On the relation between \(U_ q(\widehat{sl}(2))\) vertex operators and \(q\)-zonal functions (Q1354889)

Let \(\widehat{\text{sl}}(2)\) be the affine Lie algebra corresponding to the finite dimensional Lie algebra \(\text{sl}(2)\), and let \(U_q(\widehat{\text{sl}}(2))\) be the corresponding quantum affine algebra. Let \(\Lambda_i\), \(i\in\{1,2\}\), be the fundamental weights for \(\widehat{\text{sl}}(2)\), \(V(\Lambda_i)\) the level-one highest weight modules for \(U_q(\widehat{\text{sl}}(2))\), and \(V(z)=V\otimes[z,z^{-1}]\) the level-zero evaluation module for \(U_q(\widehat{\text{sl}}(2))\). It is shown that the states constructed from the modes of the vertex operators \(\phi^{i,\pm}(z)\) intertwining \(U_q(\widehat{\text{sl}}(2))\)-modules as \(\phi^{i,+}(z)\otimes v_++\phi^{i,-}(z)\otimes v_-: V(\Lambda_i)\to V(\Lambda_{i-1})\otimes V(z)\), are related to the Macdonald functions \(P_\lambda (x;q^4,q^2)\). In the limit \(q\to 1\), these functions reduce to the \(q\)-zonal functions \(Z_\lambda(x)\). These results are compared with the results of other authors on general vertex operators related to Macdonald functions.