Enumerating ramified coverings of the sphere with fixed ramification types is a well-known problem first considered by A. Hurwitz. Up to now, explicit solutions have been obtained only for some families of ramified coverings, for instant, those realized by polynomials in one complex variable. In this paper we obtain an explicit answer for a large new family of coverings, namely, the coverings realized by simple almost polynomials, defined below. Unlike most other results in the field, our formula is obtained by elementary methods.
Generating functions for a fixed genus map and hypermap enumeration become rational after a simple explicit change of variables. Their numerators are polynomials with integer coefficients that obey a differential recursion, and denominators are products of powers of explicit linear functions.
Motivated by independent results of Bizley and Duchon, we study rational Dyck paths and their subset of factor-free elements. On the one hand, we give a bijection between rational Dyck paths and regular Dyck paths with ascents colored by factor-free words. This bijection leads to a new statistic based on the reducibility level of the paths for which we provide a corresponding formula. On the other hand, we prove an inverse relation for certain sequences defined via partial Bell polynomials, and we use it to derive a formula for the enumeration of factor-free words. In addition, we give alterna…
In 1999, Neil Calkin and Herbert Wilf wrote "Recounting the rationals" which gave an explicit bijection between the positive integers and the positive rationals. We find several different (some new) ways to construct this enumeration and thus create pointers for generalizing. Next, we use circle packings to generalize and find two other enumerations. Surprisingly, the three enumerations are all that are possible by using this technique. The proofs involve, among other things, "negative" continued fractions, Chebyshev polynomials, Euler's totient function, and generalizations of Stern's diatomi…
The Stern sequence (s(n)) is defined by s(0) = 0, s(1) = 1, s(2n) = s(n), s(2n+1) = s(n) + s(n+1). Stern showed in 1858 that gcd(s(n),s(n+1)) = 1, and that for every pair of relatively prime positive integers (a,b), there exists a unique n so that s(n) = a and s(n+1) = b. We show that, in a strong sense, the average value of s(n)/s(n+1) is 3/2, and that for all d, (s(n),s(n+1)) is uniformly distributed among all feasible pairs of congruence classes modulo d. More precise results are presented for d = 2 and 3.
We enumerate the number of staircase diagrams over classically finite $E$-type Dynkin diagrams, extending the work of Richmond and Slofstra (Staircase Diagrams and Enumeration of smooth Schubert varieties) and completing the enumeration of staircase diagrams over finite type Dynkin diagrams. The staircase diagrams are in bijection to smooth and rationally smooth Schubert varieties over $E$-type thereby giving an enumeration of these varieties.
In this paper, we present enumeration algorithms to list all preferred extensions of an argumentation framework. This task is equivalent to enumerating all maximal semikernels of a directed graph. For directed graphs on $n$ vertices, all preferred extensions can be enumerated in $O^*(3^{n/3})$ time and there are directed graphs with $Ω(3^{n/3})$ preferred extensions. We give faster enumeration algorithms for directed graphs with at most $0.8004\cdot n$ vertices occurring in $2$-cycles. In particular, for oriented graphs (digraphs with no 2-cycles) one of our algorithms runs in time $O(1.2321^n…
We describe rational knots with any of the possible combinations of the properties (a)chirality, (non-)positivity, (non-)fiberedness, and unknotting number one (or higher), and determine exactly their number for a given number of crossings in terms of their generating functions. We show in particular how Fibonacci numbers occur in the enumeration of fibered achiral and unknotting number one rational knots. Then we show how to enumerate rational knots by crossing number and genus and/or signature. This allows to determine the distribution of these invariants among rational knots. We give also a…
We generalize a formula due to Macdonald that relates the singular Betti numbers of $X^{n}/G$ to those of $X$, where $X$ is a compact manifold and $G$ is any subgroup of the symmetric group $S_{n}$ acting on $X^{n}$ by permuting coordinates. Our result is completely axiomatic: in a general setting, given an endomorphism on the cohomology $H^{\bullet}(X)$, it explains how we can explicitly relate the Lefschetz series of the induced endomorphism on $H^{\bullet}(X^{n})^{G}$ to that of the given endomorphism on $H^{\bullet}(X)$ in the presence of the Künneth formula with respect to a cup product. …
We describe an algorithm to enumerate polytopes. This algorithm is then implemented to give a complete classification of combinatorial spheres of dimension 3 with 9 vertices and decide polytopality of those spheres. In particular, we completely enumerate all combinatorial types of 4-dimensional polytopes with 9 vertices. It is shown that all of those combinatorial types are rational: They can be realized with rational coordinates. We find 316014 combinatorial spheres on 9 vertices. Of those, 274148 can be realized as the boundary complex of a four-dimensional polytope and the remaining 41866 a…
In this paper, we study the well-know $g$-conjecture for rational homology spheres in a topological way. To do this, we construct a class of topological spaces with torus actions, which can be viewed as topological generalizations of toric varieties. Along this way we prove that after doing stellar subdivision operations at some middle dimensional faces of an arbitrary rational homology sphere, the $g$-conjecture is valid. Furthermore, we give topological proofs of several fundamental algebraic results about Buchsbaum complexes and simplicial manifolds. In this process, we also get a few inter…
We enumerate weighted graphs with a certain upper bound condition. We also compute the generating function of the numbers of these graphs, and prove that it is a rational function. In particular, we show that if the given graph is a bipartite graph, then its generating function is of the form $\frac{p(x)}{(1-x)^{m+1}}$, where $m$ is the number of vertices of the graph and $p(x)$ is a polynomial of degree at most $m$.
