The combinatorial Macdonald polynomials $H_\mu(\mathbf{x};q,t),$ for $\mu$ partition of $n,$ are symmetric functions (polynomials in a denumerable set of variables) in variables $\mathbf{x}=x_1,x_2,\ldots$, with coefficients in the field of fraction $\mathbb{Q}(q,t).$ Their Schur Function expansions have coefficients that are polynomials in $\mathbb{N}[q,t],$ hence:
$H_\mu(\mathbf{x};q,t) = \sum_{\nu\vdash n} k_{\mu\nu}(q,t)\, s_\nu(\mathbf{x}),$
with $k_{\mu\nu}(q,t)\in\mathbb{N}[q,t]$. At $q=t=1$ they specialize to $s_1(\mathbf{x})^n$. For example,
$H_{{3}}(\mathbf{x};q,t)=s_{{3}}(\mathbf{x})+ \left( q+{q}^{2} \right) s_{{21}}(\mathbf{x})+{q}^{3}s_{{111}}(\mathbf{x})$
$H_{{21}}(\mathbf{x};q,t)=s_{{3}}(\mathbf{x})+ \left( t+q \right) s_{{21}}(\mathbf{x})+qt\,s_{{111}}(\mathbf{x})$
$H_{{111}}(\mathbf{x};q,t)=s_{{3}}(\mathbf{x})+ \left( t+{t}^{2} \right) s_{{21}}(\mathbf{x})+{t}^{3}s_{{111}}(\mathbf{x})$
Many interesting operators are linked to the study of these polynomials, in particular the operator $\nabla$.
The combinatorial Macdonald polynomial $H_\mu(\mathbf{x};q,t)$ occur as the bigraded Frobenius characteristic of the Garsia-Haiman module $M_\mu$. This means that the coefficient of $q^i\,t^j$ in $k_{\mu\nu}(q,t)$ is the multiplicity of the irreducible representation of $\mathbb{S}_n$ corresponding to the partition $\nu$, in the homogenous component of bidegree $(i,j)$ of $M_\mu$. The $\mathbb{S}_n$-module $M_\mu$ is a (bi-)homogeneous subvector space of the ring of polynomials in two sets of $n$ variables.
For more on Macdonald Polynomials
- My book: Algebraic Combinatorics and Coinvariant Spaces, CMS Treatise in Mathematics, CRC Press, 2009. 221 pages. (See Table of Content and Introduction).
- Jim Haglund’ book: The q, t-Catalan Numbers and the Space of Diagonal Harmonics, with an Appendix on the Combinatorics of Macdonald Polynomials, University Lecture Series of the AMS, 2008.
- The report of the Workshop on Applications of Macdonald Polynomials, BIRS 2007.
- Workshop: Combinatorial Hopf Algebras and Macdonald Polynomials, CRM 2007.
- A list of papers on Macdonald Polynomials (1995-2005).
- Workshop on Jack, Hall-Littlewood and Macdonald Polynomials, ICMS 2003.
- Algebraic Methods and q-Special Functions – Jan Felipe van Diejen, Universidad de Chile, and Luc Vinet, Université de Montréal, Editors – AMS | CRM, 1999, 276 pages.
- Adriano Garsia’s site: Macdonald Polynomials and The n! Homepage
- Mike Zabrocki’s site: Macdonald Polynomials