Theta conjecture

Conjecture 9.1 proposes the identity

ΘerΘek∇en−r−k∣q=1=∑P∈LD(0,n)∗k,∘rtarea(P)xP,\left.\Theta_{e_r}\Theta_{e_k}\nabla e_{n-r-k}\right\rvert_{q=1}=\sum_{P\in\mathsf{LD}(0,n)^{\ast k,\circ r}}t^{\mathsf{area}(P)}x^P,

where LD(0,n)∗k,∘r\mathsf{LD}(0,n)^{\ast k,\circ r} is the set of positively labelled Dyck paths of size nn with kk decorated rises and rr decorated contractible valleys.

References

Primary source

arXiv

Additional references

Progress summary

Refreshed
Open

The conjecture remains open: its special case at q=1q=1 is known, but no proof of the full two-parameter identity has been found.

D’Adderio, Iraci, and Wyngaerd formulated the Theta conjecture as Conjecture 9.1 in 2019. It predicts that a Theta-operator expression equals a generating function for labelled Dyck paths; the source explicitly leaves the full q,tq,t refinement open.

Known results

  • D’Adderio, Iraci, and Wyngaerd (2019): established the relevant q=1q=1 labelled-Dyck-path identity experimentally and proved the algebraic identity Θk∇en−k=Δen−k−1′en\Theta_k\nabla e_{n-k}=\Delta'_{e_{n-k-1}}e_n.
  • Iraci and Romero (2024): obtained related Theta-operator and decorated-path expansions, agreeing at specializations such as q=1q=1, but not the full conjecture.
  • A later refinement paper: proved implications among related touching Delta-conjecture formulations, without proving the original Theta conjecture.

Current status (as of August 2026): The q=1q=1 specialization and related algebraic identities are known, but the full labelled-Dyck-path q,tq,t identity remains open, with no reported proof, counterexample, or verification.

Sources

Solutions 0

No solutions have been posted yet.