 Induction ring of symmetric-group characters

The graded abelian group ${⨁}_{n\ge 0}R(S_n)$ of ordinary virtual characters has product $\chi \star \psi ={\mathrm{Ind}}_{S_m\times S_n}^{S_{m+n}}(\chi ⊠\psi )$ for degrees $m,n$. Its unit is the trivial degree-zero character. Associativity follows by transitivity of induced representations through the three-factor Young subgroup; commutativity follows by conjugating the block positions. The Frobenius characteristic map identifies this ring with the ring of symmetric functions, sending irreducible Specht characters to Schur functions. This product is different from pointwise multiplication of characters of the same symmetric group.