Pólya enumeration, wreath product symmetric functions, and moduli spaces of curves

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Kannan, Siddarth, Song, Terry Dekun
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Kannan, Siddarth
Song, Terry Dekun
author_facet Kannan, Siddarth
Song, Terry Dekun
contents We develop a calculus for $S_n$-equivariant Euler characteristics of moduli spaces of stable curves and stable maps. Our approach involves an enrichment of Pólya's cycle index polynomial of a graph to a certain algebra $Λ^{[2]}$ of wreath product symmetric functions. Building on foundational work of Macdonald, we prove that $Λ^{[2]}$ may be viewed as the Grothendieck ring of the category of polynomial functors which map symmetric sequences of vector spaces to vector spaces. This interpretation gives rise to an action of $Λ^{[2]}$ on the ordinary ring of symmetric functions $Λ$, which is described concretely in terms of Adams operations and skewing by power sums. This action lets us deduce appealing formulas, involving only ordinary symmetric functions, for generating functions of $S_n$-equivariant Euler characteristics.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2602_22325
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Pólya enumeration, wreath product symmetric functions, and moduli spaces of curves
Kannan, Siddarth
Song, Terry Dekun
Combinatorics
Algebraic Geometry
Representation Theory
We develop a calculus for $S_n$-equivariant Euler characteristics of moduli spaces of stable curves and stable maps. Our approach involves an enrichment of Pólya's cycle index polynomial of a graph to a certain algebra $Λ^{[2]}$ of wreath product symmetric functions. Building on foundational work of Macdonald, we prove that $Λ^{[2]}$ may be viewed as the Grothendieck ring of the category of polynomial functors which map symmetric sequences of vector spaces to vector spaces. This interpretation gives rise to an action of $Λ^{[2]}$ on the ordinary ring of symmetric functions $Λ$, which is described concretely in terms of Adams operations and skewing by power sums. This action lets us deduce appealing formulas, involving only ordinary symmetric functions, for generating functions of $S_n$-equivariant Euler characteristics.
title Pólya enumeration, wreath product symmetric functions, and moduli spaces of curves
topic Combinatorics
Algebraic Geometry
Representation Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.22325