On embedding polynomial functors in symmetric powers (Q1314266)

Let \(V\) be a finite-dimensional vector space over the prime field \({\mathbf F}_p\), and let \(S^*(V)\) be the symmetric algebra on \(V\), with components \(S^d(V)=V^{\otimes d}/\Sigma_d\) for \(d \geq 0\). It is not hard to prove the following embedding results: (1.1) Every finitely generated \({\mathbf F}_p [GL(V)]\)-module embeds in a sum of the form \(\bigoplus_j S^{d_j} (V)\). There is a significantly stronger generic version of this. As in [the second author, Am. J. Math. 116, No. 2, 327-360 (1994; Zbl 0813.20049)], let \({\mathcal F}(p)\) be the category with objects the functors \(F:\) finite \({\mathbf F}_p\)-vector spaces \(\to {\mathbf F}_p\)-vector spaces, and with morphisms the natural transformations. This is an abelian category in the obvious way; for example, \(F \to G\) is monic if \(F(V) \to G(V)\) is monic for all vector spaces \(V\). We call \(F \in {\mathcal F} (p)\) simple if it has no nontrivial subobjects and finite if it has a finite composition series with simple subquotients. As an example, \(S^d\) is a finite functor. A main theorem of [loc. cit.] is a version of (1.1) holding in \({\mathcal F}(p)\): (1.2) Every finite \(F \in {\mathcal F}(p)\) embeds in a sum of the form \(\bigoplus S^{d_j}\). The purpose of this note is to give some numerical bounds on the \(d_j\)'s needed in (1.2).