Comultiplication rules for the double Schur functions and Cauchy identities (Q1010917)

Summary: The double Schur functions form a distinguished basis of the ring \(\Lambda(x\!\parallel\!a)\) which is a multiparameter generalization of the ring of symmetric functions \(\Lambda(x)\). The canonical comultiplication on \(\Lambda(x)\) is extended to \(\Lambda(x\!\parallel\!a)\) in a natural way so that the double power sums symmetric functions are primitive elements. We calculate the dual Littlewood--Richardson coefficients in two different ways thus providing comultiplication rules for the double Schur functions. We also prove multiparameter analogues of the Cauchy identity. A new family of Schur type functions plays the role of a dual object in the identities. We describe some properties of these dual Schur functions including a combinatorial presentation and an expansion formula in terms of the ordinary Schur functions. The dual Littlewood--Richardson coefficients provide a multiplication rule for the dual Schur functions.