In this note, we find a combinatorial identity which is closely related to the multi-dimensional integral $γ_{m}$ in the study of divisor functions. As an application, we determine the finite dual of the group algebra of infinite dihedral group.
Let $Γ$ be a multigraph with for each vertex a cyclic order of the edges incident with it. For $n \geq 3$, let $D_{2n}$ be the dihedral group of order $2n$. Define $\mathbb{D} := \{(\begin{smallmatrix} 1 & a \\ 0 & 1 \end{smallmatrix}) \mid a \in \mathbb{Z}\}$. In [5] it was asked whether $Γ$ admits a nowhere-identity $D_{2n}$-flow if and only if it admits a nowhere-identity $\mathbb{D}$-flow with $|a| < n$ (a `nowhere-identity $\mathbb{D}_n$-flow'). We give counterexamples to this statement and provide general obstructions. Furthermore, the complexity of the existence of nowhere-identity $\ma…
The Harborth constant of a finite group $G$, denoted $\gs(G)$, is the smallest integer $k$ such that the following holds: For $A\subseteq G$ with $|A|=k$, there exists $B\subseteq A$ with $|B|=\exp(G)$ such that the elements of $B$ can be rearranged into a sequence whose product equals $1_G$, the identity element of $G$. The Harborth constant is a well studied combinatorial invariant in the case of abelian groups. In this paper, we consider a generalization $\gs(G)$ of this combinatorial invariant for nonabelian groups and prove that if $G$ is a dihedral group of order $2n$ with $n\ge 3$, then…
Recently the second named author discovered a combinatorial identity in the context of vertex representations of quantum Kac-Moody algebras. We give a direct and elementary proof of this identity. Our method is to show a related identity of distributions.
Let $G$ be a finite group. The intersection graph of $G$ is a graph whose vertex set is the set of all proper non-trivial subgroups of $G$ and two distinct vertices $H$ and $K$ are adjacent if and only if $H\cap K \neq \{e\}$, where $e$ is the identity of the group $G$. In this paper, we investigate some properties and exploring some topological indices such as Wiener, Hyper-Wiener, first and second Zagreb, Schultz, Gutman and eccentric connectivity indices of the intersection graph of $D_{2n}$ for $n=p^2$, $p$ is prime. We also find the metric dimension and the resolving polynomial of the int…
In a recent paper, Caracciolo, Sokal and Sportiello presented, inter alia, an algebraic/combinatorial proof for Cayley's identity. The purpose of the present paper is to give a "purely combinatorial" proof for this identity; i.e., a proof involving only combinatorial arguments together with a generalization of Laplace's Theorem, for which a "purely combinatorial" proof is already known.
We translate Uchimura's identity for the divisor function and whose generalizations into combinatorics of partitions, and give a combinatorial proof of them. As a by-product of their proofs, we obtain some combinatorial results.
Given a subset $S$ of the non-identity elements of the dihedral group of order $2m$, is it possible to order the elements of $S$ so that the partial products are distinct? This is equivalent to the sequenceability of the group when $|S| = 2m-1$ and so it is known that the answer is yes in this case if and only if $m>4$. We show that the answer is yes when $|S| \leq 9$ and $m$ is an odd prime other than 3, when $|S| = 2m-2$ and $m$ is even or prime, and when $|S| = 2m-2$ for many instances of the problem when $m$ is odd and composite. We also consider the problem in the more general setting of …
In this note we present a combinatorial proof of an identity involving poly-Bernoulli numbers and Genocchi numbers. We introduce the combinatorial objects, $m-$barred Callan sequences and show that the identity holds in a more general manner.
In this brief note a straightforward combinatorial proof for an identity directly connecting rooted forests and unordered set partitions is provided. Furthermore, references that put this type of identity in the context of forest volumes and multinomial identities are given.
We explain how the identity $$\sum_{i+j=n}\binom{2i}{i}\binom{2j}{j}\;=\;\displaystyle4^n$$ is an easy consequence of the inclusion-exclusion principle.
