From Symmetric Functions to Permanents: Redfield’s Extension of MacMahon’s Work

P. A. MacMahon (1854-1929) published two volumes entitled Combinatory Ana-lysis in 1915-16 [10, 11]. In 1920 he published a much smaller book [12] entitled An Introduction to Combinatory Analysis. In the preface to the latter, he gives his reason for doing so: “It has appeared to me to be necessary from the circum