arXiv subjects

Ricky Ini Liu

Publications and source records attributed to Ricky Ini Liu.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Generalized degree polynomials of trees

The generalized degree polynomial $\mathbf{G}_T(x,y,z)$ of a tree $T$ is an invariant introduced by Crew that enumerates subsets of vertices by size and number of internal and boundary edges. Aliste-Prieto et al. proved that $\mathbf{G}_T$ is determined linearly by the chromatic symmetric function $\mathbf{X}_T$, introduced by Stanley. We present several classes of information about $T$ that can be recovered from $\mathbf{G}_T$ and hence also from $\mathbf{X}_T$. Examples of such information include the double-degree sequence of $T$, which enumerates edges of $T$ by the pair of degrees of their endpoints, and the leaf adjacency sequence of $T$, which enumerates vertices of $T$ by degree and number of adjacent leaves. We also discuss a further generalization of $\mathbf{G}_T$ that enumerates tuples of vertex sets and show that this is also determined by $\mathbf{X}_T$.

math.CO↗

arXiv2023

Plane partitions and rowmotion on rectangular and trapezoidal posets

We define a birational map between labelings of a rectangular poset and its associated trapezoidal poset. This map tropicalizes to a bijection between the plane partitions of these posets of fixed height, giving a new bijective proof of a result by Proctor. We also show that this map is equivariant with respect to birational rowmotion, resolving a conjecture of Williams and implying that birational rowmotion on trapezoidal posets has finite order.

math.CO↗

arXiv2023

Shuffle Bases and Quasisymmetric Power Sums

The algebra of quasisymmetric functions QSym and the shuffle algebra of compositions Sh are isomorphic as graded Hopf algebras (in characteristic zero), and isomorphisms between them can be specified via shuffle bases of QSym. We use the notion of infinitesimal characters to characterize shuffle bases, and we establish a universal property for Sh in the category of connected graded Hopf algebras equipped with an infinitesimal character, analogous to the universal property of QSym as a combinatorial Hopf algebra described by Aguiar, Bergeron, and Sottile. We then use these results to give general constructions for quasisymmetric power sums, recovering four previous constructions from the literature, and study their properties.

math.CO↗

arXiv2023

Piecewise-linear promotion and RSK in rectangles and moon polyominoes

We study piecewise-linear and birational lifts of Schützenberger promotion, evacuation, and the RSK correspondence defined in terms of toggles. Using this perspective, we prove that certain chain statistics in rectangles shift predictably under the action of these maps. We then use this to construct piecewise-linear and birational versions of Rubey's bijections between fillings of equivalent moon polyominoes that preserve these chain statistics, and we show that these maps form a commuting diagram. We also discuss how these results imply Ehrhart equivalence and Ehrhart quasi-polynomial period collapse of certain analogues of chain polytopes for moon polyominoes.

math.CO↗

arXiv2022

Birational Rowmotion and the Octahedron Recurrence

We use the octahedron recurrence to give a simplified statement and proof of a formula for iterated birational rowmotion on a product of two chains, first described by Musiker and Roby. Using this, we show that weights of certain chains in rectangles shift in a predictable way under the action of rowmotion. We then define generalized Stanley-Thomas words whose cyclic rotation uniquely determines birational rowmotion on the product of two chains. We also discuss the relationship between rowmotion and birational RSK and give a birational analogue of Greene's theorem in this setting.

math.CO↗

arXiv2021

Channels, Billiards, and Perfect Matching 2-Divisibility

Let $m_G$ denote the number of perfect matchings of the graph $G$. We introduce a number of combinatorial tools for determining the parity of $m_G$ and giving a lower bound on the power of 2 dividing $m_G$. In particular, we introduce certain vertex sets called channels, which correspond to elements in the kernel of the adjacency matrix of $G$ modulo $2$. A result of Lovász states that the existence of a nontrivial channel is equivalent to $m_G$ being even. We give a new combinatorial proof of this result and strengthen it by showing that the number of channels gives a lower bound on the power of $2$ dividing $m_G$ when $G$ is planar. We describe a number of local graph operations which preserve the number of channels. We also establish a surprising connection between 2-divisibility of $m_G$ and dynamical systems by showing an equivalency between channels and billiard paths. We exploit this relationship to show that $2^{\frac{\gcd(m+1,n+1)-1}{2}}$ divides the number of domino tilings of the $m\times n$ rectangle. We also use billiard paths to give a fast algorithm for counting channels (and hence determining the parity of the number of domino tilings) in simply connected regions of the square grid.

