A Ribbon Hopf Algebra Approach to the Irreducible Representations of Centralizer Algebras: The Brauer, Birman-Wenzl, and Type A Iwahori-Hecke Algebras

Arun Ram
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
University of Melbourne
Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
aram@unimelb.edu.au

Last update: 13 March 2014

Ribbon Hopf Algebras, Conditional Expectations, and Markov Traces on Centralizer Algebras

Let (𝔘,ℛ,v) be a ribbon Hopf algebra. Let W be a finite dimensional 𝔘-module. Let {wi} be a basis of W and let {wi} be the dual basis in W*. Let ⟨ , ⟩ be the ordinary pairing between W and W* so that ⟨ϕ,w⟩=⟨w,ϕ⟩=ϕ(w) for elements ϕ∈W* and w∈W. Using this notation, the action of an element b∈End(W) can be given in the form bwi=∑j ⟨bwi,wj⟩ wj. The Hopf algebra 𝔘 acts on W* via the antipode S in the standard way, aϕ=∑j ⟨aϕ,wj⟩ wj=∑j ⟨ϕ,S(a)wj⟩ wj, for all a∈𝔘 and ϕ∈W*. We shall often use the relation ⟨aϕ,wj⟩=⟨ϕ,S(a)wj⟩, which follows from this definition. The material in this section is very much motivated by [Wen1988-2, Section 1] and [Wen1990].

Quantum Trace and Quantum Dimension

Define the quantum trace of an element b∈End𝔘(W) by trq(b)=Tr (v-1ub)= ∑i ⟨v-1ubwi,wi⟩, where the sum is over the basis Wi of W. If a,b∈End𝔘(W) then both a and b commute with v-1u; thus, trq(ab)=trq(ba) for all a,b∈End𝔘(W). Define the quantum dimension of the 𝔘-module W to be dimq(W)= trq(id), where id denotes the identity operator on W.

Let Wˆ be the subset of 𝔘ˆ that indexes the irreducible modules Λμ appearing in the decomposition of W. As a trace on End𝔘(W), the quantum trace trq has weights given by wt(μ)=dimq (Λμ), μ∈Wˆ, where Λμ are the irreducible U-modules appearing in the decomposition of W.

Proof.

By the double centralizer theory we know that as End𝔘(W)⊗𝔘 modules, W≅⨁λ𝒵λ⊗Λλ, where 𝒵λ are irreducible modules for End𝔘(W) and Λλ are irreducible modules for 𝔘. By taking traces on both sides of this isomorphism we have trq(b)=Tr (v-1ub)= ∑λ∈Wˆ ηλ(b)χλ (v-1u)= ∑λ∈Wˆ ηλ(b) dimq(Λλ), where ηλ is the irreducible character of End𝔘(W) on the module 𝒵λ and χλ is the irreducible character of the irreducible 𝔘-module Λλ. Thus the trace of a minimal idempotent pμ in the minimal ideal corresponding to μ is wt(μ)=trq (pμ)= ∑λ∈Wˆ ηλ(pμ) dimq(Λλ) =∑λ∈Wˆ δλμdimq (Λλ)= dimq(Λμ).

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The Projection onto the Invariants

Let V be a 𝔘-module and let V* be the dual module to V. Let {ei} be a basis of V and let {ei} be the dual basis in V*. Define ě: V⊗V* ⟶ V⊗V* x⊗ϕ ⟼ ⟨ (dimq(V))-1 ϕ,v-1ux ⟩ ∑iei⊗ei (3.2) Where ⟨ϕ,v-1ux⟩=ϕ(v-1ux) denotes the evaluation of the functional ϕ∈V* at the element v-1ux∈V. It follows from (a) and (b) of the following proposition that

(1) ě∈End𝔘(V⊗V*), and
(2) ě is the 𝔘-invariant projection onto the invariants in V⊗V*.

(a) For every g∈𝔘 we have gě=ěg=ε(g)ě,
(b) ě2=ě.

Proof.

