A statistical sum associated with Young diagrams (Q584387)

For \(\beta\geq 0\) let \(\Xi_ N(\beta)=\sum_{\Lambda}((N!)^{-1/2} \dim \Lambda)^{\beta}\) where the summation refers to the pairwise non- equivalent complex irreducible representations \(\Lambda\) of the symmetric group \(S_ N\) on N letters. The asymptotic behaviour of \({\mathcal S}_ N(\beta)=N^{-1/2}\log \Xi_ N(\beta)\), as \(N\to \infty\), is well-known for \(\beta =0\), \(\beta =1\) and \(\beta =2.\) In the paper under review the author investigates the asymptotic properties of the ``Gibbs measure'' \(p_{\beta,N}(\Lambda)=\Xi_ N(\beta)^{-1}((N!)^{-1/2} \dim \Lambda)^{\beta}\). The limiting Gibbs measure on the space of Young diagrams is calculated for \(\beta >0\) in Theorem 1 in the same way as the case \(\beta =2\) (Plancherel measure) was analyzed by \textit{A. M. Vershik} and \textit{S. V. Kerov} [Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 233, 1024-1027 \(=\) Sov. Math., Dokl. 18, 527-531 (1977; Zbl 0406.05008)]. Theorem 2 shows that the case \(\beta =0\) is of different character. Theorem 3 asserts that \({\mathcal S}'_ N(0)\to -\infty\), as \(N\to \infty\). Further relations are established by assuming that \(\lim_{N\to \infty} {\mathcal S}_ N(\beta)\) exists. The appendix written A. M. Pass contains some numerical and graphic information on \({\mathcal S}_ N(\beta)\).