Equivariant K-theory of the space of partial flags

Abstract: We use Drinfeld style generators and relations to define an algebra $\mathfrak{U}_n$ which is a ``$q=0$'' version of the affine quantum group of $\mathfrak{gl}_n.$ We then use the convolution product on the equivariant $K$-theory of varieties of pairs of partial flags in a $d$-dimensional vector space $V$ to define affine $0$-Schur algebras ${\mathbb S}_0^{\operatorname{aff}}(n,d)$ and to prove that for every $d$ there exists a surjective homomorphism from $\mathfrak{U}_n$ to ${\mathbb S}_0^{\operatorname{aff}}(n,d).$