Hopf monoids, permutohedral cones, and generalized retarded functions (Q6083999)

\textit{A. Joyal}'s theory of set species [Adv. Math. 42, 1--82 (1981; Zbl 0491.05007); Lect. Notes Math. 1234, 126--159 (1986; Zbl 0612.18002); \textit{F. Bergeron} et al., Combinatorial species and tree-like structures. Transl. from the French by Margaret Readdy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (1998; Zbl 0888.05001)] is the result of applying what is sometimes called the gauge principle, or categorification in exponential generating functions in enumerative combinatorics. Formally, a set (resp. vector) species \(\boldsymbol{p}\) is a presheaf of sets (resp. vector spaces) on the category \ of finite sets and bijections. The value \(\boldsymbol{p}\left[ I\right] \) of \(\boldsymbol{p}\) on a finite set \(I\) is interpreted as the (linearized) collection of all combinatorial objects of a certain type that have been labeled by \(I\). Recently, \textit{M. Aguiar} and \textit{S. Mahajan} [Monoidal functors, species and Hopf algebras. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (AMS) (2010; Zbl 1209.18002); Contemp. Math. 585, 17--124 (2013; Zbl 1314.18009)] developed Hopf theory in species concerning Hopf monoids defined in set species and vector species with respect to the \textit{B. Day} convolution [Lect. Notes Math. 137, 1--38 (1970; Zbl 0203.31402); Lect. Notes Math. 420, 20--54 (1974; Zbl 0367.18008)]. At the heart of Hopf theory in species is the cocommutative Hopf monoid of set compositions \(\Sigma\), together with its dual, the commutative Hopf monoid of set compositions \(\Sigma^{\ast}\). These Hopf monoids play a special role because set compositions index (co)associative algebraic operations in species. Aguiar and Mahajan's clean category-theoretic approach clarifies and generalizes the work of several people [\textit{M. G. Barratt}, Lect. Notes Math. None, 9--15 (1978; Zbl 0393.55021); Zbl 0612.18002; \textit{W. R. Schmitt}, Can. J. Math. 45, No. 2, 412--428 (1993; Zbl 0781.16026); \textit{C. R. Stover}, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 86, No. 3, 289--326 (1993; Zbl 0793.16016)]. The reflection hyperplane arrangement of type \(A\) root system, called the braid arrangement, provides consistent geometric interpretations of the theory, which motivates the development of aspects of the theory over generic real hyperplane arrangements [\textit{M. Aguiar} and \textit{S. Mahajan}, Topics in hyperplane arrangements. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (AMS) (2017; Zbl 1388.14146); Bimonoids for hyperplane arrangements. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (2020; Zbl 1498.52001)]. This paper stays in type \(A\), nevertheless extending the geometric interpretations to the adjoint of the braid arrangement, which identifies the monomial basis with signed characteristic quotient. The results in this paper give a new interpretation of a construction appearing in the mathematically rigorous formulation of renormalization by \textit{H. Epstein} and \textit{V. Glaser} [Ann. Inst. Henri Poincaré, Nouv. Sér., Sect. A 19, 211--295 (1974; Zbl 1216.81075)], known as causal perturbation theory, and in the algebraic formalism of \textit{H. Epstein} et al. [``General properties of the \(n\)-point functions in local quantum field theory'', in: Institute on structural analysis of multiparticle collision amplitudes in relativistic quantum theory. Les Houches. 5--93 (1975)] for studying generalized retarded functions. Causal perturbation theory has since been absorbed into the modern mathematically clear and precise theory known as perturbative algebraic quantum field theory [\textit{R. Brunetti} and \textit{K. Fredenhagen}, Commun. Math. Phys. 208, No. 3, 623--661 (2000; Zbl 1040.81067); \textit{M. Dütsch}, From classical field theory to perturbative quantum field theory. Cham: Birkhäuser (2019; Zbl 07024145); \textit{K. Rejzner}, Perturbative algebraic quantum field theory. An introduction for mathematicians. Cham: Springer (2016; Zbl 1347.81011)]. The usual geometric interpretation of \(\Sigma\) over the braid arrangement identifies the basis which is dual to the monomial \textsf{M}-basis, called the \textsf{H}-basis, with faces [Zbl 1209.18002, Chapter 10]. This is how Tits's classical interpretation of the Tits product, as projections of faces, is obtained. Alternatively, this paper identifies the \textsf{H}-basis\ with faces of the permutohedron. The synopsis of the paper goes as follows. \begin{itemize} \item[\S 2] describes combinatorial gadgets which index aspects of the type \(A\) hyperplane arrangements, particularly introducing adjoint families, which generalize preposets and maximal unbalanced families, and index cones of the adjoint braid arrangement. \item[\S 3] defines the algebras in species featuring in this paper, constructing several bases of the indecomposable quotient of \(\Sigma^{\ast}\). \item[\S 4] gives two geometric realizations of the Hopf algebra \(\Sigma ^{\ast}\). \begin{enumerate} \item[1.] \(\Sigma^{\ast}\) is realized as piecewise constant functions on the braid arrangement. \item[2.] \(\Sigma^{\ast}\) is realized as piecewise constant functions on the adjoint braid arrangement arising from formal linear combinations of conical subspaces generated by coroots. \end{enumerate} The quotients obtained by restricting these realizations to chambers are the commutative Hopf algebras of linear orders \(\boldsymbol{L}\) for the braid arrangement, and the indecomposable quotient Lie coalgebra \(\boldsymbol{Zie}^{\ast}\) for the adjoint braid arrangement. \item[\S 5] establishes the main results, showing that the indecomposable quotient Lie coalgebra of the adjoint realization of \(\Sigma^{\ast}\) is simply the restriction of functionals to chambers. The indecomposable quotient of \(\Sigma^{\ast}\) is isomorphic to \[ \boldsymbol{Zie}^{\ast}=\boldsymbol{Lie}^{\ast}\circ\boldsymbol{E}_{+} \] where \(\boldsymbol{Lie}^{\ast}\) is the Lie cooperad, \(\boldsymbol{E}_{+}\) is the positive exponential species, and \(\circ\) is plethysm. It is shown that the resulting geometric realization of \(\boldsymbol{Zie}^{\ast}\), which consists of functionsls in the span of characteristic functionals of generalized permutohedral cones, is also characterized as functionals abiding by the Steinmann relations from QFT. The cobracket of this realization of \(\boldsymbol{Zie}^{\ast}\) may be interpreted as the discrete differentiation of functionals across special hyperplanes. \item[\S 6] describes the connection with perturbative QFT, showing that generalized retarded products/functions correspond to the primitive part Lie algebra of \(\Sigma\). \end{itemize}