Counting weighted maximal chains in the circular Bruhat order (Q2680822)

Let \(S_n\) be the symmetric group on \([n] := \{1,\dots,n\}\). An inversion of \(\pi \in S_n\) is a pair \(i, j\in [n]\) such that \(i < j\) and \(\pi (i) > \pi (j\). The number of inversions of \(\pi\) is its length, denoted \(\mathcal l(\pi)\). The Bruhat order on \(S_n\) is a partial ordering on \(S_n\), graded by length. It arises in geometry as the face poset for the Schubert decomposition of the variety of complete flags in \(\mathbb C^n\). Its cover relations have the form \(\pi s_{ij}< \pi\) where \(s_{ij} := (i, j)\) is a transposition such that \((\pi) = (\pi s_{ij} ) + 1\). The maximal element of the Bruhat order, written in row notation, is \(\pi_{\mathrm{top}} = [n, n - 1, \dots, 1]\) of length \(r := \binom{n}{2}\) and the smallest element is the identity permutation \(id = [1, 2, \dots, n]\) of length \(0\). In the Bruhat order, each maximal chain has the form \(id = \pi_0 < \pi_1< \dots < \pi_r = \pi_{\mathrm{top}}\). Let \({\alpha}_1, \dots, {\alpha}_n\) be indeterminates. Define the weight of a covering \(\pi s_{ij} < \pi\) with \(i < j\) to be \({\alpha}_i + {\alpha}_{i+1} +\cdots + {\alpha}_{j-1}\), and then define the weight of a maximal chain to be the product of the weights of its cover relations. In a result that extends to all Weyl groups, Stembridge shows that the sum of the weights of the maximal chains is \[ \frac{\binom{n}{2}!}{1^{n-1} 2^{n-2}\dots (n-1)^1}\prod_{1\leq i<j\leq n}{\alpha}_i + {\alpha}_{i+1} +\cdots + {\alpha}_{j-1}. \] The totally nonnegative Grassmannian \(Gr(k, n)_{\geq 0}\) is a subset of points in the real Grassmannian \(Gr(k, n)\) which have all nonnegative Plücker coordinates. The circular Bruhat order is a poset isomorphic to the face poset of Postnikov's positroid cell decomposition of\(Gr(k, n)_{\geq 0}\). In this paper the authors provide a Stembridge-like formula for the circular Bruhat orderusing the hook formula and Young tableoux for rectangles.