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A combinatorial approach to classical representation theory

A fundamental problem from invariant theory is to describe the endomorphism algebra of multilinear functions on a representation V invariant under the action of a group G. According to Weyl's classic, a first main (later: fundamental) theorem of invariant theory provides a finite spanning set for this algebra, whereas a a second main theorem describes the linear relations between those basic invariants. We use diagrammatic methods to carry Weyl's programme a step further, providing explicit bases for the subspace of the r-th tensor powers of V invariant under the action of G, that are additionally preserved by the action of the long cycle of the symmetric group on r letters. The representations we study are essentially those that occur in Weyl's book: the defining representations of the symplectic groups, the defining representations of the symmetric groups considered as linear representations, and the adjoint representations of the linear groups. In particular, we present a transparent, combinatorial proof of a second fundamental theorem for the defining representation of the symplectic groups Sp(2n). Our formulation is explicit and provides a very precise link to (n+1)-noncrossing perfect matchings, going beyond a dimension count. Extending our argument to the k-th symmetric powers of these representations, the combinatorial objects involved turn out to be (n+1)-noncrossing k-regular graphs. As corollaries we obtain instances of the cyclic sieving phenomenon for these objects and the natural rotation action. In general, we derive branching rules for the diagram algebras corresponding to the representations in a uniform way. We also compute the Frobenius characteristics of modules of the diagram algebras restricted to the action of the symmetric group and obtain the isotypic decomposition of the r-th tensor power of V when n is large enough in comparison to r.