Discrete Mathematics & Theoretical Computer Science |
The Hecke group algebra $\operatorname{H} \mathring{W}$ of a finite Coxeter group $\mathring{W}$, as introduced by the first and last author, is obtained from $\mathring{W}$ by gluing appropriately its $0$-Hecke algebra and its group algebra. In this paper, we give an equivalent alternative construction in the case when $\mathring{W}$ is the classical Weyl group associated to an affine Weyl group $W$. Namely, we prove that, for $q$ not a root of unity, $\operatorname{H} \mathring{W}$ is the natural quotient of the affine Hecke algebra $\operatorname{H}(W)(q)$ through its level $0$ representation. The proof relies on the following core combinatorial result: at level $0$ the $0$-Hecke algebra acts transitively on $\mathring{W}$. Equivalently, in type $A$, a word written on a circle can be both sorted and antisorted by elementary bubble sort operators. We further show that the level $0$ representation is a calibrated principal series representation $M(t)$ for a suitable choice of character $t$, so that the quotient factors (non trivially) through the principal central specialization. This explains in particular the similarities between the representation theory of the classical $0$-Hecke algebra and that of the affine Hecke algebra at this specialization.