We examine an identity originally stated in Ramanujan's ``lost notebook'' and first proven algebraically by Andrews and combinatorially by Kim. We give two independent combinatorial proofs and interpretations of this identity, which also extends an identity recently proven by Pak and Waarnar related to the product of partial theta functions: First, we give a direct combinatorial proof, using the involution principle, of a special case of the identity, and extend this into a direct combinatorial proof of the full identity as written. Second, we show that the identity can be rewritten, using min…
Let $G$ be a finite group. A sequence over $G$ means a finite sequence of terms from $G$, where repetition is allowed and the order is disregarded. A product-one sequence is a sequence whose elements can be ordered such that their product equals the identity element of the group. The set of all product-one sequences over $G$ (with concatenation of sequences as the operation) is a finitely generated C-monoid. Product-one sequences over dihedral groups have a variety of extremal properties. This article provides a detailed investigation, with methods from arithmetic combinatorics, of the arithme…
Let $G$ be a finite group and exp$(G)$ = lcm$\{$ord$(g)$$\mid$$g \in G \}$. A finite unordered sequence of terms from $G$, where repetition is allowed, is a product-one sequence if its terms can be ordered such that their product equals the identity element of $G$. We denote by $\mathsf s (G)$ (or $\mathsf E (G)$ respectively) the smallest integer $\ell$ such that every sequence of length at least $\ell$ has a product-one subsequence of length $\exp (G)$ (or $|G|$ respectively). In this paper, we provide the exact values of $\mathsf s (G)$ and $\mathsf E (G)$ for Dihedral and Dicyclic groups a…
Recently, Andrews and Yee studied two-variable generalizations of two identities involving partition functions $p_ω(n)$ and $p_ν(n)$ introduced by Andrews, Dixit and Yee. In this paper, we present a combinatorial proof of an interesting identity in their work.
The Alladi-Gordon identity plays an important role for the Alladi-Gordon generalization of Schur's partition theorem. By using Joichi-Stanton's insertion algorithm, we present an overpartition interpretation for the Alladi-Gordon key identity. Based on this interpretation, we further obtain a combinatorial proof of the Alladi-Gordon key identity by establishing an involution on the underlying set of overpartitions.
In his paper, "On a Partition Function of Richard Stanley," George Andrews proves a certain partition identity analytically and asks for a combinatorial proof. This paper provides the requested combinatorial proof.
The title identity appeared as Problem 75-4, proposed by P. Barrucand, in Siam Review in 1975. The published solution equated constant terms in a suitable polynomial identity. Here we give a combinatorial interpretation in terms of card deals.
Let $f(m,c)=\sum_{k=0}^{\infty} (km+1)^{k-1} c^k e^{-c(km+1)/m} / (m^kk!)$. For any positive integer $m$ and positive real $c$, the identity $f(m,c)=f(1,c)^{1/m}$ arises in the random graph theory. In this paper, we present two elementary proofs of this identity: a pure combinatorial proof and a power-serial proof. We also proved that this identity holds for any positive reals $m$ and $c$.
The $n$-th rencontres number with the parameter $r$ is the number of permutations having exactly $r$ fixed points. In particular, a derangement is a permutation without any fixed point. We presents a short combinatorial proof for a weighted sum derangement identities.
In this paper, we give a simple combinatorial explanation of a formula of A. Postnikov relating bicolored rooted trees to bicolored binary trees. We also present generalized formulas for the number of labeled k-ary trees, rooted labeled trees, and labeled plane trees.
In this paper we give a combinatorial proof and refinement of a Rogers-Ramanujan type partition identity of Siladić arising from the study of Lie algebras. Our proof uses generating functions and $q$-difference equations.
Recently N.Jing discovered a certain combinatorial identity from validity of the Serre relations in some vertex representations of quantum Kac-Moody algebras. We generalize this identity, in particular, extending it from polynomials to elliptic functions, and interprete the obtained identities in terms of tensor products of evaluation representations of the quantum loop algebra $U_q(\tilde{gl_2})$ or the elliptic quantum group $E_{ρ,γ}(sl_2)$.
