Plethysms of symmetric functions and representations of \(\mathrm{SL}_2(\mathbf{C})\) (Q2660377)

Plethysms are representations of \(\operatorname{SL}(\mathbb{C}^n)\) defined by composition of Schur functors \(\nabla^\lambda\). These representations remain mysterious even in the \(n=2\) case. In this paper, the authors systematically search for the existence of \(\operatorname{SL}(\mathbb{C}^2)\)-isomorphism (called plethystic isomorphism) between \(\nabla^\lambda\operatorname{Sym}^l\mathbb{C}^2\) and \(\nabla^\mu\operatorname{Sym}^m\mathbb{C}^2\). This quest is justified first by Hermite's famous law of reciprocity: for all \((l,m)\), \(\operatorname{Sym}^m\operatorname{Sym}^l\mathbb{C}^2\) and \(\operatorname{Sym}^l\operatorname{Sym}^m\mathbb{C}^2\) are \(\operatorname{SL}(\mathbb{C}^2)\)-isomorphic, or much more recently by results of \textit{R. C. King} [J. Phys. A, Math. Gen. 18, 2429--2440 (1985; Zbl 0575.22017)] and \textit{L. Manivel} [Eur. J. Comb. 28, No. 6, 1839--1842 (2007; Zbl 1122.05095)] where it is showed that representations \(\nabla^{a^b}\operatorname{Sym}^{b+c-1}\mathbb{C}^2\) are unchanged by permutations of \((a,b,c)\). The a uthors find many results about plethystic isomorphisms, notably a converse of results of Manivel and King [loc. cit.]: let \(\lambda\) be a partition and let \(a, b, c \in \mathbb{N}\), representations \(\nabla^\lambda\operatorname{Sym}^l\mathbb{C}^2\) and \(\nabla^{a^b}\operatorname{Sym^{b+c-1}}\mathbb{C}^2\) are isomorphic if and only if \(\lambda\) is rectangular, with \(\lambda=a^{\prime^{b^\prime}}\) and \((a^\prime,b^\prime,c^\prime)\) is a permutation of \((a, b, c)\). Methods used are combinatorial and notably involve Mac Mahon's enumeration of plane partitions.