The Pfaffian Schur Process

Author: Vuletić, Mirjana

Year: 2009

Degree: Dissertation (Ph.D.)

Advisor: Borodin, Alexei

Committee Members: Borodin, Alexei; Wales, David B.; Rains, Eric M.; Duits, Maurice

Option: Mathematics

DOI: 10.7907/MXT5-QN56

Abstract

This thesis consists of an introduction and three independent chapters.

In Chapter 2, we define the shifted Schur process as a measure on sequences of strict partitions. This process is a generalization of the shifted Schur measure introduced by Tracy-Widom and Matsumoto, and is a shifted version of the Schur process introduced by Okounkov-Reshetikhin. We prove that the shifted Schur process defines a Pfaffian point process. Furthermore, we apply this fact to compute the bulk scaling limit of the correlation functions for a measure on strict plane partitions which is an analog of the uniform measure on ordinary plane partitions. This allows us to obtain the limit shape of large strict plane partitions distributed according to this measure. The limit shape is given in terms of the Ronkin function of the polynomial P(z,w)=-1+z+w+zw and is parameterized on the domain representing half of the amoeba of this polynomial. As a byproduct, we obtain a shifted analog of famous MacMahon's formula.

In Chapter 3, we generalize the generating formula for plane partitions known as MacMahon's formula, as well as its analog for strict plane partitions. We give a 2-parameter generalization of these formulas related to Macdonald's symmetric functions. Our formula is especially simple in the Hall--Littlewood case. We also give a bijective proof of the analog of MacMahon's formula for strict plane partitions.

In Chapter 4, generating functions of plane overpartitions are obtained using various methods: nonintersecting paths, RSK type algorithms and symmetric functions. We give t-generating formulas for cylindric partitions. We also show that overpartitions correspond to domino tilings and give some basic properties of this correspondence. This is a joint work with Sylvie Corteel and Cyrille Savelief.

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