(a) Let g∈𝔘, x∈V, ϕ∈V*. Then, by direct computation, gě(x⊗ϕ) = (dimq(V))-1 ⟨ϕ,v-1ux⟩ g(∑iei⊗ei) = (dimq(V))-1 ⟨ϕ,v-1ux⟩ Δ(g) (∑iei⊗ei) = (dimq(V))-1 ⟨ϕ,v-1ux⟩ ∑g,ig(1) ei⊗g(2)ei = (dimq(V))-1 ⟨ϕ,v-1ux⟩ ∑i,j,k∑g ⟨g(1)ei,ej⟩ ×⟨g(2)ei,ek⟩ (ej⊗ek) = (dimq(V))-1 ⟨ϕ,v-1ux⟩ ∑i,j,k∑g ⟨g(1)ei,ej⟩ ×⟨ei,S(g(2))ek⟩ (ej⊗ek) = (dimq(V))-1 ⟨ϕ,v-1ux⟩ ∑j,k∑g ⟨g(1)S(g(2))ek,ej⟩ (ej⊗ek) = (dimq(V))-1 ⟨ϕ,v-1ux⟩ ∑j,k ⟨ε(g)ek,ej⟩ ej⊗ek = (dimq(V))-1 ε(g)⟨ϕ,v-1ux⟩ ∑jej⊗ej = ε(g)ě(x⊗ϕ), where we are using the identity ∑gg(1)S(g(2))=ε(g) which follows from the definition of the antipode in a Hopf algebra. On the other hand, since v is in the center of 𝔘 and u-1xu=S-2(x) for all x∈𝔘, ěg(x⊗ϕ) = ě(∑gg(1)x⊗g(2)ϕ) = (dimq(V))-1 ∑g,i ⟨g(2)ϕ,v-1ug(1)x⟩ ei⊗ei = (dimq(V))-1 ∑g,i ⟨ ϕ,uu-1S(g(2)) v-1ug(1)x ⟩ ei⊗ei = (dimq(V))-1 ∑g,i ⟨ ϕ,v-1uS-1 (g(2)) g(1)x ⟩ ei⊗ei = (dimq(V))-1 ∑g,i ⟨ ϕ,v-1u ε(g)x ⟩ ei⊗ei = ε(g)ě(x⊗ϕ), where we are using the identity ∑gS-1(g(2))g(1)=ε(g) which follows from the definition of the skew antipode in a Hopf algebra.

(b) This follows from the following easy computation. ě2(x⊗ϕ) = (dimq(V))-1 ě ( ⟨ϕ,v-1ux⟩ ∑iei⊗ei ) = (dimq(V))-2 ⟨ϕ,v-1ux⟩ ∑i⟨ei,v-1uei⟩ ∑jej⊗ej = (dimq(V))-2 ⟨ϕ,v-1ux⟩ dimq(V) ∑jej⊗ej = ě(x⊗ϕ).

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The Conditional Expectation

Let V be a 𝔘-module and let V* be the dual 𝔘-module to V. For each m, let 𝒵m=End𝔘 (V⊗m) and define  𝒞m+1= End𝔘 (V⊗(m-1)⊗V*) . (3.4) Let {ws} be a basis of V⊗(m-1) and let {ws} be a dual basis in (V⊗(m-1))*. Let {ei} be a basis of V and let {ei} be a dual basis in V*. Then define an operator εm-1:𝒵m→End(V⊗(m-1)) by εm-1(b) wj= (dimq(V))-1 ∑k,p ⟨ (id⊗v-1u)b (wj⊗ek), wp⊗ek ⟩ wp. (3.5) for each b∈𝒵m. The map εm-1 is called the conditional expectation. Let ěm=id⊗id⊗⋯⊗ id⊗ě∈𝒞m+1. (3.6)

(a) ěmběm=εm-1(b)ěm=ěmεm-1(b) for all b∈𝒵m.
(b) εm-1(a1ba2)=a1εm-1(b)a2, for all a1,a2∈𝒵m-1 and b∈𝒵m. In particular, εm-1(a)=a for all a∈𝒵m-1.
(c) εm-1(b)∈𝒵m-1 for all b∈𝒵m.

Proof.

Let W=V⊗(m-1). Let {wt} and {ei} be bases of W and V respectively and let {ws} and {ei} be dual bases in W* and V* respectively.

