Harmonic analysis of finite lamplighter random walks

Recently, several papers have been devoted to the analysis of lamplighter random walks, in particular when the underlying graph is the infinite path $\mathbb{Z}$. In the present paper, we develop a spectral analysis for lamplighter random walks on finite graphs. In the general case, we use the $C_2$-symmetry to reduce the spectral computations to a series of eigenvalue problems on the underlying graph. In the case the graph has a transitive isometry group $G$, we also describe the spectral analysis in terms of the representation theory of the wreath product $C_2\wr G$. We apply our theory to the lamplighter random walks on the complete graph and on the discrete circle. These examples were already studied by Haggstrom and Jonasson by probabilistic methods.Comment: 29 page

Harmonic analysis on a finite homogeneous space

In this paper, we study harmonic analysis on finite homogeneous spaces whose associated permutation representation decomposes with multiplicity. After a careful look at Frobenius reciprocity and transitivity of induction, and the introduction of three types of spherical functions, we develop a theory of Gelfand Tsetlin bases for permutation representations. Then we study several concrete examples on the symmetric groups, generalizing the Gelfand pair of the Johnson scheme; we also consider statistical and probabilistic applications. After that, we consider the composition of two permutation representations, giving a non commutative generalization of the Gelfand pair associated to the ultrametric space; actually, we study the more general notion of crested product. Finally, we consider the exponentiation action, generalizing the decomposition of the Gelfand pair of the Hamming scheme; actually, we study a more general construction that we call wreath product of permutation representations, suggested by the study of finite lamplighter random walks. We give several examples of concrete decompositions of permutation representations and several explicit 'rules' of decomposition.Comment: 69 page

Mackey's theory of τ\tau-conjugate representations for finite groups. APPENDIX: On Some Gelfand Pairs and Commutative Association Schemes

The aim of the present paper is to expose two contributions of Mackey, together with a more recent result of Kawanaka and Matsuyama, generalized by Bump and Ginzburg, on the representation theory of a finite group equipped with an involutory anti-automorphism (e.g. the anti-automorphism $g\mapsto g^{-1}$). Mackey's first contribution is a detailed version of the so-called Gelfand criterion for weakly symmetric Gelfand pairs. Mackey's second contribution is a characterization of simply reducible groups (a notion introduced by Wigner). The other result is a twisted version of the Frobenius-Schur theorem, where "twisted" refers to the above-mentioned involutory anti-automorphism. APPENDIX: We consider a special condition related to Gelfand pairs. Namely, we call a finite group $G$ and its automorphism $\sigma$ satisfy Condition ($\bigstar$) if the following condition is satisfied: if for $x,y\in G$, $x\cdot x^{-\sigma}$ and $y\cdot y^{-\sigma}$ are conjugate in $G$, then they are conjugate in $K=C_G(\sigma)$. We study the meanings of this condition, as well as showing many examples of $G$ and $\sigma$ which do (or do not) satisfy Condition ($\bigstar$).Comment: This consists of a 38 pages paper and a 7 pages APPENDIX. The original version of the appendix appeared in the unofficial proceedings, "Combinatorial Number Theory and Algebraic Combinatorics", November 18--21, 2002, Yamagata University, Yamagata, Japan, pp. 1--

Discrete Harmonic Analysis. Representations, Number Theory, Expanders and the Fourier Transform

This self-contained book introduces readers to discrete harmonic analysis with an emphasis on the Discrete Fourier Transform and the Fast Fourier Transform on finite groups and finite fields, as well as their noncommutative versions. It also features applications to number theory, graph theory, and representation theory of finite groups. Beginning with elementary material on algebra and number theory, the book then delves into advanced topics from the frontiers of current research, including spectral analysis of the DFT, spectral graph theory and expanders, representation theory of finite groups and multiplicity-free triples, Tao's uncertainty principle for cyclic groups, harmonic analysis on GL(2,Fq), and applications of the Heisenberg group to DFT and FFT. With numerous examples, figures, and over 160 exercises to aid understanding, this book will be a valuable reference for graduate students and researchers in mathematics, engineering, and computer science

Trees, wreath products and finite Gelfand pairs

We present a new construction of finite Gelfand pairs by looking at the action of the full automorphism group of a finite spherically homogeneous rooted tree of type r on the variety V(r, s) of all spherically homogeneous subtrees of type s. This generalizes well-known examples as the finite ultrametric space, the Hamming scheme and the Johnson scheme. We also present further generalizations of these classical examples. The first two are based on Harary's notions of composition and exponentiation of group actions. Finally, the generalized Johnson scheme provides the inductive step for the harmonic analysis of our main construction. (C) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All fights reserved

Harmonic analysis and spherical functions for multiplicity-free induced representations of finite groups

In this work, we study multiplicity-free induced representations of finite groups. We analyze in great detail the structure of the Hecke algebra corresponding to the commutant of an induced representation and then specialize to the multiplicity-free case. We then develop a suitable theory of spherical functions that, in the case of induction of the trivial representation of the subgroup, reduces to the classical theory of spherical functions for finite Gelfand pairs. \par We also examine in detail the case when we induce from a normal subgroup, showing that the corresponding harmonic analysis can be reduced to that on a suitable Abelian group. \par The second part of the work is devoted to a comprehensive study of two examples constructed by means of the general linear group GL$(2,\mathbb{F}_q)$, where $\mathbb{F}_q$ is the finite field on $q$ elements. In the first example we induce an indecomposable character of the Cartan subgroup. In the second example we induce to GL$(2,\mathbb{F}_{\!q^2})$ a cuspidal representation of GL$(2,\mathbb{F}_q)$