Thom polynomials and Schur functions: the singularities \(A_3(-)\) (Q963071)

Consider singularities of map germs from \(C^n\) to \(C^{n+k}\). To such a singularity one can assign its Thom polynomial, a polynomial in several variables, whose degree is the codimension of the singularity. Knowing the Thom polynomial of \(S\) one can compute the cohomology class represented by the \(S\)-singular points of a global map. The topic of the paper under review is the Thom polynomial of the singularities called \(A_3: C^* \to C^{*+k}\). For a concrete \(k\) one can consider a system of linear equations whose only solution is the Thom polynomial in question. However, considering all \(k\) at the same time, one faces an infinite set of systems of linear equations. The authors of the present paper consider this infinite set, and present the solution in a geometrically motivated basis (the basis of supersymmetric Schur functions). One feature of the Schur expansion is that coefficients satisfy finite recurrences, another feature is that the coefficients are positive (Pragacz-Weber theorem). In the proof the authors use extensively the functorial \(\lambda\)-ring approach to symmetric functions, developed in earlier works of the first author.