We determine invariants like the Smith normal form and the determinant for certain integral matrices which arise from the character tables of the symmetric groups S_n and their double covers. In particular, we give a simple computation, based on the theory of Hall-Littlewood symmetric functions, of the determinant of the regular character table of S_n with respect to an integer r>1. This result had earlier been proved by Olsson in a longer and more indirect manner. As a consequence, we obtain a new proof of the Mathas' Conjecture on the determinant of the Cartan matrix of the Iwahori-Hecke algebra. When r is prime we determine the Smith normal form of the regular character table. Taking r large yields the Smith normal form of the full character table of S_n. Analogous results are then given for spin characters.
For an arbitrary prime $p$ we prove that the proportion of entries divisible by $p$ in certain columns of the character table of the symmetric group $S_n$ tends to 1 as $n\to\infty$. This is done by finding lower bounds on the number of $k$-cores, for $k$ large enough with respect to $n$.
If $λ$ and $μ$ are two non-empty Young diagrams with the same number of squares, and $\boldsymbolλ$ and $\boldsymbolμ$ are obtained by dividing each square into $d^2$ congruent squares, then the corresponding character value $χ_{\boldsymbolλ}(\boldsymbolμ)$ is divisible by $d!$.
The partition algebra is an associative algebra with a basis of set-partition diagrams and multiplication given by diagram concatenation. It contains as subalgebras a large class of diagram algebras including the Brauer, planar partition, rook monoid, rook-Brauer, Temperley-Lieb, Motzkin, planar rook monoid, and symmetric group algebras. We give a construction of the irreducible modules of these algebras in two isomorphic ways: first, as the span of symmetric diagrams on which the algebra acts by conjugation twisted with an irreducible symmetric group representation and, second, on a basis ind…
We show that almost every entry in the character table of $S_n$ is even as $n\to\infty$. This resolves a conjecture of Miller. We similarly prove that almost every entry in the character table of $S_n$ is zero modulo $3,5,7,11,$ and $13$ as $n\to\infty$, partially addressing another conjecture of Miller.
A 0-Hecke algebra is a deformation of the group algebra of a Coxeter group. Based on work of Norton and Krob--Thibon, we introduce a tableau approach to the representation theory of 0-Hecke algebras of type A, which resembles the classic approach to the representation theory of symmetric groups by Young tableaux and tabloids. We extend this approach to type B and D, and obtain a correspondence between the representation theory of 0-Hecke algebras of type B and D and quasisymmetric functions and noncommutative symmetric functions of type B and D. Other applications are also provided.
In this investigation of character tables of finite groups we study basic sets and associated representation theoretic data for complementary sets of conjugacy classes. For the symmetric groups we find unexpected properties of characters on restricted sets of conjugacy classes, like beautiful combinatorial determinant formulae for submatrices of the character table and Cartan matrices with respect to basic sets; we observe that similar phenomena occur for the transition matrices between power sum symmetric functions to bounded partitions and the $k$-Schur functions introduced by Lapointe and M…
Tables of the currently known parameters of symmetric configurations are given. Formulas for parameters of the known infinite families of symmetric configurations are presented as well. The results of the recent paper [18] are used. This work can be viewed as an appendix to [18], in the sense that the tables given here cover a much larger set of parameters.
We deduce decompositions of natural representations of general linear groups and symmetric groups from combinatorial bijections involving tableaux. These include some of Howe's dualities, Gelfand models, the Schur-Weyl decomposition of tensor space, and multiplicity-free decompositions indexed by threshold partitions.
We represent the number of mxn non-negative integer matrices (contingency tables) with prescribed row sums and column sums as the expected value of the permanent of a non-negative random matrix with exponentially distributed entries. We bound the variance of the obtained estimator, from which it follows that if the row and column sums are bounded by a constant fixed in advance, we get a polynomial time approximation scheme for counting contingency tables. We show that the complete symmetric polynomial of a fixed degree in n variables can be epsilon-approximated coefficient-wise by a sum of pow…
In this paper, we first show that the irreducible characters of a quotient table algebra modulo a normal closed subset can be viewed as the irreducible characters of the table algebra itself. Furthermore, we define the character products for table algebras and give a condition in which the products of two characters are characters. Thereafter, as a main result we state and prove the Burnside-Brauer Theorem on finite groups for table algebras.
