The work of Gian-Carlo Rota on invariant theory

DOI10.1007/S00012-003-1827-ZMaRDI QIDQ2496147zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Frank D. Grosshans

Publication date 12 July 2006

Published in Algebra Universalis (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://doi.org/10.1007/s00012-003-1827-z

zbMATH Keywords

binary formsdeterminantsGian-Carlo RotaGrassmann algebrainvariant theoryskew-symmetric tensorsstraighteningvector invariants

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Biographies, obituaries, personalia, bibliographies (01A70) History of linear algebra (15-03) Determinants, permanents, traces, other special matrix functions (15A15) Vector and tensor algebra, theory of invariants (15A72) Exterior algebra, Grassmann algebras (15A75)

Review text

This is a very comprehensive and excellently written paper which explains Gian-Carlo Rota's attempt to invariant theory. The author gives a broad historical and mathematical context. The paper is concentrated on three specific cases: vector invariants, the invariants of binary forms, and invariants of skew-symmetric tensors. He discusses all of these cases and shows how determinants and straightening play central roles. Determinants constitute all invariants in the vector case. For binary forms and skew-symmetric tensors, they constitute all invariants when they are represented symbolically. Consequently, the author explains the symbolic method both for binary forms and for skew-symmetric tensors, where Rota developed generalizations of the notion of a determinant. The Grassmann algebra is discussed with its two operations, which was a theme running through Rota's work on invariant theory.

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Cited in

(8)

• Mathematical essays in honor of Gian-Carlo Rota's 65th birthday
• Semi-invariants of binary forms and Sylvester's theorem
• On the Anick-Rota resolution of the bracket ring
• Orthogonal polynomials through the invariant theory of binary forms
• On the symmetry classes of functions
• Semi-invariants of binary forms pertaining to a unimodality theorem of Reiner and Stanton
• Ronald Rivlin and invariant theory
• Combinatorics, transvectants and superalgebras. An elementary constructive approach to Hilbert's finiteness theorem

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