Higher order peak algebras

Abstract

Using the theory of noncommutative symmetric functions, we introduce the higher order peak algebras, a sequence of graded Hopf algebras which contain the descent algebra and the usual peak algebra as initial cases (N = 1 and N = 2). We compute their Hilbert series, introduce and study several combinatorial bases, and establish various algebraic identities related to the multisection of formal power series with noncommutative coefficients.