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The authors give a combinatorial expansion of a Schubert homology class in the affine Grassmannian $\mathrm{Gr}_{\mathrm{SL}_k}$ into Schubert homology classes in $\mathrm{Gr}_{\mathrm{SL}_{k+1}}$. This is achieved by studying the combinatorics of a new class of partitions called $k$-shapes, which interpolates between $k$-cores and $k+1$-cores. The authors define a symmetric function for each $k$-shape, and show that they expand positively in terms of dual $k$-Schur functions. They obtain an explicit combinatorial description of the expansion of an ungraded $k$-Schur function into $k+1$-Schur functions. As a corollary, they give a formula for the Schur expansion of an ungraded $k$-Schur function.

The authors study combinatorial aspects of the Schubert calculus of the affine Grassmannian ${\rm Gr}$ associated with $SL(n,\mathbb{C})$.Their main results are: Pieri rules for the Schubert bases of $H^•({\rm Gr})$ and $H_•({\rm Gr})$, which expresses the product of a special Schubert class and an arbitrary Schubert class in terms of Schubert classes. A new combinatorial definition for $k$-Schur functions, which represent the Schubert basis of $H_•({\rm Gr})$. A combinatorial interpretation of the pairing $H^•({\rm Gr})\times H_•({\rm Gr}) \rightarrow\mathbb Z$ induced by the cap product.