Spin \(q\)-Whittaker polynomials and deformed quantum Toda (Q2113465)

As stated in the beginning of the text, this paper deals with new classes of symmetric functions inspired by the \(U_q(\widehat{\mathfrak{sl}_2})\) Yang-Baxter equation and applications to integrable stochastic interacting particle systems and random polymer models. The main objects are the spin \(q\)-Whittaker polynomials and the spin Hall-Littlewood polynomials. See Figure 1 in the paper for the scheme explaining various families of symmetric functions together with stochastic systems related to them. The content is divided into two parts: discrete and continuous. The first part introduces the family of spin \(q\)-Whittaker polynomials \(\mathbb{F}_\lambda(x)\) and the study of their properties. The polynomials are labeled by partitions \(\lambda\) and have parameters \(q\) and \(s\), which are slight generalization of those introduced by Borodin and Wheeler. This paper extends all the properties known for the Borodin-Wheeler family to the new family, such as symmetry, Cauchy-type summation formulas and Pieri-type formulas, utilizing the new \(q\)-difference operators \(\mathfrak{D}_1,\overline{\mathfrak{D}}_1\) for which the polynomials are joint eigenfunctions. The paper also discusses the spin Hall-Littlewood functions and related integrable stochastic models. The second part deals with continuously labeled spin Whittaker functions and their properties. These include Givental-type integral representations for spin Whittaker functions, Cauchy type identities, connections to random polymer models with beta weights, and a new deformation of the quantum Toda Hamiltonian.