Representation theoretic realization of non-symmetric Macdonald polynomials at infinity (Q782615)

Fix a simple Lie algebra \(\mathfrak{g}\) over \(\mathbb{C}\), and let \(T\) be a maximal torus in the associated simply-connected complex algebraic group \(G\). The nonsymmetric Macdonald polynomials \(\{E_\lambda(q,t)\}_{\lambda\in P}\) form a distinguished basis for \(R(T)\otimes\mathbb{Q}(q,t),\) where \(R(T)\) is the representation ring of \(T\), \(P=\Hom(T,\mathbb{C}^\times)\) is its weight lattice, and \(q\) and \(t\) are indeterminates. (After choosing a basis for \(P\), one can identify \(R(T)\) with a Laurent polynomial ring over \(\mathbb{Z}\).) Guided by one of the original motivations for the study of Macdonald polynomials -- namely, to interpolate between the major families of orthogonal polynomials in representation theory -- many efforts have been devoted to understanding the images of \(E_\lambda(q,t)\) under various specializations of \(q\) and \(t\). In this paper, the authors study, from the viewpoints of representation theory and geometry, the polynomials \(E_\lambda(q^{-1},\infty)\) obtained by sending \(t\to\infty\). By an earlier combinatorial result of [the reviewer and \textit{M. Shimozono}, J. Algebr. Comb. 47, No. 1, 91--127 (2018; Zbl 1381.05089)], one knows that \[E_\lambda(q^{-1},\infty)\in R(T)\otimes \mathbb{Z}_{\ge 0}[q],\] i.e., the specialized polynomials have positive integral coefficients. A marvelous result of [\textit{S. Kato}, Math. Ann. 371, No. 3--4, 1769--1801 (2018; Zbl 1398.14053)] explains this positivity by realizing these (and related) polynomials in terms of graded characters of spaces of sections of sheaves on the semi-infinite flag manifold associated to \(G\), parallel to the classical Demazure character formula. The first main result of the present paper (Theorem 1.2; cf. Corollary 3.27) gives, by explicit presentation similar in spirit of [\textit{E. Feigin} and \textit{I. Makedonskyi}, Sel. Math., New Ser. 23, No. 4, 2863--2897 (2017; Zbl 1407.17028)], a cyclic module \(U_{\lambda}\) over the Iwahori subalgebra in \(\mathfrak{g}\otimes_{\mathbb{C}}\mathbb{C}[z]\) such that its graded character \(\mathrm{gch}\,U_\lambda\) coincides with \(E_\lambda(q^{-1},\infty)\), up to some twists by the long element \(w_0\). This ``local'' result is upgraded to a ``global'' geometric statement in Theorem 1.3 (cf. Theorem 4.7), which gives presentations, as cyclic Iwahori modules \(\mathbb{U}_\lambda\), for the spaces of the sections mentioned in the previous paragraph. Finally, under the additional assumptions that \(\mathfrak{g}\) is simply-laced and not of type \(E_8\), the third main result of this paper (Theorem 1.5; cf. Theorem 5.12) asserts that the modules \(\{\mathbb{U}_{-\lambda}\}\) are dual under an Ext-pairing to the family of level-one affine Demazure modules associated to \(\mathfrak{g}\). (The need for an affine Dynkin diagram automorphism in the proof excludes type \(E_8\) from consideration; however, Theorem 1.5 is conjectured to hold in type \(E_8\)). In Appendix A, which is quite informative, it is explained how Theorem 1.5 lifts the well-known orthogonality between nonsymmetric Macdonald polynomials (at \(t=0\) and \(t=\infty)\) to the level of representation categories. Finally, we note that Theorem 1.5 is closely related to the work [\textit{V. Chari} and \textit{B. Ion}, Compos. Math. 151, No. 7, 1265--1287 (2015; Zbl 1337.17016)] pertaining to specialized \textit{symmetric} Macdonald polynomials.