Combinatorics of the \(q\)-basis of symmetric functions (Q2563713)

The function \(q_r(X;q,t)\) in the commuting variables \(X=\{x_1,x_2,\dots,x_n\}\) is the coefficient of \(z^r\) in the generating function \((q-t)^{-1}\prod_i(1-x_itz)/(1-x_iqz)\). Each partition \(\lambda=(\lambda_1,\dots,\lambda_m)\) with \(m\leq n\) has a corresponding function \(q_\lambda=\prod_iq_{\lambda_i}\), and the \(q_\lambda\) form a basis of the ring of symmetric functions in the alphabet \(X\). These functions are variants of the Hall-Littlewood symmetric functions \(q_\lambda(x;t)\) (see Section III.2 of \textit{I. G. Macdonald} [Symmetric functions and Hall polynomials, Oxford Clarendon Press, 2nd edition (1995; Zbl 0824.05059)]); in fact, for \(q\neq 0\), \(q_r(X;q,t)=q^r(q-t)^{-1}q_r(X;t/q)\). By specializing \((q,t)\) to \((1,0)\), \((0,-1)\) and \((1,1)\) respectively, it is seen that the functions \(q_\lambda\) generalise the complete homogeneous functions \(h_\lambda\), the elementary symmetric functions \(e_\lambda\) and the power sum symmetric functions \(p_\lambda\). The first author [Invent. Math. 106, No. 3, 461-488 (1991; Zbl 0758.05099)] and \textit{R. C. King} and \textit{B. G. Wybourne} [J. Math. Phys. 33, No. 1, 4-14 (1992; Zbl 0752.05058)] have shown that the character table of the type A Iwahori-Hecke algebra \(H_n(q)\) is obtained by setting \(t=1\) in the transition matrix from the basis \(\{q_\lambda\}\) to the basis of Schur functions \(\{s_\lambda\}\). (For \(q=1\), this character table is that of the symmetric group \(S_n\).) The authors develop identities involving the \(q_\lambda\) and the dual basis \(\{q^*_\lambda\}\), and use these to give combinatorial interpretations of the transition matrices from the basis \(\{q_\lambda\}\) to the bases \(\{h_\lambda\}\), \(\{e_\lambda\}\), \(\{p_\lambda\}\), \(\{s_\lambda\}\) and also the standard bases involving \(m_\lambda\) and \(f_\lambda\), the monomial and `forgotten' symmetric functions (see \textit{Macdonald}, Section III.6). In the first three cases, the main combinatorial concept involved is that of a brick tabloid (see \textit{Ö. E\~gecio\~glu} and the second author [Discrete Appl. Math. 34, No. 1-3, 107-120 (1991; Zbl 0758.05007)]). Informally, this is the result of deleting some of the internal vertical edges of the boxes in the Young diagram of a partition \(\lambda\), so that each row is divided into `bricks'. The brick tabloid has shape \(\lambda\) and content \(\mu\), where the partition \(\mu\) is given by the lengths of the bricks. The coefficients in the transition matrices are expressed as sums of appropriate weight functions in \(q\) and \(t\) associated to the brick tabloids. Next, combinatorial objects called bi-brick permutations are used to express the functions \(m_\lambda\) and \(f_\lambda\) in terms of the \(q_\mu\), and finally objects called layered special rim hook tableaux are used to describe the transition matrix from Schur functions \(s_\lambda\) to \(q_\mu\). The paper concludes with applications (i) to the calculation of the determinant of the character table of the Hecke algebra and (ii) to extend the work of \textit{F. Brenti} [Pac. J. Math. 157, No. 1, 1-28 (1993; Zbl 0805.05089)] on the enumeration of sets of permutations \(\tau\) in terms of the number of their `excedances', i.e. the number of \(i\) with \(\tau(i)>i\).