On the complexity of computing Kronecker coefficients

We study the complexity of computing Kronecker coefficients $g(\lambda,\mu,\nu)$. We give explicit bounds in terms of the number of parts $\ell$ in the partitions, their largest part size $N$ and the smallest second part $M$ of the three partitions. When $M = O(1)$, i.e. one of the partitions is hook-like, the bounds are linear in $\log N$, but depend exponentially on $\ell$. Moreover, similar bounds hold even when $M=e^{O(\ell)}$. By a separate argument, we show that the positivity of Kronecker coefficients can be decided in $O(\log N)$ time for a bounded number $\ell$ of parts and without restriction on $M$. Related problems of computing Kronecker coefficients when one partition is a hook, and computing characters of $S_n$ are also considered.Comment: v3: incorporated referee's comments; accepted to Computational Complexit

A Tight Lower Bound for Counting Hamiltonian Cycles via Matrix Rank

For even $k$, the matchings connectivity matrix $\mathbf{M}_k$ encodes which pairs of perfect matchings on $k$ vertices form a single cycle. Cygan et al. (STOC 2013) showed that the rank of $\mathbf{M}_k$ over $\mathbb{Z}_2$ is $\Theta(\sqrt 2^k)$ and used this to give an $O^*((2+\sqrt{2})^{\mathsf{pw}})$ time algorithm for counting Hamiltonian cycles modulo $2$ on graphs of pathwidth $\mathsf{pw}$. The same authors complemented their algorithm by an essentially tight lower bound under the Strong Exponential Time Hypothesis (SETH). This bound crucially relied on a large permutation submatrix within $\mathbf{M}_k$, which enabled a "pattern propagation" commonly used in previous related lower bounds, as initiated by Lokshtanov et al. (SODA 2011). We present a new technique for a similar pattern propagation when only a black-box lower bound on the asymptotic rank of $\mathbf{M}_k$ is given; no stronger structural insights such as the existence of large permutation submatrices in $\mathbf{M}_k$ are needed. Given appropriate rank bounds, our technique yields lower bounds for counting Hamiltonian cycles (also modulo fixed primes $p$) parameterized by pathwidth. To apply this technique, we prove that the rank of $\mathbf{M}_k$ over the rationals is $4^k / \mathrm{poly}(k)$. We also show that the rank of $\mathbf{M}_k$ over $\mathbb{Z}_p$ is $\Omega(1.97^k)$ for any prime $p\neq 2$ and even $\Omega(2.15^k)$ for some primes. As a consequence, we obtain that Hamiltonian cycles cannot be counted in time $O^*((6-\epsilon)^{\mathsf{pw}})$ for any $\epsilon>0$ unless SETH fails. This bound is tight due to a $O^*(6^{\mathsf{pw}})$ time algorithm by Bodlaender et al. (ICALP 2013). Under SETH, we also obtain that Hamiltonian cycles cannot be counted modulo primes $p\neq 2$ in time $O^*(3.97^\mathsf{pw})$, indicating that the modulus can affect the complexity in intricate ways.Comment: improved lower bounds modulo primes, improved figures, to appear in SODA 201

Enumeration of Standard Young Tableaux

A survey paper, to appear as a chapter in a forthcoming Handbook on Enumeration.Comment: 65 pages, small correction

Extreme diagonally and antidiagonally symmetric alternating sign matrices of odd order

For each $\alpha \in \{0,1,-1 \}$, we count diagonally and antidiagonally symmetric alternating sign matrices (DASASMs) of fixed odd order with a maximal number of $\alpha$'s along the diagonal and the antidiagonal, as well as DASASMs of fixed odd order with a minimal number of $0$'s along the diagonal and the antidiagonal. In these enumerations, we encounter product formulas that have previously appeared in plane partition or alternating sign matrix counting, namely for the number of all alternating sign matrices, the number of cyclically symmetric plane partitions in a given box, and the number of vertically and horizontally symmetric ASMs. We also prove several refinements. For instance, in the case of DASASMs with a maximal number of $-1$'s along the diagonal and the antidiagonal, these considerations lead naturally to the definition of alternating sign triangles. These are new objects that are equinumerous with ASMs, and we are able to prove a two parameter refinement of this fact, involving the number of $-1$'s and the inversion number on the ASM side. To prove our results, we extend techniques to deal with triangular six-vertex configurations that have recently successfully been applied to settle Robbins' conjecture on the number of all DASASMs of odd order. Importantly, we use a general solution of the reflection equation to prove the symmetry of the partition function in the spectral parameters. In all of our cases, we derive determinant or Pfaffian formulas for the partition functions, which we then specialize in order to obtain the product formulas for the various classes of extreme odd DASASMs under consideration.Comment: 41 pages, several minor improvements in response to referee's comments. Final version. Matches published version except for very minor change

On the Computation of Clebsch-Gordan Coefficients and the Dilation Effect

We investigate the problem of computing tensor product multiplicities for complex semisimple Lie algebras. Even though computing these numbers is #P-hard in general, we show that if the rank of the Lie algebra is assumed fixed, then there is a polynomial time algorithm, based on counting the lattice points in polytopes. In fact, for Lie algebras of type A_r, there is an algorithm, based on the ellipsoid algorithm, to decide when the coefficients are nonzero in polynomial time for arbitrary rank. Our experiments show that the lattice point algorithm is superior in practice to the standard techniques for computing multiplicities when the weights have large entries but small rank. Using an implementation of this algorithm, we provide experimental evidence for conjectured generalizations of the saturation property of Littlewood--Richardson coefficients. One of these conjectures seems to be valid for types B_n, C_n, and D_n.Comment: 21 pages, 6 table