The Magic of Tableaux: Exploring the Wonders of Algebraic Combinatorics

Anna Pun
CUNY Baruch College

Tuesday, April 9th
3pm Rocky 312

Tableaux are one of the most fundamental and versatile objects in algebraic combinatorics, as they can encode and connect various concepts and structures in the field. In this talk, we will start with the definition and properties of Young tableaux, which are graphical representations of partitions of integers. We will then see how tableaux can be used in algebra: their connection to symmetric functions and partition algebras; how they can be related to various combinatorial operations, such as the RSK-algorithm and the Jeu-de-taquin procedure; and how they can give rise to various combinatorial structures, such as lattice paths, vacillating tableaux, and parking functions. We will also explore some variations of tableaux, such as composition tableaux and set-valued tableaux, and discuss some interesting problems and conjectures that arise from them. We will conclude with some open questions and directions for future research on tableaux and their applications in algebraic combinatorics.