Separation cutoffs for random walk on irreducible representations

Abstract

Random walk on the irreducible representations of the symmetric and general linear groups is studied. A separation distance cutoff is proved and the exact separation distance asymptotics are determined. A key tool is a method for writing the multiplicities in the Kronecker tensor powers of a fixed representation as a sum of non-negative terms. Connections are made with the Lagrange-Sylvester interpolation approach to Markov chains.