English

The negative $\sigma$-moment generating function

Representation Theory 2025-06-10 v2 Number Theory

Abstract

For XX a pre-λ\lambda random variable, we show the σ\sigma-moment generating function of X-X can be obtained from the σ\sigma-moment generating function of XX by applying the composition of the standard and degree flip involutions on symmetric power series. This isometric involution is natural as it preserves the pre-λ\lambda ring structure on symmetric power series with pre-λ\lambda coefficients, thus this formula provides a simple description of the σ\sigma-moment generating function of X-X whenever the σ\sigma-moment generating function of XX has a simple description using the pre-λ\lambda structure. As an application we compute, in a natural range, the dimensions of orthogonal and symplectic group invariants in tensor products of exterior powers of their standard representations on Cn\mathbb{C}^n. We also compute a generating function for stable traces of Frobenius related to the moment conjecture for prime-order function field Dirichlet characters.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2505.01205,
  title  = {The negative $\sigma$-moment generating function},
  author = {Sean Howe},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2505.01205},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

Added reference to related results in Getzler-Kapranov. Added a computation of stable traces of Frobenius for prime-order characters