Newton binomial formulas in Schubert calculus (Q1009461)

Denote by \(G(k,n)\) the complex Grassmanian variety parametrizing \(k\)-dimensional subspaces of \(C^n\). Based upon the formalism introduced by \textit{L. Gatto} [Asian J.~Math. 9, No. 3, 315--321 (2005; Zbl 1099.14045)] and \textit{T. Santiago} [Ph.~D. Thesis, Politecnico di Torino (2006)] the authors use it to reformulate the classical Schubert calculus in terms of a formalism based on a derivation of the exterior algebra of a free \(Z\)-module of rank \(n\). The author's main geometric motivation in this paper is to compute the total number, with multiplicities, of non projectively equivalent rational space curves of degree \(n+3\) having flexes at given \(2n\) distinct points.~It is well known that such a number is finite and equal to the degree of a suitable product of Schubert cycles. This is a particular case, as has already been remarked by the reviewer and \textit{B. Osserman} [Int. Math. Res.~Not.~2003, No. 47, 2513--2527 (2003; Zbl 1074.14506)], of finding the number, with multiplicities, of \({g^r}_d\) s on \(P_1\) having pre-assigned ramification at prescribed distinct points.~ The main results of this paper are theorem 2.5 and 2.6, regarding certain Newton's binomial formulas, which cannot be expressed within the classical Schubert calculus formalism. Such formulas allow us to reduce, after finitely many steps, the degree of any top codimensional product of Schubert cycles into an explicit linear combination of degrees of Schubert varieties.~ The paper is organized as follows. Let \(X\) be an indeterminate over \(Z\) and \( M_n \) the \(Z\)-module \( X Z[X]/(X^{n+1}) \). In subsection 1.1 it is shown that \(M_n\) is a free \(Z\)-module and the weight of a multi-indexed set \( {I \subset n}^k\) is here defined. In subsection 1.2 the lexicographically ordered set \( {I^k}_n\) of all the strictly increasing sequence of \(k\) positive integers less than or equal to \(n\) is introduced. They prove that the \(k\)-th exterior power of \(M_n\), here denoted \(\wedge^k M_n \) is a graded \(Z\)-module. In subsection 1.3 the fundamental and point elements of \( \wedge^k M_n \) are introduced. In subsection 1.4 sequences \( D = ( D_0, D_1, \ldots, ) \) are introduced, which are endomorphisms of \( \wedge M_n \) with two properties: the first the so-called Leibniz rule and the second is the initial condition; here both named formula (3), thus \(D_h\) is homogeneous of degree \(h\). It follows that \( D_i \circ D_j = D_i \circ D_j\). In subsection 1.5 the degree \(\int_n: \wedge^k M_n \rightarrow Z\) is defined and in subsection 1.6 they define the \((I,T)\)-Schur determinant for each \( I \in {I^k}_n\), here denoted as \( \Delta_I(T)\). In subsection 1.7 it is shown that \( A^{*}(G(k,n))\) is a free \(Z\)-module given by \(\Delta_I(\sigma)\). In subsection 1.8 mappings \(D_t: \wedge M_n \rightarrow \wedge M_n [[t]],{ D_t}^{-1} \) are defined and obtain some formal properties of them. Subsection 1.10 constructs a commutative subalgebra \({\mathcal A}^{*}( \wedge M_n) \simeq A^{*}(G(k,n))\) using diagram (6) to show that this isomorphism is compatible with the cap product and the module structure of \(\wedge^k M_n \) over \({\mathcal A}^*( \wedge M_n)\). They also compute the degree of \( P(\sigma) \cap \Omega_I\). In section two, they prove an expansion formula in proposition 2.2 expressing \({D_1}^m ( p \wedge q ) \) in terms of \( {D_1}^j p \wedge {D_1}^{m-j}q\) for each \( p,q \in \wedge M_n \). This is a generalization of formula (3) and proven by induction. In lemma 2.4 they give a formula, here denoted as formula (11) which is a generalization of Leibniz rule given in formula (3).~Theorem 2.5 is here stated and proven, the formula here stated is an algorithm to express any product of special Schubert cycles as an integral linear combination of products of the form \( {\sigma_1}^m \cap \sigma_I\). The proof is done again by induction using formula (11) and that the operators \(\{D_i\}\) are pairwise commuting. Theorem 2.6 is likewise proven by induction. In section three, the authors prove formula (16) in subsection 3.1 and formula (17) in proposition 3.2 and three equalities given in proposition 3.3. In section four, the formulas obtained in section three are used to get expressions for the number of \( {g^r}_d\) on \(P_1\) with prescribed ramifications at prescribed points for \( r=1,2,3 \). In subsections 4.1 and 4.2 the authors recall the definitions of osculating flag, a \(V\)-order at a point and a \(V\)-ramification section at a point, where \(V\) is a \( {g^r}_d\) on \(P_1\) and when a set of Schubert varieties is \textit{dimensionally transverse}. In subsection 4.3, theorem 4.5 they state and prove the so-called Scherbak's formula. In subsection 4.7 theorem 4.8 they compute \(N_{a,b,c,d}\) which is the number of projectively non equivalent rational plane curves of degree \(n+2\) having \(a\) flexes, \(b\) hyperflexes, \(c\) cusps, and \( d \) tacnodes at \( a+ b+ c + d \) distinct points such that \( a + 2b+ 2c + 3d = 3n\). In subsection 4.9 theorem 4.10 the authors compute \( f_{abcd}\) which is the number of all the projectively non equivalent rational space curves having \(a \) stalls, \(b\) hyperstalls, \(c\) flexes, and \(d\) cusps, at \(a +b+c+d\) distinct points such that \( a + 2b+ 2c + 3d = 4n\). Finally, in subsection 4.11 they compute \(HS_n\) which is the number of rational space curves having \(2n\) hyperstalls at \(2n\) prescribed distinct points, as a particular case of theorem 4.7.