Elementary proof of MacMahon's conjecture

DOI10.1023/A:1008667105627MaRDI QIDQ1386526zbMATH OpenFDO

Authors David M. Bressoud

Publication date 5 October 1998

Published in Journal of Algebraic Combinatorics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/math/9712208

zbMATH Keywords

Schur functionsymmetric plane partition

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Exact enumeration problems, generating functions (05A15) Combinatorial aspects of partitions of integers (05A17) (q)-calculus and related topics (05A30) Symmetric functions and generalizations (05E05) Combinatorial aspects of representation theory (05E10) Elementary theory of partitions (11P81)

Abstract: Major Percy A. MacMahon's first paper on plane partitions included a conjectured generating function for symmetric plane partitions. This conjecture was proven almost simultaneously by George Andrews and Ian Macdonald, Andrews using the machinery of basic hypergeometric series and Macdonald employing his knowledge of symmetric functions. The purpose of this paper is to simplify Macdonald's proof by providing a direct, inductive proof of his formula which expresses the sum of Schur functions whose partitions fit inside a rectangular box as a ratio of determinants.

Review text

At the beginning of this century, MacMahon conjectured a nice product formula for the generating function for all symmetric plane partitions contained in a given box. This conjecture was finally settled by \textit{G. E. Andrews} [Pac. J. Math. 72, 283--291 (1977; Zbl 0376.10014)]. Since then, many more proofs have been published. What most of them share, is the proof of a certain ``key identity, which, roughly stated, expresses the sum of all Schur functions whose shape is contained inside a given rectangle in terms of a special orthogonal character which is indexed by half of this rectangle. The author presents, for the first time, a completely elementary proof of this key identity. It is an inductive proof which requires just the Vandermonde determinant evaluation.

Recommendations

• Elementary proofs of identities for Schur functions and plane partitions
• A generalization of MacMahon’s formula
• The enumeration of totally symmetric plane partitions

Cited in

(6)

• Elementary proofs of identities for Schur functions and plane partitions
• A generalization of MacMahon’s formula
• A symmetrical plane partition correspondence
• A proof of the identities of Gordon and MacMahon and two new identities
• Some new identities for Schur functions
• Bounded Littlewood identity related to alternating sign matrices

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