The Andrews-Gordon Identities and q-Multinomial Coefficients
Abstract
We prove polynomial boson-fermion identities for the generating function of the number of partitions of $n$ of the form $n=\sum_{j=1}^{L-1} j f_j$, with $f_1\leq i-1$, $f_{L-1} \leq i'-1$ and $f_j+f_{j+1}\leq k$. The bosonic side of the identities involves $q$-deformations of the coefficients of $x^a$ in the expansion of $(1+x+\cdots+ x^k)^L$. A combinatorial interpretation for these $q$-multinomial coefficients is given using Durfee dissection partitions. The fermionic side of the polynomial identities arises as the partition function of a one-dimensional lattice-gas of fermionic particles. In the limit $L\to\infty$, our identities reproduce the analytic form of Gordon's generalization of the Rogers--Ramanujan identities, as found by Andrews. Using the $q \to 1/q$ duality, identities are obtained for branching functions corresponding to cosets of type $({\rm A}^{(1)}_1)_k \times ({\rm A}^{(1)}_1)_{\ell} / ({\rm A}^{(1)}_1)_{k+\ell}$ of fractional level $\ell$.
- Publication:
-
Communications in Mathematical Physics
- Pub Date:
- 1997
- DOI:
- 10.1007/s002200050058
- arXiv:
- arXiv:q-alg/9601012
- Bibcode:
- 1997CMaPh.184..203W
- Keywords:
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- Mathematics - Quantum Algebra;
- High Energy Physics - Theory
- E-Print:
- 31 pages, Latex, 9 Postscript figures