Extended Gelfand-Tsetlin graph, its \(q\)-boundary, and \(q\)-B-splines (Q317273)

This paper is another step towards constructing a \(q\)-version of the theory related to the Gelfand-Tsetlin graph, a graded graph with infinite levels, the vertices of the \(N\)th level parametrizing the irreducible characters of the compact unitary group \(U(N)\), the edges encoding the branching rule of characters under the restriction from \(U(N)\) to \(U(N-1)\). As is known, the boundary of the graph can be defined as an infinite-dimensional topological space interpretable as the simplest version of the dual object of \(U(\infty)= \lim_{N\to\infty} U(N)\). Harmonic analysis on \(U(\infty)\) leads to a family of probability measures, called \(zw\)-measures, serving as stationary distributions for continuous-time Markov processes which can be constructed on the boundary of the graph [the author, J. Funct. Anal. 205, No. 2, 464--524 (2003; Zbl 1036.43002)]. As shown by \textit{V. Gorin} and the author [J. Funct. Anal. 270, No. 1, 375--418 (2016; Zbl 1328.43007)], there exists a \(q\)-version of the \(zw\)-measures, but its construction requires an extension of the Gelfand-Tsetlin graph. The extended graph itself does not admit the definition of an ordinary boundary, but a \(q\)-version of the boundary is well defined. The author shows that the Markov kernels connected with the extended graph and its \(q\)-boundary have the Feller property, needed for constructing a Markov dynamics on the \(q\)-boundary. He also discusses a connection with B-splines and their \(q\)-analogue, the \(q\)-B-splines, introduced by \textit{P. Simeonov} and \textit{G. Goldman} [BIT 53, No. 1, 193--223 (2013; Zbl 1275.65011)].