2 00 1 Applications of Symmetric Functions to Cycle and Increasing Subsequence Structure after

Using the Berele/Remmel/Kerov/Vershik variation of the Robinson-Schensted-Knuth correspondence, we study the cycle and increasing subsequence structure after various methods of shuffling. One consequence is a cycle index for shuffles like: cut a deck into two roughly equal piles, thoroughly mix the first pile and then riffle it with the second pile. Conclusions are drawn concerning the distribution of fixed points and the asymptotic distribution of cycle structure. An upper bound on the convergence rate is given. Connections are made with extended Schur functions and with point process work of Baik and Rains.