Branching rules, Kostka-Foulkes polynomials and \(q\)-multiplicities in tensor product for the root systems \(B_n\), \(C_n\) and \(D_n\) (Q865033)

The Kostka-Foulkes polynomial \(K_{\lambda,\mu}^{\varphi}(q)\) related to a root system \(\varphi\) is a \(q\)-analogue of the multiplicity \(K_{\lambda,\mu}\) of the weight \(\mu\) in the irreducible finite dimensional representation \(V(\lambda)\) of the corresponding Lie algebra \(\mathfrak g\). It can be defined as an alternating sum running over the Weyl group associated to \(\varphi\). Restricting the sum over the elements of the symmetric group when \(\varphi\) is of type \(B_n\), \(C_n\) or \(D_n\), one obtains again a class \(\widetilde{K}_{\lambda ,\mu}^{\varphi}(q)\) of Kostka-Foulkes polynomials. Recently, in the case \(C_n\) and \(D_n\) the author of the paper under review [J. Comb. Theory, Ser. A 113, No. 5, 739--761 (2006; Zbl 1103.05088)] has found a duality between these polynomials and some natural \(q\)-multiplicities \(u_{\lambda ,\mu}(q)\) and \(U_{\lambda ,\mu}(q)\) in tensor products. In the present paper he establishes identities for \(\widetilde{K}_{\lambda ,\mu}^{\varphi}(q)\) which imply that they are sums of Kostka-Foulkes polynomials \(K_{\lambda ,\mu}^{A_{n-1}}(q)\) with nonnegative integer coefficients. It turns out that these coefficients can simply be expressed in terms of branching coefficients. This clarifies the connection between the \(q\)-multiplicities \(u_{\lambda ,\mu}(q),U_{\lambda ,\mu}(q)\) and polynomials defined by \textit{M. Shimozono} and \textit{M. Zabrocki} [J. Algebra 299, No. 1, 33--61 (2006; Zbl 1122.17018)]. Finally the author relates \(u_{\lambda ,\mu}(q)\) and \(U_{\lambda ,\mu}(q)\) with some sums introduced by Hatayama and co-workers and establishes partial cases of some conjectures of Lecouvey and Shimozono and Zabrocki.