A bideterminant basis for a reductive monoid

We use the rational tableaux introduced by Stembridge to give a bideterminant basis for a normal reductive monoid and for its variety of noninvertible elements. We also obtain a bideterminant basis for the full coordinate ring of the general linear group and for all its truncations with respect to saturated sets. Finally, we deduce an alternative proof of the double centraliser theorem for the rational Schur algebra and the walled Brauer algebra over an arbitrary infinite base field which was first obtained by Dipper, Doty and Stoll

ANALYTIC AND TOPOLOGICAL COMBINATORICS OF PARTITION POSETS AND PERMUTATIONS

In this dissertation we first study partition posets and their topology. For each composition c we show that the order complex of the poset of pointed set partitions is a wedge of spheres of the same dimension with the multiplicity given by the number of permutations with descent composition c. Furthermore, the action of the symmetric group on the top homology is isomorphic to the Specht module of a border strip associated to the composition. We also study the filter of pointed set partitions generated by knapsack integer partitions. In the second half of this dissertation we study descent avoidance in permutations. We extend the notion of consecutive pattern avoidance to considering sums over all permutations where each term is a product of weights depending on each consecutive pattern of a fixed length. We study the problem of finding the asymptotics of these sums. Our technique is to extend the spectral method of Ehrenborg, Kitaev and Perry. When the weight depends on the descent pattern, we show how to find the equation determining the spectrum. We give two length 4 applications, and a weighted pattern of length 3 where the associated operator only has one non-zero eigenvalue. Using generating functions we show that the error term in the asymptotic expression is the smallest possible

Improved one-way rates for BB84 and 6-state protocols

We study the advantages to be gained in quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols by combining the techniques of local randomization, or noisy preprocessing, and structured (nonrandom) block codes. Extending the results of [Smith, Renes, and Smolin, quant-ph/0607018] pertaining to BB84, we improve the best-known lower bound on the error rate for the 6-state protocol from 14.11% for local randomization alone to at least 14.59%. Additionally, we also study the effects of iterating the combined preprocessing scheme and find further improvements to the BB84 protocol already at small block lengths.Comment: 17 pages, to appear in Quantum Information & Computation. Replaced by accepted versio

kk-Schur functions and affine Schubert calculus

This book is an exposition of the current state of research of affine Schubert calculus and $k$-Schur functions. This text is based on a series of lectures given at a workshop titled "Affine Schubert Calculus" that took place in July 2010 at the Fields Institute in Toronto, Ontario. The story of this research is told in three parts: 1. Primer on $k$-Schur Functions 2. Stanley symmetric functions and Peterson algebras 3. Affine Schubert calculusComment: 213 pages; conference website: http://www.fields.utoronto.ca/programs/scientific/10-11/schubert/, updates and corrections since v1. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DMS-065264

Delta and Theta Operator Expansions

We give an elementary symmetric function expansion for $M\Delta_{m_\gamma e_1}\Pi e_\lambda^{\ast}$ and $M\Delta_{m_\gamma e_1}\Pi s_\lambda^{\ast}$ when $t=1$ in terms of what we call $\gamma$-parking functions and lattice $\gamma$-parking functions. Here, $\Delta_F$ and $\Pi$ are certain eigenoperators of the modified Macdonald basis and $M=(1-q)(1-t)$. Our main results in turn give an elementary basis expansion at $t=1$ for symmetric functions of the form $M \Delta_{Fe_1} \Theta_{G} J$ whenever $F$ is expanded in terms of monomials, $G$ is expanded in terms of the elementary basis, and $J$ is expanded in terms of the modified elementary basis $\{\Pi e_\lambda^\ast\}_\lambda$. Even the most special cases of this general Delta and Theta operator expression are significant; we highlight a few of these special cases. We end by giving an $e$-positivity conjecture for when $t$ is not specialized, proposing that our objects can also give the elementary basis expansion in the unspecialized symmetric function.Comment: 38 pages, 12 figure

Valence bond approach and Verma bases

The unitary group approach (UGA) to the many-fermion problem is based on the Gel’fand–Tsetlin (G–T) representation theory of the unitary or general linear groups. It exploits the group chain U(n)⊃U(n−1)⊃⋯⊃U(2)⊃U(1) and the associated G–T triangular tableau labeling basis vectors of the relevant irreducible representations (irreps). The general G–T formalism can be drastically simplified in the many-electron case enabling an efficient exploitation in either configuration interaction (CI) or coupled cluster approaches to the molecular electronic structure. However, while the reliance on the G–T chain provides an excellent general formalism from the mathematical point of view, it has no specific physical significance and dictates a fixed Yamanouchi–Kotani coupling scheme, which in turn leads to a rather arbitrary linear combination of distinct components of the same multiplet with a given orbital occupancy. While this is of a minor importance in molecular orbital based CI approaches, it is very inconvenient when relying on the valence bond (VB) scheme, since the G–T states do not correspond to canonical Rumer structures. While this shortcoming can be avoided by relying on the Clifford algebra UGA formalism, which enables an exploitation of a more or less arbitrary coupling scheme, it is worthwhile to point out the suitability of the so-called Verma basis sets for the VB-type approaches

Cellularity and the Jones basic construction

We establish a framework for cellularity of algebras related to the Jones basic construction. Our framework allows a uniform proof of cellularity of Brauer algebras, ordinary and cyclotomic BMW algebras, walled Brauer algebras, partition algebras, and others. Our cellular bases are labeled by paths on certain branching diagrams rather than by tangles. Moreover, for the class of algebras that we study, we show that the cellular structures are compatible with restriction and induction of modules. Applied to cyclotomic BMW algebras, our method allows a new a shorter proof of the finite spanning result and isomorphism with cyclotomic Kauffman tangle algebras.Comment: Revised introduction and improved treatment of cyclotomic BMW algebras. To appear in Advances in Applied Mathematics

Giant Graviton Oscillators

We study the action of the dilatation operator on restricted Schur polynomials labeled by Young diagrams with p long columns or p long rows. A new version of Schur-Weyl duality provides a powerful approach to the computation and manipulation of the symmetric group operators appearing in the restricted Schur polynomials. Using this new technology, we are able to evaluate the action of the one loop dilatation operator. The result has a direct and natural connection to the Gauss Law constraint for branes with a compact world volume. We find considerable evidence that the dilatation operator reduces to a decoupled set of harmonic oscillators. This strongly suggests that integrability in N=4 super Yang-Mills theory is not just a feature of the planar limit, but extends to other large N but non-planar limits.Comment: 72 page