Representations of symmetric groups and free probability (Q1272802)

Close connections are established between asymptotic properties of representations of symmetric groups \(S_q\) when \(q\to\infty\) and the combinatorial treatment, due to R.~Speicher, or free probability theory. This investigation, inspired by the works of A.~M.~Vershik and S.~V.~Kerov [see, e.g. \textit{A.~M.~Vershik} in: Proc. Int. Congr. Math. Zürich 1994, Vol. 2, 1384-1394 (1995; Zbl 0843.05003), and especially \textit{S.~V.~Kerov}, Funkts. Anal. Prilozh. 27, No. 2, 32-49 (1993; Zbl 0808.05098), Tr. St-Peterbg. Mat. Obshch. 4, 165-192 (1996)], develops some previous results of the author [cf. e.g., Pac. J. Math. 171, No. 2, 373-387 (1995; Zbl 0854.60070), Discrete Math. 175, No. 1-3, 41-53 (1997; Zbl 0892.05006)]. The representations considered mainly correspond to ``\(A\)-balanced'' Young diagrams \(\lambda_q\), with \(q\) boxes, whose largest column and line do not exceed \(Aq^{1/2}\), \(A>1\). If \(\lambda_q\) (viewed as continuous piecewise linear functions on \(\mathbb{R}\)) upon rescaling by a factor \(q^{-1/2}\) converge to a certain limit shape \(\omega\), then the exact asymptotics of the normalized characters corresponding to \(\lambda_q\) is given in terms of the free cumulants of a unique probability measure \(m_\omega\) (associated with \(\omega\) by equating the generating function of the continuous Young diagram \(\omega\) to the Cauchy transform of compactly supported \(m_\omega\) on \(\mathbb{R}\)). Moreover, specific asymptotic patterns are found to be inherent to operations on the set of equivalence classes of representations, such as tensor product, restriction to a subgroup, and induction (outer product). It is shown that, for large enough initial diagrams, most Young diagrams appearing in the decomposition of the resulting representations are close to a specific shape which can be computed using the methods of free probability theory.