A combinatorial algorithm related to the geometry of the moduli space of pointed curves (Q1604766)

Let \({\mathcal H}_N\) be the vector space of Hermitian \(N\times N\) matrices with the unitary group \(U_N\) acting by conjugation. For a positive definite Hermitian matrix \(\Lambda\) one defines a \(U_N\)-invariant measure \[ d\mu_{\Lambda}={\exp (-(1/2)\text{ Tr}(\Lambda {\mathbb X}^2))\over (2\pi)^{N^2/2}}d{\mathbb X}, \] where \(d{\mathbb X}\) is the standard Lebesgue measure on \({\mathcal H}_N\). The techniques in [\textit{D. Bessis, C. Itzykson} and \textit{J.-B. Zuber}, Adv. Appl. Math. 1, 109-157 (1980; Zbl 0453.05035)] provide a method of computing integrals of the form \[ \langle F({\mathbb X})\rangle ={\int_{{\mathcal H}_N}F({\mathbb X})d\mu_{\Lambda}\over\int_{{\mathcal H}_N}d\mu_{\Lambda}}, \] where \(F({\mathbb X})\) is a \(U_N\)-equivariant function on \({\mathcal H}_N\). One can give an asymptotic expansion of \(\langle F({\mathbb X})\rangle\), \(N\to\infty\), through a collection of graphs known as ``ribbon graphs.'' A theorem of \textit{P. Di Francesco, C. Itzykson} and \textit{J.-B. Zuber} [Commun. Math. Phys. 151, No. 1, 193-219 (1993; Zbl 0831.14010)] relates the asymptotic expansion of such integrals for different choices of \(F({\mathbb X})\). As pointed out in \textit{E. Arbarello} and \textit{M. Cornalba} [J. Algebr. Geom. 5, 705-749 (1996; Zbl 0886.14007)], this theorem should yield new relations among cohomology classes of the moduli space of stable pointed curves. In the paper under review the author gives a combinatorial algorithm which can determine the coefficients appearing in these new relations. The algorithm involves graphs and two families of symmetric functions, Schur \(Q\)-functions associated to strict partitions and power sums for odd partitions.