(a) Then ěmběm (ws⊗ei⊗ej) = (dimq(V))-1 ⟨ej,v-1uei⟩ ∑kěmb (ws⊗ek⊗ek) = (dimq(V))-1 ⟨ej,v-1uei⟩ ∑k,t,l ⟨b(ws⊗ek),wt⊗el⟩ ěm(wt⊗el⊗ek) = (dimq(V))-2 ⟨ej,v-1uei⟩ ∑k,t,l,p ⟨b(ws⊗ek),wt⊗el⟩ ⟨ek,v-1uel⟩ ×(wt⊗ep⊗ep) = (dimq(V))-2 ⟨ej,v-1uei⟩ ∑k,t,p ⟨ (id⊗v-1u) b(ws⊗ek), wt⊗ek ⟩ ×(wt⊗ep⊗ep) = εm-1(b) ěm(ws⊗ei⊗ej). The remaining assertion follows since ěm commutes with elements of End(W)⊆End(W⊗V⊗V*).

(b) The action of εm-1(a1ba2) on a basis element wj of W satisfies εm-1 (a1ba2) wj = (dimq(V))-1 ∑k,p ⟨ (id⊗v-1u) (a1⊗id)b (a2⊗id) (wj⊗ek), wp⊗ek ⟩ wp = (dimq(V))-1 a1∑k,p ⟨ (id⊗v-1u) b(a2wj⊗ek), wp⊗ek ⟩ wp = a1εm-1(b) a2wj.

(c) Let x∈𝔘 and let x‾∈End(W) be the endomorphism of W determined by the action of x on W. Then, since b∈End𝔘(W⊗V), x‾ěmběm= ěmx‾běm= ěmbx‾ěm= ěmběmx‾. This implies that x‾εm-1(b)ěm= εm-1(b)x‾ěm. Since the map End(W)→End(W⊗V⊗V*) given by a↦aěm is injective, it follows that x‾εm-1(b)= εm-1(b)x‾.

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Markov Traces and Framing Anomalies

Assume that V is an irreducible 𝔘-module and let 𝒵m=End𝔘(V⊗m). Define traces mtm:𝒵m→k by mtm(b)= trq(b) dimq(V)m . (3.8) The traces mtm are called Markov traces.

Let Ř be the element of 𝒵2 given in (2.16). Since V is irreducible it follows from Schur's lemma that 𝒵1≅k. Thus, ε1:𝒵2→k and ε1(Ř)= αdimq(V), (3.9) for some constant α∈k. The constant α is called the framing anomaly of Ř.

(a) If a∈𝒵m-1 then mtm-1(a)=mtm(a). In particular mtm(1)=1 for all m.
(b) For each b∈𝒵m, mtm(b)=mtm-1(εm-1(b)).
(c) For each a∈𝒵m-1, mtm(aŘm-1)=dimq(V)-1αmtm-1(a), where α is the framing anomaly of Ř.
(d) The Markov traces mtm have weights given by wtm(λ)= dimq(Λλ) dimq(V)m ,λ∈𝒵ˆm, where Λλ denotes the irreducible 𝔘-module corresponding to λ.

Proof.

(a) By the definition of the Markov trace and the fact that v-1u is a grouplike element of 𝔘, mtm(a)= Trq((v-1u⊗v-1u)(a⊗id)) dimq(V)m , by the definition of the quantum trace on V⊗m. Since traces on tensor products of modules are the products of the individual traces we may write mtm(a)= Tr(v-1ua)Tr(v-1uid) dimq(V)m , where the first Tr in the numerator is on V⊗(m-1) and the second is on V. Then, by the definition of quantum dimension, we get mtm(a)= Tr(v-1ua)dimq(V) dimq(V)m =mtm-1(a). In particular, mtm(1)=trq(id⊗m)/dimq(V)m=1.

