A Hopf algebra of parking functions

Jean-Christophe Novelli, Jean-Yves Thibon

Published 2003-12-05Version 1

If the moments of a probability measure on $\R$ are interpreted as a specialization of complete homogeneous symmetric functions, its free cumulants are, up to sign, the corresponding specializations of a sequence of Schur positive symmetric functions $(f_n)$. We prove that $(f_n)$ is the Frobenius characteristic of the natural permutation representation of $\SG_n$ on the set of prime parking functions. This observation leads us to the construction of a Hopf algebra of parking functions, which we study in some detail.