Questions tagged [symmetric-groups]
The symmetric group $S_n$ is the group of permutations of the set of integers $\{1,\dots,n\}$. This has $n!$ elements and is generated by the $n-1$ involutions exchanging consecutive integers. The symmetric groups form the simplest family of Coxeter groups.
462 questions
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Polynomials of low degree that clone polynomials of higher degree
Let $f(x_1,\dots,x_{16})=(x_1+x_2+x_3+x_4)(x_5+x_6+x_7+x_8)(x_9+x_{10}+x_{11}+x_{12})(x_{13}+x_{14}+x_{15}+x_{16})\in\Bbb R[x]$.
Let $\mathcal{Z}$ be the zero set of $f$ in $\mathcal{C_{16}}=\{0,1\}^{...
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Explicit basis/weight vectors for irreducibles inside the plethysm $Sym^m(\bigwedge^p \mathbf(V))$
This is a follow up to this question about finding the multiplicities of irreducible representations restricted to Young diagrams of 2-columns or less, inside the plethysm $Sym^m(\bigwedge^p \mathbf(V)...
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In general, are 'Young symmetrisers' given by Littlewood-Richardson 'Orthogonal projection Operators'?
Consider $V^{\otimes n}$ where $V$ is vector space and the representation of GL(V) acting in the usual way. Now if I consider tensor products or plethysms of irreducible spaces, this is not in general ...
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Name for class of flattening permutations
Let $S_n$ be the symmetric group. For any sequence of numbers $y=[y_1,y_2,\cdots,y_k]$, define the flattening operation as $\mbox{flatt}_{k}(y)$ as a relabeling of $y_1,y_2,\cdots,y_k$ in terms of ...
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Counting a Modified Class of Standard Young Tableau
Let $\lambda=(\lambda_1,\cdots,\lambda_n)$ be a partition, with $|\lambda|:=N$. Attach an extra box to $\lambda$ to the right end of the $r$'th row. In coordinate form, the last box on row $r$ has ...
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Isotypic components of the action of the symmetric group on polynomials
The polynomial ring $\mathbb{C}[x_1,\ldots,x_n]$ decomposes as a direct sum of isotypic components for the action of the symmetric group $S_n$. The isotypic component of the trivial representation is ...
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Homomorphisms from irreducible spaces to reducible spaces
Let $P_{\lambda}$ be a Young symmetriser associated to the following tableau $(a_1 a_2 a_3 b_3 ; b_1 b_2)$ where the entries seperated by the ; belong to first and second COLUMNS of the tableau. Take $...
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Minimum word length for an unusual set of generators of the symmetric group
Problem. Let $n\geq 2$ and let $T$ be the set of all permutations in $S_n$ of the form
$$t_k:=\prod_{1\leq i\leq k/2}(i,k-i) \qquad \hbox{for $k=3,4,\ldots,n+1$}.$$
Find the least integer $f_n$...
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Is there a bijection of permutations onto mathematical objects that preserve information about descents?
$\omega \in S_n$ is an FPFI (fixed point free involution) (also called a matching) if $\omega^2=1$ and $\omega(i) \neq i$ for all $i$.
For $\omega \in S_n$, a descent occurs at $i$ if $\omega(i+1) &...
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Number of double cosets of a Young subgroup
Let $\lambda\vdash n$ be a partition of $n$ with $k$ parts and $S_\lambda$ be a Young subgroup of $S_n$.
Further let $S_\lambda\backslash S_n/ S_\lambda$ be the set of double-cosets. Now I would like ...
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Symmetric invariants of a Schur Module
Let $V\cong\mathbb C^n$ be a complex vector space of dimension $n$. Let $\lambda\in\mathbb Z^r$ be a generalized integer partition $\lambda_1\ge\cdots\ge\lambda_r$ with $r\le n$. Denote by $\mathbb S_\...
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counting the number of ordered pairs in a permutohedron
Recall that a permutohedron is a graph on the set of permutations $S_n$ with an edge between $\sigma$ and $\tau$ if they differ by one adjacent transposition: $\tau = (i,i+1) \circ \sigma$ for some $i ...
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What is natural about the well-known bijection between conjugacy classes and irreps of a symmetric group?
Symmetric groups possess a well-known bijection between conjugacy classes and irreducible representations. More precisely, both sets are indexed by Young diagrams.
Question: To what extent is this ...
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A Simple Bijective Proof Of Stanley's Hook-Content Formula for Hook Shapes
this is my first post on math overflow so I hope it goes well. I believe I have a fairly simple bijective proof for Stanley's Hook-Content Formula in the case of hook shapes. I wanted to see if ...
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Geometric interpretation of table with permutations and inversions
Let $T(n,k)$ is the number of permutations of numbers $1, ..., n$ and each of the permutations has $k$ inversions. We can consider a table for $T(n,k)$ for some $n$ and $k$. For eg.
