Diagram Algebras

Rosa Orellana
Dartmouth College

October 16, 2014

The Prototype: The symmetric group algebra

Start with the symmetric group Sk : permutations of 1, . . . , k.
Depict using permutation diagrams:
1

The Prototype: The symmetric group algebra

Start with the symmetric group Sk : permutations of 1, . . . , k.
Depict using permutation diagrams:
1

Multiplication computed by concatenation.

The Prototype: The symmetric group algebra

Start with the symmetric group Sk : permutations of 1, . . . , k.
Depict using permutation diagrams:
1

Multiplication computed by concatenation.

The Prototype: The symmetric group algebra

Start with the symmetric group Sk : permutations of 1, . . . , k.
Depict using permutation diagrams:
1

Multiplication computed by concatenation.

The Classical Schur-Weyl Duality (Schur 1901)

The Classical Schur-Weyl Duality (Schur 1901)

1. GLn (C) acts on Cn Cn Cn = (Cn )k diagonally.
g (v1 v2 vk ) = gv1 gv2 gvk .

The Classical Schur-Weyl Duality (Schur 1901)

1. GLn (C) acts on Cn Cn Cn = (Cn )k diagonally.
g (v1 v2 vk ) = gv1 gv2 gvk .
2. Sk also acts on (Cn )k by place permutation.
v3 v1 v5 v2 v4

v1 v2 v3 v4 v5

The Classical Schur-Weyl Duality (Schur 1901)

1. GLn (C) acts on Cn Cn Cn = (Cn )k diagonally.
g (v1 v2 vk ) = gv1 gv2 gvk .
2. Sk also acts on (Cn )k by place permutation.
v3 v1 v5 v2 v4

v1 v2 v3 v4 v5

3. These actions commute!

gv3 gv1 gv5 gv2 gv4

gv3 gv1 gv5 gv2 gv4

vs.
gv1 gv2 gv3 gv4 gv5

v1 v2 v3 v4 v5

The Classical Schur-Weyl Duality (Schur 1901)

1. GLn (C) acts on Cn Cn Cn = (Cn )k diagonally.
g (v1 v2 vk ) = gv1 gv2 gvk .
2. Sk also acts on (Cn )k by place permutation.
v3 v1 v5 v2 v4

v1 v2 v3 v4 v5

3. These actions commute!

gv3 gv1 gv5 gv2 gv4

gv3 gv1 gv5 gv2 gv4

vs.
gv1 gv2 gv3 gv4 gv5

v1 v2 v3 v4 v5

4. For n > 2k, we have EndGLn (C) ((Cn )k ) = CSk .

Diagram algebras and centralizer algebras

For n 2k, we have EndGLn (C) ((Cn )k ) = CSk .

Diagram algebras and centralizer algebras

For n 2k, we have EndGLn (C) ((Cn )k ) = CSk .

1. Diagrams correspond to matrices
v3 v1 v 5 v2 v4

=
v1 v2 v 3 v4 v5

nk nk matrix
w/ entries 0 & 1
M

Diagram algebras and centralizer algebras

For n 2k, we have EndGLn (C) ((Cn )k ) = CSk .

1. Diagrams correspond to matrices
v3 v1 v 5 v2 v4

=
v1 v2 v 3 v4 v5

nk nk matrix
w/ entries 0 & 1
M

2. Diagram concatenation correspond to matrix multiplication.

Constructing centralizer algebras

To construct a centralizer algebra we need:

I

A group (or algebra) H that acts on tensor space.

Constructing centralizer algebras

To construct a centralizer algebra we need:

I

A group (or algebra) H that acts on tensor space.

A representation V of H.

Constructing centralizer algebras

To construct a centralizer algebra we need:

I

A group (or algebra) H that acts on tensor space.

A representation V of H.

EndH (V k ) is a centralizer algebra.

Constructing centralizer algebras

To construct a centralizer algebra we need:

I

A group (or algebra) H that acts on tensor space.

A representation V of H.

EndH (V k ) is a centralizer algebra.

In our example,
1. H = GLn (C) general linear group;
2. V = Cn defining representation of H and it acts diagonally on
tensor space;
3. EndH (V k ) is the symmetric group algebra.

Other well-known examples

1. Temperley-Lieb algebra: H = SL2 and V = C2 .

Other well-known examples

1. Temperley-Lieb algebra: H = SL2 and V = C2 .

2. Brauer algebra (1937): H = SOn and V = Cn .

Other well-known examples

1. Temperley-Lieb algebra: H = SL2 and V = C2 .

2. Brauer algebra (1937): H = SOn and V = Cn .

3. Partition algebra (1990): H = Sn and V = Cn .

The partition algebra

Let V be the permutation representation of Sn .
n n matrices with 1s and 0s

i.e.

vi = v(i)

Now let Sn act diagonally on V k :

(vi1 vik ) = v(i1 ) v(ik )

The partition algebra

Let V be the permutation representation of Sn .
n n matrices with 1s and 0s

i.e.

vi = v(i)

Now let Sn act diagonally on V k :

(vi1 vik ) = v(i1 ) v(ik )
What commutes?

