Two-row-hook half-shifted cup positivity in every area
For every $d\ge n\ge2$, the gauged noncrossing-cup coordinate indexed by the two-row hook $(n,1)$ is coefficientwise nonnegative in $b=a-1/2$ and is positive even at $b=0$. The proof identifies an exact four-incidence cup row, evaluates a two-by-two Newton-tail determinant, derives a cleared hook recurrence, pairs odd and even steps to expose a positive remainder, and cancels the denominator against the principal minor.
The first interior all-area family
The coordinate $\alpha_{(n,1)}$ belongs to the same flagged-minor and gauged noncrossing-cup transform as the row and column families. Unlike those boundary partitions, $(n,1)$ is an interior two-row hook.
The theorem states coefficientwise positivity in $b=a-1/2$ for every admissible dimension and hook length, together with strict positivity on the full half-shifted boundary $b\ge0$.
Four compatible cup incidences
For $n\ge3$, the lifted word has two isolated selected endpoints. Noncrossing balance forces each isolated endpoint to pair with its immediate left or right neighbor.
The four left/right choices produce exactly the matchings indexed by $(n-1)$, $(n)$, $(n-1,1)$, and $(n,1)$. Their gauged signs are $+1,-1,-1,+1$, giving a four-term incidence relation.
The exceptional base and neighboring minor
At $n=2$, an extra balanced matching appears, so the general four-incidence argument is replaced by the already established area-three base formula.
For $n\ge3$, a Newton-column change reduces $H_{(n,1)}$ to a two-by-two tail determinant with target orders $d$ and $d+n$. Evaluating it gives one closed rational ratio against the principal minor.
A cleared hook recurrence
Set $m=d-n$ and clear the common denominator by defining $T_n=(Y-1)_{n+1}\alpha_{(n,1)}/H_\varnothing$. Combining the hook cup relation with the one-row formula from C-0102 produces a first-order recurrence.
Its correction term contains the exact cancellation between the row and hook minor amplitudes. The base $T_2$ is an explicit polynomial with positive coefficients.
Pairing parity exposes positivity
When $n$ is even, the one-step recurrence is coefficientwise nonnegative for every integer $m\ge0$. When $n$ is odd, substituting the preceding even step converts the subtraction into a two-step recurrence.
The resulting remainder $E_n(m,b)$ has explicitly nonnegative coefficients of $b^2$, $b$, and $1$, each factored into nonnegative expressions in $m$ and $n$. Induction from $T_2$ therefore proves coefficientwise positivity and strict pointwise positivity.
Pinned certificate
The pinned verifier binds the C-0102 parent and checks direct maximal minors, the two-by-two Newton tail, exhaustive low-dimensional cup incidence, matching stability, the symbolic hook recurrence and odd remainder, denominator divisibility, expanded shifted coordinates, and negative controls. Its bounded computations guard each algebraic link; the all-area conclusion comes from the symbolic recurrence and factor argument.
uv run --frozen python canon/witnesses/C-0104/verify.py
canon/witnesses/C-0104/PIN.mdcanon/witnesses/C-0104/verify.pycanon/witnesses/C-0102canon/witnesses/C-0079scratch/adjacent-unconditional--half-shifted-two-row-hook-cup-all-area-positivity/RESULT.mdcanon/claims/C-0104-half-shifted-two-row-hook-cup-positivity-all-areas.md
Scope
Coefficientwise half-shifted positivity is established for every two-row hook $(n,1)$ with $d\ge n\ge2$.
Sources
- Canonical claim
canon/claims/C-0104-half-shifted-two-row-hook-cup-positivity-all-areas.md - Witness pin
canon/witnesses/C-0104/PIN.md - Source result
scratch/adjacent-unconditional--half-shifted-two-row-hook-cup-all-area-positivity/RESULT.md