$n=1,...,6$, $k=1,....
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Minimal *-idempotents for the group algebra of the symmetric group
There is a well-known construction of minimal idempotents in the group algebra of the symmetric group $\mathbb C[S_n]$ using row symmetrizers and column antisymmetrizers. But these idempotents are ...
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The Simultaneous Conjugacy Problem in the symmetric group $S_N$
We are interested in the following notions in the case $G=S_N$, the symmetric group on
$\{1,\dots,N\}$.
Fix a group $G$ and a number $d$. For $(g_1,\dots,g_d)\in G^d$ and $x\in G$, define
$$(g_1,\...
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Why is the right permutohedron order (aka weak order) on $S_n$ a lattice?
This is one of those things I never expected to be hard until I tried to prove it. Why is the right permutohedron order (a.k.a. weak Bruhat order, a.k.a. weak order -- not to be confused with the ...
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A $q$-analogue of Foulkes' character related to alternating permutations
My paper "Alternating permutations and symmetric functions" at
http://math.mit.edu/~rstan/papers/altenum.pdf enumerates certain
classes of alternating permutations, such as those whose inverse is
...
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Representations of S_n induced from centralizers of elements
Does anyone have a reference for a good description of representations of $S_{n}$ obtained by inducing up from $C_{S_{n}}(\pi)$, for some element $\pi$ of $S_{n}$? (I'd prefer an efficient ...
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Structure of the adjoint representation of a (finite) group (Hopf algebra) ?
Every group acts on itself by conjugation $h \mapsto g h g^{-1}$. Respectively considering functions on a group we obtain a linear representation.
Question 1: what is known about this representation ...
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What groups of symmetry are most suited for filling uniformely a spherical 3D space, whilst possessing the lowest possible surface-to-volume ratio?
I am looking for the closest known approximate solution to Kelvin foams problem that would obey a spherical symmetry.
One alternative way of formulating it: I am looking for an equivalent of Weaire–...
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How do most people write permutations?
I'd like to know how people prefer to write permutations, or elements of the symmetric group $S_n$ for $n\ge0$.
The most natural way to define a permutation in $S_n$ is as a bijection on the set $\{1,...
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How many ways can a given permutation be obtained as a product of k 2-cycles?
Let $\sigma_1, \ldots, \sigma_b$ be all the 2-cycles in $S_n$. (So, $b = \binom{n}{2}$.) Given $\pi \in S_n$, what is known about how many ways $\pi$ can be obtained as a product of $k$ (not ...
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A conjecture about a specific subset of the symmetric group $S_n$
Let $n>3$ be a positive integer. We denote the symmetric group of $n$ elements by $S_n$ and the identity mapping by $\mathrm{id}$. For every $f\in S_n$, $f(1,2,\ldots,n)=(a_1,a_2,\ldots,a_n)$, ...
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Word length in the symmetric group
Let $n \geq 1$ and let $H_n$ be a 2-Sylow subgroup of the symmetric group $\mathrm{Sym}(2^n)$. Let also consider the cycle $\gamma_n = (1, \ldots, 2^n)$ of order $2^n$.
If we assume moreover that $...
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Number of Permutations?
Edit: This is a modest rephrasing of the question as originally stated below the fold: for $n \geq 3$, let $\sigma \in S_n$ be a fixed-point-free permutation. How many fixed-point-free permutations $\...
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A generalization of an old group problem [closed]
Here is an old exercise in group theory: (1) If $G$ is a group of order $2n$ with $n$ odd then $G$ is not simple and in fact $G$ has a normal subgroup of order $n$. I am going for one straight ...
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Has Reifegerste's Theorem on RSK and Knuth relations received a slick proof by now?
For the notations I am using, I refer to the Appendix at the end of this post.
Here is what, for the sake of this post, I consider to be Reifegerste's theorem:
Theorem 1. Let $n\in\mathbb N$ and $i\...
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What to do now that Lusztig's and James' conjectures have been shown to be false?
Lusztig and James provided conjectures for dimensions of simple modules (or decomposition numbers) for algebraic groups and symmetric groups in characteristic $p$. These conjectures have been ...
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Conjectural identities for Young symmetrizers and Young-Jucys-Murphy elements
The following questions I have found in my own notes from about 3 years ago. Unfortunately, I lost much of the context; I believe I made these conjectures reading Okounkov-Vershik, arXiv:0503040v3, ...
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On Applications of Murnaghan Nakayama Rule
This question is crossposted at math.stackexchange here and may be beyond the usual scope of the site. The question is located below. In short, I am looking for an accessible explanation of the ...
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Combinatorics of index sets multiplicities in characters of symmetric groups
Hi everyone.