The partition algebra

Let V be the permutation representation of Sn .
n n matrices with 1s and 0s

i.e.

vi = v(i)

Now let Sn act diagonally on V k :

(vi1 vik ) = v(i1 ) v(ik )
What commutes?

The partition algebra

Let V be the permutation representation of Sn .
n n matrices with 1s and 0s

i.e.

vi = v(i)

Now let Sn act diagonally on V k :

(vi1 vik ) = v(i1 ) v(ik )
What commutes?

va vb vc vd

The partition algebra

Let V be the permutation representation of Sn .
n n matrices with 1s and 0s

i.e.

vi = v(i)

Now let Sn act diagonally on V k :

(vi1 vik ) = v(i1 ) v(ik )
What commutes?
a=b=c (va va )

va vb vc vd

The partition algebra

Let V be the permutation representation of Sn .
n n matrices with 1s and 0s

vi = v(i)

i.e.

Now let Sn act diagonally on V k :

(vi1 vik ) = v(i1 ) v(ik )
What commutes?
a=b=c (va va )

Pn

i=1 vi

vi

va vb vc vd

Set partitions
Fix k Z>0 , and let
[k] = {1, . . . , k}

and

[k 0 ] = {10 , . . . , k 0 }.

Were interested in set partitions of [k] [k 0 ]. Either as sets of sets

d = {{1, 2, 10 }, {3}, {20 , 30 , 40 , 4}}
or as diagrams (considering connected components)
1

=
1

(Both encode the map va vb vc vd 7 b=c=d (va va )

n
X
i=1

v i vb )

The partition algebra

Multiplying diagrams:
1

4
1

= n1

The partition algebra Pk (n) is the C-span of the partition

diagrams with this product.

The partition algebra

Multiplying diagrams:
1

4
1

= n1

The partition algebra Pk (n) is the C-span of the partition

diagrams with this product.
Nice facts:
() Associative algebra with identity 1 = {{1, 10 }, . . . , {k, k 0 }}.
() dim(Pk (n)) = the Bell number B(2k).
() Sn and Pk (n) centralize each other in End(V k ).

The Quasi-partition Algebra

We get different algebras by changing the representation also!

I

Daugherty and Orellana defined a new algebra by changing

the representation EndSn (W k ), where W is the reflection
representation of the symmetric group. That is, the
representation indexed by the partition (n 1, 1).

In order to understand the representation theory of the

centralizer algebra EndSn (W k ) we need to know how W k
decomposes in terms of irreducibles.

What are diagrams algebras good for?

Schur (1901) used the centralizer algebra of the general linear

group to construct its polynomial representations.

What are diagrams algebras good for?

Schur (1901) used the centralizer algebra of the general linear

group to construct its polynomial representations.

They can be used as models for phase transitions in statistical

mechanics.

What are diagrams algebras good for?

Schur (1901) used the centralizer algebra of the general linear

group to construct its polynomial representations.

They can be used as models for phase transitions in statistical

mechanics.

Jones (1984) used the Temperley-Lieb algebra (centralizer of

SU2 ) to define the Jones polynomials of knots.

What are diagrams algebras good for?

Schur (1901) used the centralizer algebra of the general linear

group to construct its polynomial representations.

They can be used as models for phase transitions in statistical

mechanics.

Jones (1984) used the Temperley-Lieb algebra (centralizer of

SU2 ) to define the Jones polynomials of knots.

Bowman, De Visscher and Orellana (2013) have connected

the Kronecker product of the irreducible representations of the
symmetric group to representations of the partition algebra.

The Kronecker Coefficients

Decompose into irreducibles the tensor product of two irreducible
representations of the symmetric group
M

V V =
g,
V

are the Kronecker coefficients.

The multiplicities g,
I

No rule or formula exits for computing the Kronecker

coefficients and even in the cases known, the rules/formulas
are not efficient to study these coefficients.
Problem: One of the main problems in the combinatorial
representation theory of the symmetric group is to obtain a
combinatorial interpretation for the Kronecker coefficients.
Richard Stanley

Why are Kronecker coefficients important?

They can be used in physics to model entanglement [Luque

and Thibon].

Why are Kronecker coefficients important?

They can be used in physics to model entanglement [Luque

and Thibon].

They can be used in physics to determine when mixed

quantum states exist [Klyachko, Christandl - Michison].

Why are Kronecker coefficients important?

They can be used in physics to model entanglement [Luque

and Thibon].

They can be used in physics to determine when mixed

quantum states exist [Klyachko, Christandl - Michison].

Mulmuley and Sohoni defined Geometric Complexity Theory, a

plan to settle the P vs. NP problem. To advance this plan we
need to solve problems related to the Kronecker coefficients.

Thank you to Pamela Harris, Candice Price and Shannon Talbott

for inviting me to participate.