Lascoux has given a triangular version of the Cauchy identity where Schur polynomials are replaced by Demazure characters and Demazure atoms. He has then used the staircase expansion to recover expansions for all Ferrers shapes, where the Demazure characters and Demazure atoms are under the action of Demazure operators specified by the cells above the staircase. The characterisation of the tableau-pairs in these last expansions is less explicit. We give here a bijective proof for expansions over near staircases, where the tableau-pairs are made explicit. Our analysis formulates Mason's RSK ana…
An involution in a Coxeter group has an associated set of involution words, a variation on reduced words. These words are saturated chains in a partial order first considered by Richardson and Springer in their study of symmetric varieties. In the symmetric group, involution words can be enumerated in terms of tableaux using appropriate analogues of the symmetric functions introduced by Stanley to accomplish the same task for reduced words. We adapt this approach to the group of signed permutations. We show that involution words for the longest element in the Coxeter group $C_n$ are in bijecti…
The Murnaghan-Nakayama rule is the classical formula for computing the character table of S_n. Y. Roichman has recently discovered a rule for the Kazhdan-Lusztig characters of q-Hecke algebras of type A, which can also be used for the character table of S_n. For each of the two rules, we give an algorithm for computing entries in the character table of S_n. We then analyze the computational complexity of the two algorithms, and in the case of characters indexed by partitions in the (k,l)-hook, compare their complexities to each other. It turns out that the algorithm based on the Murnaghan-Naka…
An association scheme is called skew-symmetric if it has no symmetric adjacency relations other than the diagonal one. In this paper, we study 4-class skew-symmetric association schemes. In J. Ma [On the nonexistence of skew-symmetric amorphous association schemes, submitted for publication], we discovered that their character tables fall into three types. We now determine their intersection matrices. We then determine the character tables and intersection numbers for 4-class skew-symmetric pseudocyclic association schemes, the only known examples of which are cyclotomic schemes. As a result, …
We provide simple necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a standard Young tableau of a given shape and major index $r$ mod $n$, for all $r$. Our result generalizes the $r=1$ case due essentially to (1974) and proves a recent conjecture due to Sundaram (2016) for the $r=0$ case. A byproduct of the proof is an asymptotic equidistribution result for "almost all" shapes. The proof uses a representation-theoretic formula involving Ramanujan sums and normalized symmetric group character estimates. Further estimates involving "opposite" hook lengths are given which are well-adapted …
The object of this short note is to prove a theorem and present a conjecture for the number of even entries in the character table of the symmetric group.
In this paper, we study the characters of homogeneous monotonic P-polynomial table algebras with finite dimension d>=5. We then apply them to association schemes. To this end, we develop some methods using tridiagonal matrices and Z-transform. Moreover, we calculate the eigenvalues of a special tridiagonal matrix which is found through the first intersection matrix of P-polynomial table algebras.
The k-Schur functions were first introduced by Lapointe, Lascoux and Morse (2003) in the hopes of refining the expansion of Macdonald polynomials into Schur functions. Recently, an alternative definition for k-Schur functions was given by Lam, Lapointe, Morse, and Shimozono (2010) as the weighted generating function of starred strong tableaux which correspond with labeled saturated chains in the Bruhat order on the affine symmetric group modulo the symmetric group. This definition has been shown to correspond to the Schubert basis for the affine Grassmannian of type A by Lam (2008), and, at t …
Euler's difference table associated to the sequence $\{n!\}$ leads naturally to the counting formula for the derangements. In this paper we study Euler's difference table associated to the sequence $\{\ell^n n!\}$ and the generalized derangement problem. For the coefficients appearing in the later table we will give the combinatorial interpretations in terms of two kinds of $k$-successions of the group $C_\ell\wr S_n$. In particular for $\ell=1$ we recover the known results for the symmetric groups while for $\ell=2$ we obtain the corresponding results for the hyperoctahedral groups.
The aim of this work is to publicise some computational results involving tables which contain $\mathcal{A}$-annihilated monomials, excluding square classes, in the Dyer-Lashof algebra and $H_*QS^0$; our computations go up to dimension $1.1\times 10^7$ but the tables in this paper only announce results up to dimension $2^{17}=131072$ and full tables would be available upon request. The theoretical background for our computations is provided by work of Curtis \cite{Curtis} and Wellington \cite{Wellington} on the $\mathcal{A}$-module structure of the Dyer-Lashof algebra as well as $H_*QS^0$. It …
In the classic "Concrete Math", by Graham, Patashnik and Knuth, it is stated that "The numbers in Pascal's triangle satisfy, practically speaking, infinitely many identities, so it is not too surprising that we can find some surprising relationships by looking closely." The aim of this note is to indicate that a similar statement seems to hold for the character tables of the symmetric groups $S_n$. Just as important, it is a case-study in using a computer algebra system to prove deep identities, way beyond the ability of mere humans. This article is accomanied by a Maple pacgage, Sn, and ample…
Leading towards the classification of primitive commutative association schemes as the ultimate goal, Bannai and some of his school have been trying to * identify the major sources of (primitive) commutative association schemes, * collect known group-case primitive commutative association schemes, and * compute their character tables over the last twenty years. The construction of their character tables are important first step for a systematic study of such association schemes and towards the classification of those schemes. In this talk, we briefly survey the progress made in this direction …