(b) Let W=V⊗(m-1). Let {ws} be a basis of W and let {ws} be a dual basis in W*. Let {ei} be a basis of V and let {ei} be a dual basis of V*. Let b∈𝒵m. Since the element v-1u is a grouplike element of 𝔘 we have dimq(V)trq (εm-1(b)) = dimq(V)∑s ⟨v-1uεm-1(b)ws,ws⟩ = ∑s,k ⟨ (v-1u⊗id) (id⊗v-1u) b(ws⊗ek), ws⊗ek ⟩ = ∑s,k ⟨ (v-1u⊗v-1u) b(ws⊗ek), ws⊗ek ⟩ = ∑s,k ⟨ v-1ub (ws⊗ek), ws⊗ek ⟩ = trq(b), where the quantum trace on the left hand side of equation is the quantum trace on V⊗(m-1) and the quantum trace on the right side of the equation is the quantum trace on V⊗m. The statement follows by converting to Markov traces.

(c) Let ěm be the element of End𝔘(V⊗m⊗V*) given by ěm=id⊗(m-1)⊗ě, where ě is as in (3.2). Then, since a∈End𝔘(V⊗(m-1)), a commutes with ěm and ěmaŘm-1ěm = aěmŘm-1ěm = a(id⊗(m-1)⊗(ěŘě)) = a(id⊗(m-1)⊗ε1(Ř)ě) = dimq(V)-1 αaěm. It follows that εm-1(aŘm-1)=αa and thus that mtm(aŘm-1)= mtm-1(εm-1(aŘm-1)) =dimq(V)-1α mtm-1(a).

(d) This follows immediately from Lemma (3.1) and the definition of the Markov traces.

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(1) Let 𝔘=(𝔘,ℛ,v) be a ribbon Hopf algebra and let V=Λλ be a irreducible 𝔘-module. Since v is a central element of 𝔘, the element v acts by a constant v(λ) on V=Λλ. Then the framing anomaly α of Ř is given by α=v(λ)-1.
(2) Let 𝔤 be a finite dimensional complex simple Lie algebra and let 𝔘=𝔘h(𝔤) be the corresponding Drinfel'd-Jimbo quantum group. Suppose that V=Λλ is an irreducible representation of highest weight λ. Then the framing anomaly α of Ř is given by α=q⟨λ,λ+2ρ⟩.

Proof.

(1) By Proposition (3.7)(a) it is enough to show that ě2Řě2=(dimq(V))-1v(λ)-1ě2 as elements of End𝔘(V⊗V⊗V*). Let {ei} be a basis of V and let {ei} be a dual basis in V*. It follows from the identities (2.5), (2.6) and (2.7) that if ℛ=∑iai⊗bi and (S⊗id)(ℛ)=ℛ-1=∑jcj⊗dj, then ∑ibiS2(ai)= ∑jdjS(cj)= ∑jS-1(dj)cj= u-1. Let x,y∈V and let ϕ∈V*. Then, ě2Řě2 (x⊗y⊗ϕ) = (dimq(V))-1 ⟨ϕ,v-1uy⟩ ě2Ř∑kx⊗ek⊗ek = (dimq(V))-1 ⟨ϕ,v-1uy⟩ ě2∑k,ibiek ⊗aix⊗ek = (dimq(V))-2 ⟨ϕ,v-1uy⟩ ∑k,i,l ⟨ek,v-1uaix⟩ biek⊗el⊗el = (dimq(V))-2 ⟨ϕ,v-1uy⟩ ∑i,l (biv-1uaix)⊗el⊗el = (dimq(V))-2 ⟨ϕ,v-1uy⟩ ∑i,l biS2(ai)v-1ux ⊗el⊗el = (dimq(V))-2 ⟨ϕ,v-1uy⟩ ∑l u-1v-1ux ⊗el⊗el = (dimq(V))-1 ě2(v-1x⊗y⊗ϕ) = (dimq(V))-1 v(λ)-1ě2(x⊗y⊗ϕ).

(2) follows immediately, since, by Proposition (2.14), the element v=e-hρu acts on an irreducible module Λλ of highest weight λ by the constant q-⟨λ,λ+2ρ⟩.