A binomial coefficient identity due to Zhi-Wei Sun is the subject of half a dozen recent papers that prove it by various analytic techniques and establish a generalization. Here we give a simple proof that uses weight-reversing involutions on suitable configurations involving dominos and colorings. With somewhat more work, the method extends to the generalization also.
Let $G$ be a finite group. By a sequence over $G$, we mean a finite unordered sequence of terms from $G$, where repetition is allowed, and we say that it is a product-one sequence if its terms can be ordered such that their product equals the identity element of $G$. The large Davenport constant $\mathsf D (G)$ is the maximal length of a minimal product-one sequence, that is, a product-one sequence which cannot be factored into two non-trivial product-one subsequences. We provide explicit characterizations of all minimal product-one sequences of length $\mathsf D (G)$ over Dihedral and Dicycli…
Worpitzky's identity expresses $n^p$ in terms of the Eulerian numbers and binomial coefficients: $$n^p = \sum_{i=0}^{p-1} \genfrac<>{0pt}{}{p}{i} \binom{n+i}{p}.$$ Pita-Ruiz recently defined numbers $A_{a,b,r}(p,i)$ implicitly to satisfy a generalized Worpitzky identity $$\binom{an+b}{r}^p = \sum_{i=0}^{rp} A_{a,b,r}(p,i) \binom{n+rp-i}{rp},$$ and asked whether there is a combinatorial interpretation of the numbers $A_{a,b,r}(p,i)$. We provide such a combinatorial interpretation by defining a notion of descents in colored multipermutations, and then proving that $A_{a,b,r}(p,i)$ is equal to th…
Following the method of combinatorial telescoping for alternating sums given by Chen, Hou and Mu, we present a combinatorial telescoping approach to partition identities on sums of positive terms. By giving a classification of the combinatorial objects corresponding to a sum of positive terms, we establish bijections that lead a telescoping relation. We illustrate this idea by giving a combinatorial telescoping relation for a classical identity of MacMahon. Recently, Andrews posed a problem of finding a combinatorial proof of an identity on the q-little Jacobi polynomials which was derived bas…
Recently, Defant and Propp [2020] defined the degree of noninvertibility of a function $f\colon X\to Y$ between two finite nonempty sets by $\text{deg}(f)=\frac{1}{|X|}\sum_{x\in X}|f^{-1}(f(x))|$. We obtain an exact formula for the expected degree of noninvertibility of the composition of $t$ functions for every $t\in \mathbb{N}$. An equivalent formulation for the definition of the degree of noninvertibility is then the starting point for a generalization yielding a seemingly new combinatorial identity involving the Stirling transform of the signed Stirling numbers of the first kind.
We derive a combinatorial identity which is useful in studying the distribution of Fourier coefficients of L-functions by allowing us to pass from knowledge of moments of the coefficients to the distribution of the coefficients.
A unicellular map, or one-face map, is a graph embedded in an orientable surface such that its complement is a topological disk. In this paper, we give a new viewpoint to the structure of these objects, by describing a decomposition of any unicellular map into a unicellular map of smaller genus. This gives a new combinatorial identity for the number $ε_g(n)$ of unicellular maps of size $n$ and genus $g$. Contrarily to the Harer-Zagier recurrence formula, this identity is recursive in only one parameter (the genus). Iterating the construction gives an explicit bijection between unicellular maps…
For non-negative integers $k\leq n$, we prove a combinatorial identity for the $p$-binomial coefficient $\binom{n}{k}_p$ based on abelian p-groups. A purely combinatorial proof of this identity is not known. While proving this identity, for $r\in \mathbb{N}\cup\{0\},s\in \mathbb{N}$ and $p$ a prime, we present a purely combinatorial formula for the number of subgroups of $\mathbb{Z}^s$ of finite index $p^r$ with quotient isomorphic to the finite abelian $p$-group of type $\underlineλ$, which is a partition of $r$ into at most $s$ parts. This purely combinatorial formula is similar to that for …
We give a purely combinatorial proof of the Glaisher-Crofton identity which derives from the analysis of discrete structures generated by iterated second derivative. The argument illustrates utility of symbolic and generating function methodology of modern enumerative combinatorics and their applications to computational problems.
