Combinatorics of free cumulants (Q1570758)

In the free probability theory of \textit{D. Voiculescu} et al. [Free random variables. A noncommutative probability approach to free products with applications to random matrices, operator algebras and harmonic analysis on free groups (CRM Monograph Series. 1. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society) (1992; Zbl 0795.46049)], a noncommutative probability theory, ``independence'' is replaced by a noncommutative analogue called ``freeness''. This theory was initially introduced in an operator-algebraic context for dealing with questions arising from special von Neumann algebras. The concept of ``freeness'' can be expressed in terms of what are called free cumulants. These can be defined using the lattice of noncrossing partitions. These free cumulants appear as coefficients of operators in an alternate approach to this theory, one involving Fock space constructions. The authors describe here various aspects of the combinatorics involved relating these free cumulants to the study of partitions. It is observed that the definition of freeness is easier to work with in terms of cumulants than in terms of the usual moments. Little here is new but what is new is the context in which known results are cast. In particular, the authors look at a special class of distributions called \(R\)-diagonal elements. There are elucidating examples throughout.