Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials and canonical basis (Q1281894): Difference between revisions

The main result of this paper is to show that the Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials for the symmetric group \(\Sigma_n\) of degree \(n\) coincide with certain coefficients of the canonical basis in the \(n\)th tensor power of the natural representation \(V\) of the quantum group \(U_q({sl}_k)\), as defined in \textit{G. Lusztig} [Introduction to quantum groups (Birkhäuser, Boston) (1993; Zbl 0788.17010)]. The authors show that in fact this is true for the more general parabolic Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials. Since \(U_q({sl}_k)\) is a Hopf algebra, \(V^{\otimes n}\) is naturally a module for \(U_q({sl}_k)\). It can also be made into a module for the Hecke algebra of \(\Sigma_n\) via the universal \(R\)-matrix, in such a way that the two actions commute [see \textit{M. A. Jimbo}, Lett. Math. Phys. 11, 247-252 (1986; Zbl 0602.17005)]. Let \({\mathbf m}\in {\mathbb Z}_+^k\) be such that \(\sum_{i=1}^k m_i=n\), and let \(V^{\otimes n}[{\mathbf m}]\) be the subspace spanned by those vectors \(e_{i_1}\otimes e_{i_2}\otimes \cdots \otimes e_{i_m}\in V^{\otimes n}\) such that every \(a=1,2,\ldots ,k\) appears exactly \(m_a\) times (where \(e_1,e_2,\ldots ,e_k\) is the natural basis of \(V\)). The authors show that \(V^{\otimes n}[{\mathbf m}]\) is isomorphic to the module \(M\) induced from the trivial representation of the parabolic subalgebra of the Hecke algebra of \(\Sigma_n\) corresponding to the stabilizer of \(I^0({\mathbf m})\), where \(I^0({\mathbf m})=(k,k,\ldots ,k,\ldots ,1,1,\ldots ,1)\) -- here each number \(a\) appears \(m_a\) times. They show further that via this isomorphism, the Kazhdan-Lusztig basis of \(M\) corresponds, up to a sign, with the canonical basis elements in \(V^{\otimes n}[{\mathbf m}]\). This isomorphism is compatible with the usual involution on each module, so the Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials (from \(M\)) coincide with the canonical basis coefficients (from \(V^{\otimes n}[{\mathbf m}]\)) up to a sign. The authors also consider the dual canonical basis in \(V^{\otimes n}\), and show a correspondence with the Kazhdan-Lusztig basis in the module defined as \(M\) above, but inducing instead from the sign representation. Finally, they use the description of the canonical basis in \textit{M. Khovanov} [Thesis, Yale University (1997)] and their results mentioned above to obtain a new proof of the recurrent formulas for Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials for maximal parabolic subgroups due to \textit{A. Lascoux and M.-P. Schützenberger} [Astérisque 87-88, 249-266 (1981; Zbl 0504.20007)] and \textit{A. V. Zelevinsky} [Funct. Anal. Appl. 17, 142-144 (1983; Zbl 0559.14006)].