Path decompositions of digraphs and their applications to Weyl algebra

Abstract

We consider decompositions of digraphs into edge-disjoint paths and describe their connection with the $n$-th Weyl algebra of differential operators. This approach gives a graph-theoretic combinatorial view of the normal ordering problem and helps to study skew-symmetric polynomials on certain subspaces of Weyl algebra. For instance, path decompositions can be used to study minimal polynomial identities on Weyl algebra, similar as Eulerian tours applicable for Amitsur--Levitzki theorem. We introduce the $G$-Stirling functions which enumerate decompositions by sources (and sinks) of paths.