We compute the number of rhombus tilings of a hexagon with side lengths a,b,c,a,b,c which contain the central rhombus and the number of rhombus tilings of a hexagon with side lengths a,b,c,a,b,c which contain the `almost central` rhombus above the centre.
This article introduces and investigates a refinement of alternating sign trapezoids by means of Catalan objects and Motzkin paths. Alternating sign trapezoids are a generalisation of alternating sign triangles, which were recently introduced by Ayyer, Behrend and Fischer. We show that the number of alternating sign trapezoids associated with a Catalan object (resp. Motzkin path) is a polynomial function in the length of the shorter base of the trapezoid. We also study the rational roots of the polynomials and formulate several conjectures and derive some partial results. Lastly, we deduce a c…
We show that, given a suitable combinatorial specification for a permutation class $\mathcal{C}$, one can obtain a specification for the juxtaposition (on either side) of $\mathcal{C}$ with Av(21) or Av(12), and that if the enumeration for $\mathcal{C}$ is given by a rational or algebraic generating function, so is the enumeration for the juxtaposition. Furthermore this process can be iterated, thereby providing an effective method to enumerate any 'skinny' $k\times 1$ grid class in which at most one cell is non-monotone, with a guarantee on the nature of the enumeration given the nature of th…
The maximally clustered permutations are characterized by avoiding the classical permutation patterns 3421, 4312, and 4321. This class contains the freely-braided permutations and the fully-commutative permutations. In this work, we show that the generating functions for certain fully-commutative pattern classes can be transformed to give generating functions for the corresponding freely-braided and maximally clustered pattern classes. Moreover, this transformation of generating functions is rational. As a result, we obtain enumerative formulas for the pattern classes mentioned above as well a…
In this paper we show that almost all Cayley digraphs have automorphism group as small as possible; that is, they are digraphical regular representations (DRRs). More precisely, we show that as $r$ tends to infinity, for every finite group $R$ of order $r$, out of all possible Cayley digraphs on $R$ the proportion whose automorphism group is as small as possible tends to $1$. This proves a natural conjecture first proposed in $1982$ by Babai and Godsil.
We describe a combinatorial approach for investigating properties of rational numbers. The overall approach rests on structural bijections between rational numbers and familiar combinatorial objects, namely rooted trees. We emphasize that such mappings achieve much more than enumeration of rooted trees. We discuss two related structural bijections. The first corresponds to a bijective map between integers and rooted trees. The first bijection also suggests a new algorithm for sifting primes. The second bijection extends the first one in order to map rational numbers to a family of rooted trees…
Trying to enumerate all of the walks in a 2D lattice is a fun combinatorial problem and there are numerous applications, from polymers to sports. Computers provide a wonderful tool for analyzing these walks; we provide a Maple package for automatically describing generating functions of walks restricted to any step set in a 2D lattice. We always obtain a closed system of relations for generating functions of walks that are bounded, semi-bounded, or unbounded. For bounded walks, this leads to explicit rational solutions! For semi-bounded or unbounded walks, we may get lucky and obtain algebraic…
Using a result of Gessel and Reutenauer, we find a simple formula for the number of cyclic permutations with a given descent set, by expressing it in terms of ordinary descent numbers (i.e., those counting all permutations with a given descent set). We then use this formula to show that, for almost all sets $I \subseteq [n-1]$, the fraction of size-$n$ permutations with descent set $I$ which are $n$-cycles is asymptotically $1/n$. As a special case, we recover a result of Stanley for alternating cycles. We also use our formula to count the cycles that do not have two consecutive descents.
A record in a permutation is a maximum or a minimum, from the left or from the right. The entries of a permutation can be partitioned into two types: the ones that are records are called external points, the others are called internal points. Permutations without internal points have been studied under the name of square permutations. Here, we explore permutations with a fixed number of internals points, called almost square permutations. Unlike with square permutations, a precise enumeration for the total number of almost square permutations of size $n+k$ with exactly $k$ internal points is n…
The field of analytic combinatorics, which studies the asymptotic behaviour of sequences through analytic properties of their generating functions, has led to the development of deep and powerful tools with applications across mathematics and the natural sciences. In addition to the now classical univariate theory, recent work in the study of analytic combinatorics in several variables (ACSV) has shown how to derive asymptotics for the coefficients of certain D-finite functions represented by diagonals of multivariate rational functions. We give a pedagogical introduction to the methods of ACS…
We determine the structure of category $\cO$ for the rational Cherednik algebra of $G(m,1,n)$ in the case where the $\KZ$ functor satisfies a condition called \emph{separating simples}. As a consequence, we show that the property of having exactly $N-1$ simple modules, where $N$ is the number of simple modules of $G(m,1,n)$, determines the Ariki-Koike algebra up to isomorphism.
