A comodule-bialgebra structure for word-series substitution and mould composition (Q1682060)

By a result of \textit{M. E. Hoffman} [J. Algebr. Comb. 11, No. 1, 49--68 (2000; Zbl 0959.16021)] the space \(k\langle \Omega \rangle\) of noncommutative polynomials in the alphabet \(\Omega\) is a commutative Hopf algebra, denoted \(\mathcal H^\Omega\), with deconcatenation coproduct and Hoffman's quasi-shuffle product. In this paper, the authors exhibit a second coassociative coproduct \(\Gamma\) on \(\mathcal H^\Omega\) which is compatible with the quasi-shuffle product. It is shown that Hoffman's quasi-shuffle Hopf algebra turns out to be a comodule-Hopf algebra over the bialgebra \(\mathcal H^\Omega\) endowed with this new coproduct \(\Gamma\). Two proofs of this result are given: the first one is using generalized quasi-symmetric functions and totally ordered alphabets while the second, more pedestrian one, involves the notion of weak quasi-shuffles, which are generalizations of quasi-shuffles. Relations with Ecalle's mould calculus, as studied by \textit{J. Ecalle} in [Les fonctions résurgentes. Publications Mathématiques d'Orsay (1981), \url{http://portail.mathdoc.fr/PMO/feuilleter.php?id=PMO_1981}], are established.