Abstracts for the Seminar
 Discrete Geometry and Combinatorics
 Fall 2009

Speaker:  Justin Lambright, Lehigh University
Title:  A combinatorial interpretation for computations in the quantum polynomial ring.
Time: 2:30 PM, Monday, November 16, 2009
Place:  Malott 206

Abstract: A Hopf algebra called the quantum coordinate ring of SL(n,C) is often studied in terms of a related noncommutative ring called the quantum polynomial ring in n2 variables. Various bases of these rings and their representation-theoretic applications lead to the study of transition matrices whose entries are commutative polynomials having nonnegative integer coefficients. Examples of such polynomials include Brenti's modified R-polynomials. We generalize Brenti's work to give combinatorial interpretations for coefficients in a larger class of transition matrices. As an application, we simplify somewhat the previous formulation of the dual canonical basis of the quantum polynomial ring.

October 22, 2009