Recent Trends in Quasisymmetric Functions

Abstract: This article serves as an introduction to several recent developments in the study of quasisymmetric functions. The focus of this survey is on connections between quasisymmetric functions and the combinatorial Hopf algebra of noncommutative symmetric functions, appearances of quasisymmetric functions within the theory of Macdonald polynomials, and analogues of symmetric functions. Topics include the significance of quasisymmetric functions in representation theory (such as representations of the 0-Hecke algebra), recently discovered bases (including analogues of well-studied symmetric function bases), and applications to open problems in symmetric function theory.