Computing with rational symmetric functions and applications to invariant theory and PI-algebras

Let the formal power series f in d variables with coefficients in an arbitrary field be a symmetric function decomposed as a series of Schur functions, and let f be a rational function whose denominator is a product of binomials of the form (1 - monomial). We use a classical combinatorial method of Elliott of 1903 further developed in the Partition Analysis of MacMahon in 1916 to compute the generating function of the multiplicities (i.e., the coefficients) of the Schur functions in the expression of f. It is a rational function with denominator of a similar form as f. We apply the method to several problems on symmetric algebras, as well as problems in classical invariant theory, algebras with polynomial identities, and noncommutative invariant theory.Comment: 37 page

Non-Rational 2D Quantum Gravity: I. World Sheet CFT

We address the problem of computing the tachyon correlation functions in Liouville gravity with generic (non-rational) matter central charge c<1. We consider two variants of the theory. The first is the conventional one in which the effective matter interaction is given by the two matter screening charges. In the second variant the interaction is defined by the Liouville dressings of the non-trivial vertex operator of zero dimension. This particular deformation, referred to as "diagonal'', is motivated by the comparison with the discrete approach, which is the subject of a subsequent paper. In both theories we determine the ground ring of ghost zero physical operators by computing its OPE action on the tachyons and derive recurrence relations for the tachyon bulk correlation functions. We find 3- and 4-point solutions to these functional equations for various matter spectra. In particular, we find a closed expression for the 4-point function of order operators in the diagonal theory.Comment: TEX-harvmac, revised version to appear in Nuclear Physics

On the crossing relation in the presence of defects

The OPE of local operators in the presence of defect lines is considered both in the rational CFT and the $c>25$ Virasoro (Liouville) theory. The duality transformation of the 4-point function with inserted defect operators is explicitly computed. The two channels of the correlator reproduce the expectation values of the Wilson and 't Hooft operators, recently discussed in Liouville theory in relation to the AGT conjecture.Comment: TEX file with harvmac; v3: JHEP versio

Chimneys, leopard spots, and the identities of Basmajian and Bridgeman

We give a simple geometric argument to derive in a common manner orthospectrum identities of Basmajian and Bridgeman. Our method also considerably simplifies the determination of the summands in these identities. For example, for every odd integer n, there is a rational function q_n of degree 2(n-2) so that if M is a compact hyperbolic manifold of dimension n with totally geodesic boundary S, there is an identity \chi(S) = \sum_i q_n(e^{l_i}) where the sum is taken over the orthospectrum of M. When n=3, this has the explicit form \sum_i 1/(e^{2l_i}-1) = -\chi(S)/4.Comment: 6 pages; version 2 incorporates referee's comment

Painleve IV and degenerate Gaussian Unitary Ensembles

We consider those Gaussian Unitary Ensembles where the eigenvalues have prescribed multiplicities, and obtain joint probability density for the eigenvalues. In the simplest case where there is only one multiple eigenvalue t, this leads to orthogonal polynomials with the Hermite weight perturbed by a factor that has a multiple zero at t. We show through a pair of ladder operators, that the diagonal recurrence coefficients satisfy a particular Painleve IV equation for any real multiplicity. If the multiplicity is even they are expressed in terms of the generalized Hermite polynomials, with t as the independent variable.Comment: 17 page

Multiplicity-free quantum 6j-symbols for U_q(sl_N)

We conjecture a closed form expression for the simplest class of multiplicity-free quantum 6j-symbols for U_q(sl_N). The expression is a natural generalization of the quantum 6j-symbols for U_q(sl_2) obtained by Kirillov and Reshetikhin. Our conjectured form enables computation of colored HOMFLY polynomials for various knots and links carrying arbitrary symmetric representations.Comment: 8 pages; v2 typos corrected; v3 minor corrections and reference adde

Automata and rational expressions

This text is an extended version of the chapter 'Automata and rational expressions' in the AutoMathA Handbook that will appear soon, published by the European Science Foundation and edited by JeanEricPin

A General Framework for the Derivation of Regular Expressions

The aim of this paper is to design a theoretical framework that allows us to perform the computation of regular expression derivatives through a space of generic structures. Thanks to this formalism, the main properties of regular expression derivation, such as the finiteness of the set of derivatives, need only be stated and proved one time, at the top level. Moreover, it is shown how to construct an alternating automaton associated with the derivation of a regular expression in this general framework. Finally, Brzozowski's derivation and Antimirov's derivation turn out to be a particular case of this general scheme and it is shown how to construct a DFA, a NFA and an AFA for both of these derivations.Comment: 22 page