A proof of the \(\frac{n!}{2}\) conjecture for hook shapes (Q6062819)

The Macdonald polynomials \(\widetilde{H}_\mu(Z; t, q)\) in variables \(Z_1, Z_2, \ldots \) are the simultaneous \(q\)- and \(t\)-generalization of Schur functions and the \(q\)-generalization of Hall-Littlewood polynomials. These also specialize to Jack symmetric functions. Macdonald's positivity conjecture asserts that the polynomials \( \widetilde{K}_{\lambda \mu}(q,t) \) in the expansion of \(\widetilde{H}_\mu(Z; t, q) = \sum_\lambda \widetilde{K}_{\lambda \mu}(q,t) s_\lambda(Z)\) in the Schur basis have non-negative integer coefficients. \textit{A. M. Garsia} and \textit{M. Haiman} [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90, No. 8, 3607--3610 (1993; Zbl 0831.05062)] gave a representation theoretic interpretation of \(\widetilde{H}_\mu(Z; t, q)\) as the character of a certain doubly graded module \(\mathcal{H}_\mu\) for the symmetric group. This reduced Macdonald's conjecture to showing that \(\dim \mathcal{H}_\mu = n!\) \textit{M. Haiman} [J. Am. Math. Soc. 14, No. 4, 941--1006 (2001; Zbl 1009.14001)] later proved this, completing the proof of Macdonald's conjecture. The paper under review studies the related `\(n!/k\) conjecture' due to \textit{F. Bergeron} and \textit{A. M. Garsia} [in: Algebraic methods and \(q\)-special functions. Providence,~RI: American Mathematical Society. 1--52 (1999; Zbl 0947.20009)] which, states that if \(\mu\) is a partition of \(n+1\) having exactly \(k\) removable boxes then \[ \dim \Bigl( \,\bigcap_\nu \mathcal{H}_\nu \Bigr) = \frac{n!}{k} \tag{\(\star\)} \] where the intersection is over all partitions \(\nu\) obtained from \(\mu\) by removing a single box. The main result is a proof of this conjecture when \(\mu\) has a hook shape, and so has at most two removable boxes. The author gives a very useful summary of the background on Macdonald polynomials in Section 2 and on Garsia-Haiman modules in Section 3; this includes an explicit basis for \(\mathcal{H}_\mu\) when \(\mu\) has hook shape. The main result is then proved combinatorially in Section 4 by finding an explicit basis for the intersection of the two Garsia-Haiman modules appearing in (\(\star\)).