Mixing times for random k-cycles and coalescence-fragmentation chains

Abstract: Let $\mathcal{S}_n$ be the permutation group on $n$ elements, and consider a random walk on $\mathcal{S}_n$ whose step distribution is uniform on $k$-cycles. We prove a well-known conjecture that the mixing time of this process is $(1/k)n\log n$, with threshold of width linear in $n$. Our proofs are elementary and purely probabilistic, and do not appeal to the representation theory of $\mathcal{S}_n$.