of Rota, this paper studies the relationship between Rota--Baxter algebras and symmetric related functions. The starting point is the fact that the space of quasi-symmetric functions is spanned by monomial quasi-symmetric functions which are indexed by compositions. When composition is replaced by left weak composition (LWC), we obtain the concept of LWC monomial quasi-symmetric functions and the resulting space of LWC quasi-symmetric functions. In line with the question of Rota, the latter is shown to be isomorphic to the free commutative nonunitary Rota--Baxter algebr…
In his work on P-partitions, Stembridge defined the algebra of peak functions Pi, which is both a subalgebra and a retraction of the algebra of quasi-symmetric functions. We show that Pi is closed under coproduct, and therefore a Hopf algebra, and describe the kernel of the retraction. Billey and Haiman, in their work on Schubert polynomials, also defined a new class of quasi-symmetric functions --- shifted quasi-symmetric functions --- and we show that Pi is strictly contained in the linear span Xi of shifted quasi-symmetric functions. We show that Xi is a coalgebra, and compute the rank of t…
We review the relation between the Hopf algebra QSym of quasi-symmetric functions and the multiple zeta values, and then discuss a commutative diagram involving the Hopf algebra Sym of symmetric functions, the Hopf algebra dual NSym of QSym, and the Hopf algebras of rooted trees and planar rooted trees as defined by Kreimer and Foissy respectively.
We introduce two new bases for polynomials that lift monomial and fundamental quasisymmetric functions to the full polynomial ring. By defining a new condition on pipe dreams, called quasi-Yamanouchi, we give a positive combinatorial rule for expanding Schubert polynomials into these new bases that parallels the expansion of Schur functions into fundamental quasisymmetric functions. As a result, we obtain a refinement of the stable limits of Schubert polynomials to Stanley symmetric functions. We also give combinatorial rules for the positive structure constants of these bases that generalize …
The Connes-Kreimer Hopf algebra of rooted trees, its dual, and the Foissy Hopf algebra of of planar rooted trees are related to each other and to the well-known Hopf algebras of symmetric and quasi-symmetric functions via a pair of commutative diagrams. We show how this point of view can simplify computations in the Connes-Kreimer Hopf algebra and its dual, particularly for combinatorial Dyson-Schwinger equations.
Every character on a graded connected Hopf algebra decomposes uniquely as a product of an even character and an odd character (Aguiar, Bergeron, and Sottile, math.CO/0310016). We obtain explicit formulas for the even and odd parts of the universal character on the Hopf algebra of quasi-symmetric functions. They can be described in terms of Legendre's beta function evaluated at half-integers, or in terms of bivariate Catalan numbers: $$ C(m,n)=\frac{(2m)!(2n)!}{m!(m+n)!n!}. $$ Properties of characters and of quasi-symmetric functions are then used to derive several interesting identities among …
This paper builds on two covering Hopf algebras of the Hopf algebra QSym of quasi-symmetric functions, with linear bases parameterized by compositions. One is the Malvenuto-Reutenauer Hopf algebra SSym of permutations, mapped onto QSym by taking descents of permutations. The other one is the recently introduced Hopf algebra RQSym of weak quasi-symmetric functions, mapped onto QSym by extracting compositions from weak compositions. We extend these two surjective Hopf algebra homomorphisms into a commutative diagram by introducing a Hopf algebra HSym, linearly spanned by signed permutations from…
We examine two associative products over the ring of symmetric functions related to the intransitive and Cartesian products of permutation groups. As an application, we give an enumeration of some Feynman type diagrams arising in Bender's QFT of partitions. We end by exploring possibilities to construct noncommutative analogues.
An automorphism of a graph is called quasi-semiregular if it fixes a unique vertex of the graph and its remaining cycles have the same length. This kind of symmetry of graphs was first investigated by Kutnar, Malnič, Martínez and Marušič in 2013, as a generalization of the well-known semiregular automorphism of a graph. Symmetric graphs of valency three or four, admitting a quasi-semiregular automorphism, have been classified in recent two papers. Let $p\geq 5$ be a prime and $Γ$ a connected symmetric graph of valency $p$ admitting a quasi-semiregular automorphism. In this paper, we first prov…
We investigate the quotient ring $R$ of the ring of formal power series $\Q[[x_1,x_2,...]]$ over the closure of the ideal generated by non-constant quasi-\break symmetric functions. We show that a Hilbert basis of the quotient is naturally indexed by Catalan paths (infinite Dyck paths). We also give a filtration of ideals related to Catalan paths from $(0,0)$ and above the line $y=x-k$. We investigate as well the quotient ring $R_n$ of polynomial ring in $n$ variables over the ideal generated by non-constant quasi-symmetric polynomials. We show that the dimension of $R_n$ is bounded above by t…
We define a pseudo quasi-3 design as a symmetric design with the property that the derived and residual designs with respect to at least one block are quasi-symmetric. Quasi-symmetric designs can be used to construct optimal self complementary codes. In this article we give a construction of an infinite family of pseudo quasi-3 designs whose residual designs allow us to construct a family of codes with a new parameter set that meet the Grey Rankin bound.
According to Shapley's game-theoretical result, there exists a unique game value of finite cooperative games that satisfies axioms on additivity, efficiency, null-player property and symmetry. The original setting requires symmetry with respect to arbitrary permutations of players. We analyze the consequences of weakening the symmetry axioms and study quasi-values that are symmetric with respect to permutations from a group $G\leq S_n$. We classify all the permutation groups $G$ that are large enough to assure a unique $G$-symmetric quasi-value, as well as the structure and dimension of the sp…