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A Path Algebra Formula for ěm

Assume that V is an irreducible 𝔘 module and that the branching rule for tensoring by V is multiplicity free. Let 𝒵m=End𝔘(V⊗m) and 𝒞m+1=End𝔘(V⊗m⊗V*) as in (3.4). Identify the centralizer algebras 𝒵k, 1≤k≤m, with path algebras as in Section 1. It can be shown that if the branching rule for tensoring by V is multiplicity free, then the branching rule for tensoring by V* is also multiplicity free. It follows that the sequence of centralizer algebras 𝒵0⊆⋯⊆𝒵m-1⊆𝒵m⊆𝒞m+1 can be identified with a sequence of path algebras corresponding to a multiplicity free Bratteli diagram. Let us review the notation.

(1) 𝔘ˆ is a set indexing the irreducible representations of 𝔘.
(2) 𝒵ˆk is a set indexing the irreducible representations of the algebra 𝒵k.
(3) By the double centralizer theory 𝒵ˆk is naturally identified with the subset of 𝔘ˆ containing the indexes of representations that appear in the decomposition of V⊗k into irreducible 𝔘-modules.
(4) Let 𝒞ˆm+1 be an index set for the irreducible representations of 𝒞m+1 which is naturally identified with the subset of 𝔘ˆ containing indexes of representations that appear in the decomposition of V⊗m⊗V* into irreducible 𝔘-modules.

The notation for paths and tableaux will be as in Section 1. Let mtm denote the Markov trace on 𝒵m and let wtm denote the weights of the Markov trace.

(a) Viewing 𝒵ˆm-1 and 𝒞ˆm+1 as sets with elements in 𝔘ˆ, we have 𝒵ˆm-1⊆𝒞ˆm+1.
(b) One can identify the centralizer algebra 𝒞m+1 with a path algebra in such way that ěm is given by the formula ěm= ∑(S,T)∈Ωm-1m+1 (ěm)STEST, where, if S=(σ(m-1),σ(m),σ(m+1)), and T=(σ(m-1),τ(m),σ(m+1)), then (ěm)ST= { wtm(τ(m))wtm(σ(m)) wtm-1(σ(m-1)) , if σ(m+1)= σ(m-1) as elements of  𝔘ˆ, 0, otherwise.

Proof.

Step 1. Let M′=(μ(0),…,μ(m))∈𝒯m and let M″=(μ(0),…,μ(m-1)). Then εm-1(EM′M′)= wtm(μ(m)) wtm-1(μ(m-1)) EM″M″≠0.

Proof.

Suppose that εm-1(EM′M′) =∑(U″,R″)∈Ωm-1 aU″R″EU″R″ ∈𝒵m-1, for some constants aU″R″∈k. Suppose that (S″,T″)∈Ωm-1 and that S″=(σ(0),…,σ(m-1)). Then mtm(ES″T″EM′M′) = mtm (ES″S″ES″T″EM′M′) = mtm (ES″T″EM′M′ES″S″) = δS″M″ δT″M″ wtm(μ(m)). On the other hand, by Proposition (3.7b) mtm-1 (εm-1(ES″T″EM′M′)) = mtm-1 (ES″T″εm-1(EM′M′)) = mtm-1 (ES″T″εm-1(EM′M′)ES″S″) = mtm-1 (ES″T″aS″T″ET″S″ES″S″) = aS″T″wtm-1 (σ(m-1)). By Proposition (3.7a), these two expressions are equal. Since the weights of the Markov trace are nonzero, it follows that aS″T″= { wtm(μ(m)) wtm-1(μ(m-1)) , if S″=T″=M″, 0, otherwise, and, if S″=T″=M″ then aS″T″≠0. The formula for εm-1(EM′M′) follows.

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Step 2. It follows from Proposition (1.4) that ěm has the form ěm= ∑(S,T)∈Ωm-1m+1 (ěm)STEST, (3.13) since, by its definition, ěm commutes with all elements of 𝒵m-1.

Step 3. Let (S,T)∈Ωm+1. Suppose S=(σ(0),…,σ(m+1)) and define S′=(σ(0),…,σ(m)) and S″=(σ(0),…,σ(m-1)). Define T′ and T″ analogously. Let M′=(μ(0),…,μ(m))∈𝒯m and let M″=(μ(0),…,μ(m-1)). Then, if (ěm)SS≠0, then (ěm)SS= wtm(σ(m)) wtm-1(σ(m-1)) , (3.14) and (ěm)SM (ěm)MS= wtm(μ(m)) wtm(σ(m)) wtm-1(σ(m-1))2 . (3.15)

Proof.