Let $U_n$ be the set of un-oriented and rational links with crossing number $n$, a precise formula for $|U_n|$ was obtained by Ernst and Sumners in 1987. In this paper, we study the enumeration problem of oriented rational links. Let $Λ_n$ be the set of oriented rational links with crossing number $n$ and let $Λ_n(d)$ be the set of oriented rational links with crossing number $n$ ($n\ge 2$) and deficiency $d$. In this paper, we derive precise formulas for $|Λ_n|$ and $|Λ_n(d)|$ for any given $n$ and $d$ and show that $$ Λ_n(d)=F_{n-d-1}^{(d)}+\frac{1+(-1)^{nd}}{2}F^{(\lfloor \frac{d}{2}\rfloor…
We prove a number of new restrictions on the enumerative properties of homology manifolds and semi-Eulerian complexes and posets. These include a determination of the affine span of the fine $h$-vector of balanced semi-Eulerian complexes and the toric $h$-vector of semi-Eulerian posets. The lower bounds on simplicial homology manifolds, when combined with higher dimensional analogues of Walkup's 3-dimensional constructions \cite{Wal}, allow us to give a complete characterization of the $f$-vectors of arbitrary simplicial triangulations of $S^1 \times S^3, \C P^2,$ $ K3$ surfaces, and $(S^2 \ti…
Consider a family $\mathcal{T}$ of 3-connected graphs of moderate growth, and let $\mathcal{G}$ be the class of graphs whose 3-connected components are graphs in $\mathcal{T}$. We present a general framework for analyzing such graphs classes based on singularity analysis of generating functions, which generalizes previously studied cases such as planar graphs and series-parallel graphs. We provide a general result for the asymptotic number of graphs in $\mathcal{G}$, based on the singularities of the exponential generating function associated to $\mathcal{T}$. We derive limit laws, which are e…
We introduce a new approach to the enumeration of rational slope parking functions with respect to the area and a generalized dinv statistics, and relate the combinatorics of parking functions to that of affine permutations. We relate our construction to two previously known combinatorial constructions: Haglund's bijection exchanging the pairs of statistics (area,dinv) and (bounce,area) on Dyck paths, and Pak-Stanley labeling of the regions of k-Shi hyperplane arrangements by k-parking functions. Essentially, our approach can be viewed as a generalization and a unification of these two constru…
A subset $\mathcal{S}$ of a conic $\mathcal{C}$ in the projective plane $\mathrm{PG}(2,q)$ is called almost complete (AC-subset for short) if it can be extended to a larger arc in $\mathrm{PG}(2,q)$ only by the points of $\mathcal{C}\setminus \mathcal{S}$ and by the nucleus of $\mathcal{C}$ when $q$ is even. New upper bounds on the smallest size $t(q)$ of an AC-subset are obtained, in particular, \begin{align*} &t(q)<\sqrt{q(3\ln q+\ln\ln q +\ln3)}+\sqrt{\frac{q}{3\ln q}}+4\thicksim\sqrt{3q\ln q};&t(q)<1.835\sqrt{q\ln q}.\end{align*} The new bounds are used to increase regions of pairs $(N,q)$…
The coefficient sequences of multivariate rational functions appear in many areas of combinatorics. Their diagonal coefficient sequences enjoy nice arithmetic and asymptotic properties, and the field of analytic combinatorics in several variables (ACSV) makes it possible to compute asymptotic expansions. We consider these methods from the point of view of effectivity. In particular, given a rational function, ACSV requires one to determine a (generically) finite collection of points that are called critical and minimal. Criticality is an algebraic condition, meaning it is well treated by class…
In the field of enumeration of walks in cones, it is known how to compute asymptotically the number of excursions (finite paths in the cone with fixed length, starting and ending points, using jumps from a given step set). As it turns out, the associated critical exponent is related to the eigenvalues of a certain Dirichlet problem on a spherical domain. An important underlying question is to decide whether this asymptotic exponent is a (non-)rational number, as this has important consequences on the algebraic nature of the associated generating function. In this paper, we ask whether such an …
We consider Boltzmann random triangulations coupled to the Ising model on their faces, under Dobrushin boundary conditions and at the critical point of the model. The first part of this paper computes explicitly the partition function of this model by solving its Tutte's equation, extending a previous result by Bernardi and Bousquet-Mélou to the model with Dobrushin boundary conditions. We show that the perimeter exponent of the model is 7/3 in contrast to the exponent 5/2 for uniform triangulations. In the second part, we show that the model has a local limit in distribution when the two comp…