I'm pondering the following question: I have a Coxeter group $(W,S)$ of type $A_{n-1}$, i.e. the symmetric group $W=Sym(n)$ with the neighbour transpositions as generating set $S=\lbrace ...
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The Jantzen-Schaper theorem
Does anybody have an electronic copy of Schaper's PhD thesis:
K.D. SCHAPER, ‘Charakterformeln fur Weyl-Moduln und Specht-Moduln in Primcharacteristik’,
Diplomarbeit, Bonn, 1981.
I would like to ...
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Expression of basis vectors of permutation modules in different bases.
This is a cross-post from math.se, because I did not get any answer there:
Write $[n]:=\{1,\ldots,n\}$. For a partition $\lambda\vdash n$, I will write $[\lambda]$ for the Specht module that ...
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On generalization of Wigner semi circle
I want to analyse noise model for a matrix M whose entries are not real numbers. The matrix is a collection of N permutation matrices of size nxn i.e, M is NnxNn. Because its a collection of ...
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What is the length of the shortest law of $S_n$?
What is the length of the shortest word $w\in F_2$ such that $w(x,y)$ is trivial for every $x,y\in S_n$?
There is a simple argument showing that we must have $\ell(w)\geq n$. See here for instance. ...
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Representations of Sym(n) and SL_d
Irreducible representations of the symmetric group Sym$(n)$, and degree-$n$ algebraic representations of SL$_d(\mathbb C)$ for $d\ge n$, can both be classified by Young diagrams with $n$ boxes.
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Permutation character of the symmetric group on subsets of certain size
The symmetric group $S_n$ acts on $[n]:=\{1,\ldots,n\}$, thereby inducing an action on the set $$\wp_k(n)=\{\: A\subseteq[n] \::\: \#A=k \:\}$$ of subsets of cardinality $k$, simply by $$(g,A)\mapsto ...
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Next smallest dimension of Specht Module after $(n)$, $(1^n)$, $(n-1,1)$ and $(2,1^{n-2})$
In representation theory of $S_n$, we know that for $n \geq 9$, the only Specht modules $S^\alpha$ of dimension $f^\alpha < {n-1 \choose 2} - 1$ are:
$S^{(n)}$ and $S^{(1^n)}$ with dimension $1$, $...
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Dimension of Specht Modules $S^\lambda$
In the study of representation theory of $S_n$, we know that the irreducible characters of $\chi_\lambda$ of $S_n$ are indexed by partitions $\lambda \vdash n$. There are several methods in ...
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Decomposition of $\mathrm{End}(V)$ as $S_n\times S_n$-module
Let $V$ be a finite-dimensional, complex vector space and set $\newcommand{\Gl}{\mathrm{Gl}}G:=\Gl(V)\times\Gl(V)$. Let $E:=\mathrm{End}(V)$ and consider its coordinate ring $\mathbb C[E]$, the space ...
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A basis for Schur functors
Suppose $V$ is a finite-dimensional vector space (over $\mathbb{C}$) and $\lambda$ is a partition of $n$ (not necessarily the dimension). Let $S^\lambda(V)=(V^{\otimes n})_\lambda$ be the $\lambda$'th ...
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Largest permutation group without 2-cycles or 3-cycles
The largest permutation group without 2-cycles is $A_n$, which has size $n!/2$. I think the largest permutation group without 2-cycles or 3-cycles is much smaller, but I can't figure out if it should ...
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Littlewood Richardson rule and seminormal basis of Specht modules
Background
Seminormal Basis of Specht modules of $\mathfrak{S}_n$
Let $\lambda$ be a partition of $n$. A $\lambda$-tableau is a
bijection $\mathfrak{t}:\lambda \to \{1,2,...,n\}$. We say a ...
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Cyclic Subgroups of the Symmetric Group
If we write a partition $n=k_1+...+k_r$, then we can create a $(k_1,...,k_r)$-cycle in $S_n$ with order equal to the least common multiple of the $k_i$'s. It is clear that every cyclic subgroup will ...
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How to solve a system of equations over permutations?
Imagine you have a $n\times n$ matrix filled in with permutations over $n$ elements. Now you pick one permutation from each row randomly starting from the first row and by multiplying them get a ...
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Identity involving partitions coming from representations of alternating groups
It is not difficult to show that the number of conjugacy classes in the alternating group $A_n$ is given by
classes in the alternating group = no. of even partitions + no. of self-transpose ...
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Algorithm for reducing words in a Coxeter group
Let $W$ be a Coxeter group with set of simple reflections $S$. Suppose that I have chosen a preferred reduced decomposition for every element of $W$. Given an arbitrary word in the alphabet $S$, is ...
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2 Possible Generalizations of Cayley's Theorem?
I'm wondering about the following 2 generalizations of Cayley's Theorem (every group embeds in a symmetric group). If these are known to be true/false, references would be appreciated.
1) (Weak ...