A classification of nonzero skew immaculate functions (Q6847966)

The skew immaculate function \(\mathfrak{S}_{\alpha/\beta}\) for two integer compositions \(\alpha = (\alpha_1, \alpha_2, \ldots, \alpha_n)\) and \(\beta = (\beta_1, \beta_2, \ldots, \beta_n)\) is defined to be the ``noncommutative Jacobi-Trudi determinant'' \N\[\N\sum_{\sigma \in S_n} \operatorname{sign}\sigma \cdot \prod_{i=1}^n H_{\alpha_i - \beta_{\sigma(i)} - i + \sigma(i)}, \N\]\Nwhere the \(H_1,H_2,H_3,\ldots\) are free noncommuting variables and we set \(H_0=1\) and \(H_{-1}=H_{-2}=\cdots=0\). (The product is taken in the order of increasing \(i\).)\N\NThis is a generalization of the skew Schur function \(s_{\lambda / \mu}\) (although lacking most of its properties), and so one might naturally ask for conditions under which \(\mathfrak{S}_{\alpha/\beta}\) is nonzero. The present paper makes some little steps towards a classification by presenting a necessary and a sufficient condition, but falls short of a complete answer.