Geometric Complexity Theory VII: Nonstandard quantum group for the plethysm problem

This article describes a nonstandard quantum group that may be used to derive a positive formula for the plethysm problem, just as the standard (Drinfeld-Jimbo) quantum group can be used to derive the positive Littlewood-Richardson rule for arbitrary complex semisimple Lie groups. The sequel [GCT8] gives conjecturally correct algorithms to construct canonical bases of the coordinate rings of these nonstandard quantum groups and canonical bases of the dually paired nonstandard deformations of the symmetric group algebra. A positive #P -formula for the plethysm constant follows from the conjectural properties of these canonical bases and the duality and reciprocity conjectures herein. ∗Part of this work was done while the author was visiting I.I.T. Mumbai