MacMahon symmetric functions, the partition lattice, and young subgroups

Abstract

A MacMahon symmetric function is a formal power series in a finite number of alphabets that is invariant under the diagonal action of the symmetric group. In this article, we show that the MacMahon symmetric functions are the generating functions for the orbits of sets of functions indexed by partitions under the diagonal action of a Young subgroup of a symmetric group. We define a MacMahon chromatic symmetric function that generalizes Stanley's chromatic symmetric function. Then, we study some of the properties of this new function through its connection with the noncommutative chromatic symmetric function of Gebhard and Sagan. © 2001 Academic Press.