P-partition power sums

Abstract: We develop the theory of weighted P-partitions, which generalises the theory of P-partitions from labelled posets to weighted labelled posets. We define the related generating functions in the natural way and compute their product, coproduct and other properties. As an application we introduce the basis of combinatorial power sums for the Hopf algebra of quasisymmetric functions and the reverse basis, both of which refine the power sum symmetric functions. These bases share many properties with the type 1 and type 2 quasisymmetric power sums introduced by Ballantine, Daugherty, Hicks, Mason and Niese, and moreover expand into the monomial basis of quasisymmetric functions with nonnegative integer coefficients. We prove formulas for products, coproducts and classical quasisymmetric involutions via the combinatorics of P-partitions, and give combinatorial interpretations for the coefficients when expanded into the monomial and fundamental bases.