\(q\)-randomized Robinson-Schensted-Knuth correspondences and random polymers (Q509093)

Summary: We introduce and study \(q\)-randomized Robinson-Schensted-Knuth (RSK) correspondences which interpolate between the classical (\(q=0\)) and geometric \(q \nearrow 1\)) RSK correspondences (the latter ones are sometimes also called tropical). For \(0<q<1\) our correspondences are randomized, i.e., the result of an insertion is a certain probability distribution on semistandard Young tableaux. Because of this randomness, we use the language of discrete time Markov dynamics on two-dimensional interlacing particle arrays (these arrays are in a natural bijection with semistandard tableaux). Our dynamics act nicely on a certain class of probability measures on arrays, namely, on \(q\)-Whittaker processes (which are \(t=0\) versions of Macdonald processes of \textit{A. Borodin} and \textit{I. Corwin} [Probab. Theory Relat. Fields 158, No. 1--2, 225--400 (2014; Zbl 1291.82077)]). We present four Markov dynamics which for \(q=0\) reduce to the classical row or column RSK correspondences applied to a random input matrix with independent geometric or Bernoulli entries. Our new two-dimensional discrete time dynamics generalize and extend several known constructions. (1) The discrete time \(q\)-TASEPs studied by \textit{A. Borodin} and \textit{I. Corwin} [Int. Math. Res. Not. 2015, No. 2, 499--537 (2015; Zbl 1310.82030)] arise as one-dimensional marginals of our ``column'' dynamics. In a similar way, our ``row'' dynamics lead to discrete time \(q\)-PushTASEPs -- new integrable particle systems in the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang universality class. We employ these new one-dimensional discrete time systems to establish a Fredholm determinantal formula for the two-sided continuous time \(q\)-PushASEP conjectured by \textit{I. Corwin} and the second author [J. Stat. Phys. 160, No. 4, 1005--1026 (2015; Zbl 1323.82029)]. (2) In a certain Poisson-type limit (from discrete to continuous time), our two-dimensional dynamics reduce to the \(q\)-randomized column and row Robinson-Schensted correspondences introduced by \textit{N. O'Connell} and \textit{Y. Pei} [Electron. J. Probab. 18, Paper No. 95, 25 p. (2013; Zbl 1278.05243)] and \textit{A. Borodin} and the second author [Adv. Math. 300, 71--155 (2016; Zbl 1356.60161)], respectively. (3) In a scaling limit as \(q\nearrow 1\), two of our four dynamics on interlacing arrays turn into the geometric RSK correspondences associated with log-Gamma (introduced by \textit{T. Seppäläinen} [Ann. Probab. 40, No. 1, 19--73 (2012; Zbl 1254.60098)] or strict-weak (introduced independently by \textit{N. O'Connell} and \textit{J. Ortmann} [Electron. J. Probab. 20, Paper No. 25, 18 p. (2015; Zbl 1327.60026)] and \textit{I. Corwin} et al. [J. Stat. Phys. 160, No. 4, 1027--1053 (2015; Zbl 1323.82059)] directed random lattice polymers.