math.CO↗

arXiv2021

Determinantal Formulas for SEM Expansions of Schubert Polynomials

We show that for any permutation $w$ that avoids a certain set of 13 patterns of lengths 5 and 6, the Schubert polynomial $\mathfrak S_w$ can be expressed as the determinant of a matrix of elementary symmetric polynomials in a manner similar to the Jacobi-Trudi identity. For such $w$, this determinantal formula is equivalent to a (signed) subtraction-free expansion of $\mathfrak S_w$ in the basis of standard elementary monomials.

math.CO↗

arXiv2020

Up- and Down-Operators on Young's Lattice

The up-operators $u_i$ and down-operators $d_i$ (introduced as Schur operators by Fomin) act on partitions by adding/removing a box to/from the $i$th column if possible. It is well known that the $u_i$ alone satisfy the relations of the (local) plactic monoid, and the present authors recently showed that relations of degree at most 4 suffice to describe all relations between the up-operators. Here we characterize the algebra generated by the up- and down-operators together, showing that it can be presented using only quadratic relations.

math.CO↗

arXiv2019

$P$-Partitions and Quasisymmetric Power Sums

The $(P, ω)$-partition generating function of a labeled poset $(P, ω)$ is a quasisymmetric function enumerating certain order-preserving maps from $P$ to $\mathbb{Z}^+$. We study the expansion of this generating function in the recently introduced type 1 quasisymmetric power sum basis $\{ψ_α\}$. Using this expansion, we show that connected, naturally labeled posets have irreducible $P$-partition generating functions. We also show that series-parallel posets are uniquely determined by their partition generating functions. We conclude by giving a combinatorial interpretation for the coefficients of the $ψ_α$-expansion of the $(P, ω)$-partition generating function akin to the Murnaghan-Nakayama rule.

math.CO↗

arXiv2019

$P$-Partition Generating Function Equivalence of Naturally Labeled Posets

The $P$-partition generating function of a (naturally labeled) poset $P$ is a quasisymmetric function enumerating order-preserving maps from $P$ to $\mathbb{Z}^+$. Using the Hopf algebra of posets, we give necessary conditions for two posets to have the same generating function. In particular, we show that they must have the same number of antichains of each size, as well as the same shape (as defined by Greene). We also discuss which shapes guarantee uniqueness of the $P$-partition generating function and give a method of constructing pairs of non-isomorphic posets with the same generating function.

math.CO↗

arXiv2019

The Algebra of Schur Operators

We study a representation of the (local) plactic monoid given by Schur operators $u_i$, which act on partitions by adding a box in column $i$ (if possible). In particular, we give a complete list of the relations that hold in the algebra of Schur operators.

math.CO↗

arXiv2019

Twisted Schubert polynomials

We prove that twisted versions of Schubert polynomials defined by $\widetilde{\mathfrak S}_{w_0} = x_1^{n-1}x_2^{n-2} \cdots x_{n-1}$ and $\widetilde{\mathfrak S}_{ws_i} = (s_i+\partial_i)\widetilde{\mathfrak S}_w$ are monomial positive and give a combinatorial formula for their coefficients. In doing so, we reprove and extend a previous result about positivity of skew divided difference operators and show how it implies the Pieri rule for Schubert polynomials. We also give positive formulas for double versions of the $\widetilde{\mathfrak S}_w$ as well as their localizations.

math.CO↗

arXiv2019

Schubert polynomials as projections of Minkowski sums of Gelfand-Tsetlin polytopes

