From Symmetry to Structure: Gauge-Invariant Operators in Multi-Matrix Quantum Mechanics

Abstract: Recently the algebraic structure of gauge-invariant operators in multi-matrix quantum mechanics has been clarified: this space forms a module over a freely generated ring. The ring is generated by a set of primary invariants, while the module structure is determined by a finite set of secondary invariants. In this work, we show that the number of primary invariants can be computed by performing a complete gauge fixing, which identifies the number of independent physical degrees of freedom. We then compare this result to a complementary counting based on the restricted Schur polynomial basis. This comparison allows us to argue that the number of secondary invariants must exhibit exponential growth of the form $e^{cN^2}$ at large $N$, with $c$ a constant.