Tropical Toeplitz matrices and parametrisations

Abstract

The set of infinite upper-triangular totally positive Toeplitz matrices has a classical parametrisation proved by Edrei et al and originally conjectured by Schoenberg, that involves pairs of sequences of positive real parameters. These matrices (and their parameters) are central for understanding characters of the infinite symmetric group by work of Thoma. On the other hand there is a very different parametrisation theorem that applies to the finite analogue of this set. These finite Toeplitz matrices and their parameters relate to quantum cohomology of flag varieties and mirror symmetry. In this paper we replace the positive reals by a semifield with valuation to then construct tropical analogues for both parametrisation theorems. In the finite case we tropicalise using positive generalised Puiseaux series. This builds on work of Judd and Lüdenbach. In the infinite case we use a new valued semifield of continuous functions. We arrive at different natural infinite analogues of totally positive Toeplitz matrices, depending on a choice of topology on our valued semifield. We then prove an asymptotic result relating the tropical parameters from the finite case to the tropicalisations of the Schoenberg parameters. Moreover, we show that our finite type tropical parametrisation map is given by Lusztig's weight map from the theory of canonical bases. This results in a surprising connection between the classical Edrei theorem with its Schoenberg parameters and Lusztig's canonical basis parametrisation.