Factorizations in Schubert cells (Q1971630)

Let \(P_i(x)\) for \(1\leq i\leq n-1\) be the \(n\times n\)-matrix obtained from the \(n\times n\) identity matrix by placing the block \(\left( \begin{smallmatrix} x&1\\0&1\end{smallmatrix}\right)\) with \(x\) at the \((i,i)\)'th coordinate. Then the matrices \(P_i(x)\) satisfy the Coxeter relations \(P_i(x) P_j(y) =P_j(y) P_i(x)\) if \(|i-j|\geq 2\) and \(P_i(x) P_{i+1}(y) P_i(z) =P_{i+1}(z)P_i(y+xz) P_{i+1}(x)\). It is shown that, for any reduced decomposition \(i=(i_1, i_2, \dots , i_N)\) of a permutation \(w\) and any ring \(R\), there is a bijection \(P_i:(x_1,x_2, \dots , x_N) \to P_{i_1}(x_1) P_{i_2}(x_2) \cdots P_{i_N}(x_N)\) from \(\mathbb{R}^N\) to the Schubert cell of \(w\). Moreover, it is shown how to factor explicitly any element of the Schubert cell corresponding to \(w\) into a product of such matrices. Thus one obtains a parametrization of the Schubert cell. The formulas use planar configurations naturally associated to reduced decompositions. It is shown that the linear parts of these parametrizations give exactly all injective balanced labelings of the diagram of \(w\) [as defined by \textit{S. Fomin, C. Greene, V. Reiner} and \textit{M. Shimozono}, Eur. J. Comb. 18, No. 4, 373-389 (1997; Zbl 0871.05059)], and that the quadratic part characterizes the commutation classes of reduced decompositions.