Gelfand-Tsetlin polytopes are classical objects in algebraic combinatorics arising in the representation theory of $\mathfrak{gl}_n(\mathbb{C})$. The integer point transform of the Gelfand-Tsetlin polytope $\mathrm{GT}(λ)$ projects to the Schur function $s_λ$. Schur functions form a distinguished basis of the ring of symmetric functions; they are also special cases of Schubert polynomials $\mathfrak{S}_{w}$ corresponding to Grassmannian permutations. For any permutation $w \in S_n$ with column-convex Rothe diagram, we construct a polytope $\mathcal{P}_{w}$ whose integer point transform projects to the Schubert polynomial $\mathfrak{S}_{w}$. Such a construction has been sought after at least since the construction of twisted cubes by Grossberg and Karshon in 1994, whose integer point transforms project to Schubert polynomials $\mathfrak{S}_{w}$ for all $w \in S_n$. However, twisted cubes are not honest polytopes; rather one can think of them as signed polytopal complexes. Our polytope $\mathcal{P}_{w}$ is a convex polytope. We also show that $\mathcal{P}_{w}$ is a Minkowski sum of Gelfand-Tsetlin polytopes of varying sizes. When the permutation $w$ is Grassmannian, the Gelfand-Tsetlin polytope is recovered. We conclude by showing that the Gelfand-Tsetlin polytope is a flow polytope.

math.CO↗

arXiv2019

Gelfand-Tsetlin polytopes: a story of flow and order polytopes

Gelfand-Tsetlin polytopes are prominent objects in algebraic combinatorics. The number of integer points of the Gelfand-Tsetlin polytope $\mathrm{GT}(λ)$ is equal to the dimension of the corresponding irreducible representation of $GL(n)$. It is well-known that the Gelfand-Tsetlin polytope is a marked order polytope; the authors have recently shown it to be a flow polytope. In this paper, we draw corollaries from this result and establish a general theory connecting marked order polytopes and flow polytopes.

math.CO↗

arXiv2016

Flow polytopes and the space of diagonal harmonics

A result of Haglund implies that the $(q,t)$-bigraded Hilbert series of the space of diagonal harmonics is a $(q,t)$-Ehrhart function of the flow polytope of a complete graph with netflow vector $(-n, 1, \dots, 1)$. We study the $(q,t)$-Ehrhart functions of flow polytopes of threshold graphs with arbitrary netflow vectors. Our results generalize previously known specializations of the mentioned bigraded Hilbert series at $t=1$, $0$, and $q^{-1}$. As a corollary to our results, we obtain a proof of a conjecture of Armstrong, Garsia, Haglund, Rhoades and Sagan about the $(q, q^{-1})$-Ehrhart function of the flow polytope of a complete graph with an arbitrary netflow vector.

math.CO↗

arXiv2015

Kronecker coefficients and noncommutative super Schur functions

The theory of noncommutative Schur functions can be used to obtain positive combinatorial formulae for the Schur expansion of various classes of symmetric functions, as shown by Fomin and Greene. We develop a theory of noncommutative super Schur functions and use it to prove a positive combinatorial rule for the Kronecker coefficients where one of the partitions is a hook, recovering previous results of the two authors. This method also gives a precise connection between this rule and a heuristic for Kronecker coefficients first investigated by Lascoux.

math.CO↗

arXiv2015

Complete branching rules for Specht modules

We give a combinatorial description for when the Specht module of an arbitrary diagram admits a (complete) branching rule. This description, given in terms of the maximal rectangles of the diagram, generalizes all previously known branching rules for Specht modules, such as those given by Reiner and Shimozono for northwest diagrams and by the present author for forest diagrams.

math.RT↗

arXiv2014

A simplified Kronecker rule for one hook shape

Recently Blasiak gave a combinatorial rule for the Kronecker coefficient $g_{λμν}$ when $μ$ is a hook shape by defining a set of colored Yamanouchi tableaux with cardinality $g_{λμν}$ in terms of a process called conversion. We give a characterization of colored Yamanouchi tableaux that does not rely on conversion, which leads to a simpler formulation and proof of the Kronecker rule for one hook shape.

math.CO↗