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Monotone Hurwitz numbers in genus zero
Hurwitz numbers count branched covers of the Riemann sphere with specified
ramification data, or equivalently, transitive permutation factorizations in
the symmetric group with specified cycle types. Monotone Hurwitz numbers count
a restricted subset of the branched covers counted by the Hurwitz numbers, and
have arisen in recent work on the the asymptotic expansion of the
Harish-Chandra-Itzykson-Zuber integral. In this paper we begin a detailed study
of monotone Hurwitz numbers. We prove two results that are reminiscent of those
for classical Hurwitz numbers. The first is the monotone join-cut equation, a
partial differential equation with initial conditions that characterizes the
generating function for monotone Hurwitz numbers in arbitrary genus. The second
is our main result, in which we give an explicit formula for monotone Hurwitz
numbers in genus zero.Comment: 22 pages, submitted to the Canadian Journal of Mathematic
Polynomiality of monotone Hurwitz numbers in higher genera
Hurwitz numbers count branched covers of the Riemann sphere with specified
ramification, or equivalently, transitive permutation factorizations in the
symmetric group with specified cycle types. Monotone Hurwitz numbers count a
restricted subset of these branched covers, related to the expansion of
complete symmetric functions in the Jucys-Murphy elements, and have arisen in
recent work on the the asymptotic expansion of the
Harish-Chandra-Itzykson-Zuber integral. In previous work we gave an explicit
formula for monotone Hurwitz numbers in genus zero. In this paper we consider
monotone Hurwitz numbers in higher genera, and prove a number of results that
are reminiscent of those for classical Hurwitz numbers. These include an
explicit formula for monotone Hurwitz numbers in genus one, and an explicit
form for the generating function in arbitrary positive genus. From the form of
the generating function we are able to prove that monotone Hurwitz numbers
exhibit a polynomiality that is reminiscent of that for the classical Hurwitz
numbers, i.e., up to a specified combinatorial factor, the monotone Hurwitz
number in genus g with ramification specified by a given partition is a
polynomial indexed by g in the parts of the partition.Comment: 23 page
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