HOPF ALGEBRAS OF SYMMETRIC FUNCTIONS AND TENSOR PRODUCTS OF SYMMETRIC GROUP REPRESENTATIONS

Abstract

The Hopf algebra structure of the ring of symmetric functions is used to prove a new identity for the internal product, i.e., the operation corresponding to the tensor product of symmetric group representations. From this identity, or by similar techniques which can also involve the λ-ring structure, we derive easy proofs of most known results about this operation. Some of these results are generalized.