$q$-randomized Robinson–Schensted–Knuth correspondences and random polymers

We introduce and study q -randomized Robinson–Schensted–Knuth (RSK) correspondences which interpolate between the classical ( q=0 ) and geometric q \nearrow1 ) RSK correspondences (the latter ones are sometimes also called tropical). For 0 our correspondences are randomized, i.e., the result of an insertion is a certain probability distribution on semistandard Young tableaux. Because of this randomness, we use the language of discrete time Markov dynamics on two-dimensional interlacing particle arrays (these arrays are in a natural bijection with semistandard tableaux). Our dynamics act nicely on a certain class of probability measures on arrays, namely, on q -Whittaker processes (which are t=0 versions of Macdonald processes of Borodin–Corwin [8]). We present four Markov dynamics which for q=0 reduce to the classical row or column RSK correspondences applied to a random input matrix with independent geometric or Bernoulli entries. Our new two-dimensional discrete time dynamics generalize and extend several known constructions. (1) The discrete time q -TASEPs studied by Borodin–Corwin [7] arise as one-dimensional marginals of our „column" dynamics. In a similar way, our“row" dynamics lead to discrete time q -PushTASEPs – new integrable particle systems in the Kardar–Parisi–Zhang universality class. We employ these new one-dimensional discrete time systems to establish a Fredholm determinantal formula for the two-sided continuous time q -PushASEP conjectured by Corwin–Petrov [23]. (2) In a certain Poisson-type limit (from discrete to continuous time), our two-dimensional dynamics reduce to the q -randomized column and row Robinson–Schensted correspondences introduced by O’Connell–Pei [59] and Borodin–Petrov [15], respectively. (3) In a scaling limit as q\nearrow1 , two of our four dynamics on interlacing arrays turn into the geometric RSK correspondences associated with log-Gamma (introduced by Seppäläinen [70] or strict-weak (introduced independently by O’Connell–Ortmann [58] and Corwin–Seppäläinen–Shen [25] directed random lattice polymers.