Optimizing over Nonzero Littlewood–Richardson Coefficients: The Quantum Max d-Cut of Complete Bipartite Graphs
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Konvalinka asked (Oberwolfach Report 2/2026, p. 150) for the maximum of Δ(λ,µ,ν) = η(λ) − η(µ) − η(ν), where η(λ) = |λ|² + d(d−1)(2d−1)/6 − Σ_{i=1}^{d} (λ_i − i + 1)², over the triples of partitions with |λ| = n, |µ| = k, |ν| = n − k, at most d parts and nonzero Littlewood–Richardson coefficient c^λ_{µν}. By the work of Klep, Štrekelj and Volčič this maximum is the quantum max d-cut of the complete bipartite graph K_{n−k,k}, that is, the largest eigenvalue of the sum of 2(I − SWAP_ij) over its edges acting on (C^d)^{⊗n}. They determined it for d ≤ 3 and for k ≤ 4 and conjectured that it is always attained at a triple in which at most one part of λ is the sum of a part of µ and a part of ν (their Conjecture 7.7). We determine the maximum for all n, k, d. An explicit Littlewood–Richardson tableau and a level-set argument reduce the problem to the maximization of an elementary function Ψ(µ,x) over partitions µ of k with at most d parts and vectors x ∈ Z^d_{≥0} with sum n − k, an optimal λ being the decreasing rearrangement of µ + x. Exchange and convexity arguments then give an optimum with at most one row in which both µ and x are nonzero and with balanced remaining rows. Consequently, for d ≥ 2 the maximum equals 2k(n−k) + 2 max{Ψ_A, Ψ_B} over an explicit list of at most (d−1)(1 + k(n−k)) integers built from balanced partitions; it is 0 for d = 1 and 4k(n−k) for d ≥ n. As a corollary, Conjecture 7.7 of Klep, Štrekelj and Volčič holds, with explicit optimal triples (λ,µ,ν) = (P ⊎ Z, P, Z) or (P ⊎ Z ⊎ (π+y), P ⊎ (π), Z ⊎ (y)), where P and Z are balanced partitions and ⊎ denotes the union of the parts. The answer is a maximum over a candidate list of polynomial size, not a single closed formula. The known cases (d = 2, which is the Lieb–Mattis theorem; d = 3; k ≤ 4; the star graph) are recovered, and the results agree with brute-force computations over all Littlewood–Richardson coefficients for n ≤ 22 and with the reduction for n ≤ 80. The problem is Konvalinka's; the reduction of the quantum max d-cut of K_{n−k,k} to this maximum, the cases d ≤ 3 and k ≤ 4 and the conjecture are due to Klep, Štrekelj and Volčič. New, to our knowledge, are the general solution and the proof of the conjecture. This is an unrefereed note. Unrefereed preprint released for independent mathematical scrutiny. Publication on Zenodo does not constitute peer review. AI-assisted tools supported research, computation, proof development, and manuscript preparation. The author remains responsible for all claims and the final text. Corpus identifier: OWR-14299904-015 (Konvalinka, Optimizing over nonzero LR coefficients, Oberwolfach Report 2/2026, p. 150).
Author: Ferudun, Alper
Language: English
Subfield: Discrete Mathematics and Combinatorics
Field: Mathematics
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7222050348
Cites:
Cited by:
Related to: