Changing parameters in Hall-Littlewood functions

Abstract

We study the transition coefficients $b_{λ,μ}(q,t)$ of the Hall--Littlewood $P$-functions $P_λ(t)$ expanded in the basis $P_μ(q)$. We find a tableaux formula when $λ$ is a hook shape which generalizes term-by-term Lascoux-Schutzenberger's charge formula as well as Macdonald's monomial expansion formula for Hall-Littlewood functions. We conjecture that $b_{λ,μ}(t+1,t)\in\mathbb{Z}_{\ge0}[t]$ and prove it when $λ$ is a hook shape, when $λ$ has two-columns and some more simple cases. We prove that $b_{λ,μ}(t+n,n)\in\mathbb{Z}_{\ge0}[t]$ for every $n\in\mathbb{Z}_{\ge0}$, extending work of Alexandersson, and we record a stability property and some reduction principles.