On multiplicity-free skew characters and the Schubert Calculus

Abstract

In this paper we classify the multiplicity-free skew characters of the symmetric group. Furthermore we show that the Schubert calculus is equivalent to that of skew characters in the following sense: If we decompose the product of two Schubert classes we get the same as if we decompose a skew character and replace the irreducible characters by Schubert classes of the `inverse' partitions (Theorem 4.2).