The eigenvalue distribution of a random unipotent matrix in its representation on lines (Q1570359)

The eigenvalue statistics of a random element of the unitary group goes back to at least Weyl, and its applications continue to this day. In contrast, as remarked in the introduction of the present work, the eigenvalue statistics of elements chosen from finite groups have barely been studied. It is this latter problem which is the focus of the present paper, with a study being made of the eigenvalue distribution of uniformly chosen random finite unipotent matrices in their permutation action on lines. The connection between unipotent elements in \(GL(n,p)\) and Hall-Littlewood symmetric functions is used to first determine the probability of a unipotent element parametrized by a partition \(\lambda\), and this is used in computations which give a lower bound for the number of eigenvalues in the fixed arc \((1,e^{i2 \pi \theta})\) of the unit circle. In the case of random upper triangular finite unipotent matrices, an upper and lower bound on this same number is obtained. Also given in this case are connections between symmetric function theory and a probabilistic growth algorithm on partitions due to Borodin and Kirillov.