It follows from the path algebra definitions and (3.13) that ESSěm EM′M′ěm ETT=δS″M″ δM″T″∑M (ěm)SM (ěm)MT EST, where the sum is over all tableaux M such that M=(μ(0),…,μ(m),σ(m+1)). Since the Bratteli diagram is multiplicity free there is at most one such M. Thus ESSěm EM′M′ěm ETT= δS″M″ δM″T″ (ěm)SM (ěm)MT EST. (3.16) Let S and M″ be as above. Then ESSεm-1 (EM′M′) ěmETT = wtm(μ(m)) wtm-1(μ(m-1)) ESSEM″M″ ěmETT = wtm(μ(m)) wtm-1(μ(m-1)) δS″M″ δM″T″ (ěm)ST EST. (3.17) Since ěmEM′M′ěm=εm-1(EM′M′)ěm, it follows that (3.16) and (3.17) are equal. Assuming that S=T and that S″=M″, i.e. σ(i)=μ(i), for all i≤m-1, this gives the following equation. (ěm)SM (ěm)MS = wtm(μ(m)) wtm-1(μ(m-1)) (ěm)SS. (3.18) The formula in (3.14) follows by setting M=S. The formula in (3.15) now follows from (3.14) and (3.18) (recall that μ(m-1)=σ(m-1)).

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Step 4. For each λ∈𝒵ˆm-1 there exist S such that (S,S)∈Ωλm+1 and (ěm)SS≠0.

Proof.

Fix λ∈𝒵ˆm-1 and let M be such that μ(m-1)=λ. Assume that (ěm)SS=0 for all S such that (S,S)∈Ωλm+1. Then (ěm)SM(ěm)MS=0 for all S. So, by (3.16), ESSěmEM′M′ěmESS=0 for all S. This implies that εm-1(EM′M′)=0 which is a contradiction to Step 1.

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Step 5. If S is such that (ěm)SS≠0 then σ(m-1)=σ(m+1).

Proof.

Let S∈𝒯m+1 be a tableau such that (ěm)SS≠0. Then, as 𝔘-modules, Λσ(m+1)≅ESSb(V⊗m⊗V*) for all b∈𝒞m+1 such that ESSb≠0. In particular, since (ěm)SS≠0, ESSěm ES′S′ ěm=cS′ ESSES″S″ ěm≠0 and we have that Λσ(m+1) ≅ ESSěm ES′S′ ěm (V⊗m⊗V*) = cS′ESS ES″S″ ěm (V⊗m⊗V*) ≅ ESS ( ES″S″ V⊗(m-1) ⊗ěm (V⊗V*) ) . Since ES″S″V⊗(m-1)≅Λσ(m-1) and em(V⊗V*)≅Λ∅ it follows that Λσ(m+1) is isomorphic to an irreducible component in the tensor product Λσ(m-1)⊗Λ∅. Thus Λσ(m+1)≅Λσ(m-1), and so σ(m+1)=σ(m-1) as elements of 𝔘ˆ.

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Let us complete the proof of the theorem. Part (a) follows from step 5. Recall from Section 1 that there is some freedom in the choice of the matrix units ESM and EMS when M≠S. This freedom allows us to normalize the matrix units ESM and EMS in any way such that (3.15) holds. In particular, we can choose that normalization so that the formula is as in the theorem. The fact that (ěm)SM=0 if σ(m-1)≠σ(m+1) follows from steps 3, 4, and 5.

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Notes and References

This is a typed version of the paper A Ribbon Hopf Algebra Approach to the Irreducible Representations of Centralizer Algebras: The Brauer, Birman-Wenzl, and Type A Iwahori-Hecke Algebras by Robert Leduc* and Arun Ram†.

The paper was received June 24, 1994; accepted September 12, 1994.

*Supported in part by National Science Foundation Grant DMS-9300523 to the University of Wisconsin.
†Supported in part by National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship DMS-9107863.

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