The nonsymmetric shuffle theorem

Abstract

The shuffle conjecture of Haglund et al. expresses the symmetric function $\nabla e_n$ as a sum over labeled Dyck paths. Here $\nabla$ is an operator on symmetric functions defined in terms of its diagonal action on the basis of modified Macdonald polynomials. The shuffle conjecture was later refined by Haglund-Morse-Zabrocki to the compositional shuffle conjecture, expressing $\nabla C_α$ as a sum over labeled Dyck paths with touchpoints specified by $α$, where $C_α$ is a compositional Hall-Littlewood polynomial. Carlsson-Mellit settled both versions by developing the theory of a variant of the DAHA called the double Dyck path algebra. In a recent paper, we discovered a notion of nonsymmetric plethsym which led us to a construction of modified nonsymmetric Macdonald polynomials $\mathsf{H}_{η|λ}(\mathbf{x};q,t)$. These polynomials Weyl symmetrize to their symmetric counterparts and are conjecturally atom positive. Here we introduce a nonsymmetric version $\boldsymbol{\nabla}$ of $\nabla$, now acting diagonally on the basis given by the functions $\mathsf{H}_{η|λ}(\mathbf{x};q,t)$. Weaving together our theory with results of Carlsson-Mellit and Mellit, we establish a nonsymmetric version of the compositional shuffle theorem, which equates $\boldsymbol{\nabla}^{-1}$ applied to a nonsymmetric version $\mathsf{C}_α$ of $C_α$ with a sum over flagged labeled Dyck paths with touchpoints given by $α$. This combinatorial sum is conjecturally atom positive, refining the known Schur positivity of its symmetric counterpart.