On Newton interpolation of symmetric functions: A characterization of interpolation Macdonald polynomials (Q1271884)

Given an integer \(n\) and an infinite field \(k\), a grid is a mapping, denoted by \([i,j]\), from \(\{0,1,\ldots,n\}\times\mathbb{Z}_{\geq 0}\) to \(k\). Given a partition \(\lambda = \lambda_0 \geq \lambda_1 \geq \cdots \geq \lambda_n \geq 0\), we define \(\widehat\lambda=([0,\lambda_0],\ldots,[n,\lambda_n])\). The grid is nondegenerate if there exist symmetric polynomials in \(x_0, \ldots, x_n\) over \(k\), \(P_{\mu}(x_0,\ldots,x_n)\), such that 1. the degree of \(P_{\mu}\) is \(\leq | \mu| \), 2. \(P_{\mu}(\widehat{\lambda})=0\) for all partitions \(\lambda\) into at most \(n+1\) parts with \(| \lambda| \leq | \mu| \) and \(\lambda \neq \mu\), and 3. \(P_{\mu}(\widehat{\mu}) \neq 0\). The \(P{\mu}\), suitably normalized, are called the Newton interpolation polynomials for the respective nondegenerate grid. The interpolation Macdonald polynomials are the Newton interpolation polynomials for \( [i,j] = a + bq^jt^i + cq^{-j}t^{-i}\). If we represent the Macdonald polynomials as a sum over reverse tableaux \(T\) on \(\mu\) of \(w_T(q,t^{-1}) \prod_{(i,j)\in\mu} x_{T(i,j)}\), then the interpolation Macdonald polynomials are given by \[ \sum_T w_T(q,t^{-1}) \prod_{(i,j)\in\mu} (x_{T(i,j)} - [i+T(i,j),j]). \] The grid is perfect if \(P_{\mu}(\widehat{\lambda}) = 0\) unless \(\mu \subset \lambda\). The author proves that there are exactly three classes of perfect grids: those for which the \(P_{\mu}\) are factorial monomial symmetric functions, those for which the \(P_{\mu}\) are factorial Schur functions, and those for which the \(P_{\mu}\) are the interpolation Macdonald polynomials or a degenerate case of them.