Limit shapes for growing extreme characters of $U(\infty)$

Abstract

We prove the existence of a limit shape and give its explicit description for certain probability distribution on signatures (or highest weights for unitary groups). The distributions have representation theoretic origin-they encode decomposition on irreducible characters of the restrictions of certain extreme characters of the infinite-dimensional unitary group $U(\infty)$ to growing finite-dimensional unitary subgroups $U(N)$. The characters of $U(\infty)$ are allowed to depend on $N$. In a special case, this describes the hydrodynamic behavior for a family of random growth models in $(2+1)$-dimensions with varied initial conditions.