Classical symmetric functions in superspace

We present the basic elements of a generalization of symmetric function theory involving functions of commuting and anticommuting (Grassmannian) variables. These new functions, called symmetric functions in superspace, are invariant under the diagonal action of the symmetric group on the sets of commuting and anticommuting variables. In this work, we present the superspace extension of the classical bases, namely, the monomial symmetric functions, the elementary symmetric functions, the completely symmetric functions, and the power sums. Various basic results, such as the generating functions for the multiplicative bases, Cauchy formulas, involution operations as well as the combinatorial scalar product are also generalized.Comment: 21 pages, this supersedes the first part of math.CO/041230

Explicit formulas for the generalized Hermite polynomials in superspace

We provide explicit formulas for the orthogonal eigenfunctions of the supersymmetric extension of the rational Calogero-Moser-Sutherland model with harmonic confinement, i.e., the generalized Hermite (or Hi-Jack) polynomials in superspace. The construction relies on the triangular action of the Hamiltonian on the supermonomial basis. This translates into determinantal expressions for the Hamiltonian's eigenfunctions.Comment: 19 pages. This is a recasting of the second part of the first version of hep-th/0305038 which has been splitted in two articles. In this revised version, the introduction has been rewritten and a new appendix has been added. To appear in JP

The averaged characteristic polynomial for the Gaussian and chiral Gaussian ensembles with a source

In classical random matrix theory the Gaussian and chiral Gaussian random matrix models with a source are realized as shifted mean Gaussian, and chiral Gaussian, random matrices with real $(\beta = 1)$, complex ($\beta = 2)$ and real quaternion $(\beta = 4$) elements. We use the Dyson Brownian motion model to give a meaning for general $\beta > 0$. In the Gaussian case a further construction valid for $\beta > 0$ is given, as the eigenvalue PDF of a recursively defined random matrix ensemble. In the case of real or complex elements, a combinatorial argument is used to compute the averaged characteristic polynomial. The resulting functional forms are shown to be a special cases of duality formulas due to Desrosiers. New derivations of the general case of Desrosiers' dualities are given. A soft edge scaling limit of the averaged characteristic polynomial is identified, and an explicit evaluation in terms of so-called incomplete Airy functions is obtained.Comment: 21 page

Macdonald polynomials in superspace: conjectural definition and positivity conjectures

We introduce a conjectural construction for an extension to superspace of the Macdonald polynomials. The construction, which depends on certain orthogonality and triangularity relations, is tested for high degrees. We conjecture a simple form for the norm of the Macdonald polynomials in superspace, and a rather non-trivial expression for their evaluation. We study the limiting cases q=0 and q=\infty, which lead to two families of Hall-Littlewood polynomials in superspace. We also find that the Macdonald polynomials in superspace evaluated at q=t=0 or q=t=\infty seem to generalize naturally the Schur functions. In particular, their expansion coefficients in the corresponding Hall-Littlewood bases appear to be polynomials in t with nonnegative integer coefficients. More strikingly, we formulate a generalization of the Macdonald positivity conjecture to superspace: the expansion coefficients of the Macdonald superpolynomials expanded into a modified version of the Schur superpolynomial basis (the q=t=0 family) are polynomials in q and t with nonnegative integer coefficients.Comment: 18 page

Jack superpolynomials with negative fractional parameter: clustering properties and super-Virasoro ideals

The Jack polynomials P_\lambda^{(\alpha)} at \alpha=-(k+1)/(r-1) indexed by certain (k,r,N)-admissible partitions are known to span an ideal I^{(k,r)}_N of the space of symmetric functions in N variables. The ideal I^{(k,r)}_N is invariant under the action of certain differential operators which include half the Virasoro algebra. Moreover, the Jack polynomials in I^{(k,r)}_N admit clusters of size at most k: they vanish when k+1 of their variables are identified, and they do not vanish when only k of them are identified. We generalize most of these properties to superspace using orthogonal eigenfunctions of the supersymmetric extension of the trigonometric Calogero-Moser-Sutherland model known as Jack superpolynomials. In particular, we show that the Jack superpolynomials P_{\Lambda}^{(\alpha)} at \alpha=-(k+1)/(r-1) indexed by certain (k,r,N)-admissible superpartitions span an ideal {\mathcal I}^{(k,r)}_N of the space of symmetric polynomials in N commuting variables and N anticommuting variables. We prove that the ideal {\mathcal I}^{(k,r)}_N is stable with respect to the action of the negative-half of the super-Virasoro algebra. In addition, we show that the Jack superpolynomials in {\mathcal I}^{(k,r)}_N vanish when k+1 of their commuting variables are equal, and conjecture that they do not vanish when only k of them are identified. This allows us to conclude that the standard Jack polynomials with prescribed symmetry should satisfy similar clustering properties. Finally, we conjecture that the elements of {\mathcal I}^{(k,2)}_N provide a basis for the subspace of symmetric superpolynomials in N variables that vanish when k+1 commuting variables are set equal to each other.Comment: 36 pages; the main changes in v2 are : 1) in the introduction, we present exceptions to an often made statement concerning the clustering property of the ordinary Jack polynomials for (k,r,N)-admissible partitions (see Footnote 2); 2) Conjecture 14 is substantiated with the extensive computational evidence presented in the new appendix C; 3) the various tests supporting Conjecture 16 are reporte