We give an elementary proof of an interesting combinatorial identity which is of particular interest in graph theory and its applications. Two applications to enumeration of forests with closed-form expressions are given.
Consider the elements of the group algebra CS_{n} given by R_{j}=Sigma_{i=1}^{j-1}(ij), for 2<=j<=n. Jucys [3 - 5] and Murphy[7] showed that these elements act diagonally on elements of S_{n} and gave explicit formulas for the diagonal entries. As requested by the late S. Kerov, we give a combinatorial proof of this work in case j=n and present several similar results which arise from these combinatorial methods.
We consider an identity relating Fibonacci numbers to Pascal's triangle discovered by G. E. Andrews. Several authors provided proofs of this identity, most of them rather involved or else relying on sophisticated number theoretical arguments. We present a new proof, quite simple and based on a Riordan array argument. The main point of the proof is the construction of a new Riordan array from a given Riordan array, by the elimination of elements. We extend the method and as an application we obtain other identities, some of which are new. An important feature of our construction is that it esta…
Consider a pyramid made out of unit cubes arranged in square horizontal layers, with a ledge of one cube's length around the perimeter of each layer. For any natural number $k$, we can count the number of ways of choosing $k$ unit cubes from the pyramid such that no two cubes are in the same horizontal layer; we can also count the number of ways of choosing $k$ unit cubes from the pyramid such that no two cubes come from the same vertical slice (taken parallel to a fixed edge of the pyramid) {\it or} from two adjacent slices. Djakov and Mityagin first established, using functional analysis, th…
In this paper we prove some combinatorial identities which can be considered as generalizations and variations of remarkable Chu-Vandermonde identity. These identities are proved by using an elementary combinatorial-probabilistic approach to the expressions for the $k$-th moments ($k=1,2,3$) of some particular cases of recently investigated discrete random variables. Using one of these Chu-Vandermonde-type identities, two combinatorial congruences are established.
In this paper we give combinatorial proofs of some well known identities and obtain some generalizations. We give a visual proof of a result of Chapman and Costas-Santos regarding the determinant of sum of matrices. Also we find a new identity expressing permanent of sum of matrices. Besides, we give a graphical interpretation of Newton-Girard identity.
In this article we obtain a general polynomial identity in $k$ variables, where $k\geq 2$ is an arbitrary positive integer. We use this identity to give a closed-form expression for the entries of the powers of a $k \times k$ matrix. Finally, we use these results to derive various combinatorial identities.
In this paper, we give a new bijective proof of a multiset analogue of even-odd permutations identity. This multiset version is equivalent to the original coin arrangements lemma which is a key combinatorial lemma in the Sherman's Proof of a conjecture of Feynman about an identity on paths in planar graphs related to combinatorial solution of two dimensional Ising model in statistical physics.
Touchard-Riordan-like formulas are some expressions appearing in enumeration problems and as moments of orthogonal polynomials. We begin this article with a new combinatorial approach to prove these kind of formulas, related with integer partitions. This gives a new perspective on the original result of Touchard and Riordan. But the main goal is to give a combinatorial proof of a Touchard-Riordan--like formula for q-secant numbers discovered by the first author. An interesting limit case of these objects can be directly interpreted in terms of partitions, so that we obtain a connection between…
The speed of growth for a particular stochastic growth model introduced by Borodin and Ferrari in [Comm. Math. Phys. 325 (2014), 603-684], which belongs to the KPZ anisotropic universality class, was computed using multi-time correlations. The model was recently generalized by Toninelli in [arXiv:1503.05339] and for this generalization the stationary measure is known but the time correlations are unknown. In this note, we obtain algebraic and combinatorial proofs for the expression of the speed of growth from the prescribed dynamics.
In their recent book on combinatorial identities, Quaintance and Gould devoted one chapter to Melzak's identity. We give new proofs for this identity and its generalization.