We consider noncrossing partitions of [n] under the action of (i) the reflection group (of order 2), (ii) the rotation group (cyclic of order n) and (iii) the rotation/reflection group (dihedral of order 2n). First, we exhibit a bijection from rotation classes to bicolored plane trees on n edges, and consider its implications. Then we count noncrossing partitions of [n] invariant under reflection and show that, somewhat surprisingly, they are equinumerous with rotation classes invariant under reflection. The proof uses a pretty involution originating in work of Germain Kreweras. We conjecture that the "equinumerous" result also holds for arbitrary partitions of [n].
We present an elementary type preserving bijection between noncrossing and nonnesting partitions for all classical reflection groups, answering a question of Athanasiadis.
Using the bijection between partitions and vacillating tableaux, we establish a correspondence between pairs of noncrossing free Dyck paths of length $2n$ and noncrossing partitions of $[2n+1]$ with $n+1$ blocks. In terms of the number of up steps at odd positions, we find a characterization of Dyck paths constructed from pairs of noncrossing free Dyck paths by using the Labelle merging algorithm.
In this paper, we introduce polynomial time algorithms that generate random $k$-noncrossing partitions and 2-regular, $k$-noncrossing partitions with uniform probability. A $k$-noncrossing partition does not contain any $k$ mutually crossing arcs in its canonical representation and is 2-regular if the latter does not contain arcs of the form $(i,i+1)$. Using a bijection of Chen {\it et al.} \cite{Chen,Reidys:08tan}, we interpret $k$-noncrossing partitions and 2-regular, $k$-noncrossing partitions as restricted generalized vacillating tableaux. Furthermore, we interpret the tableaux as sampling…
We find bijections on 2-distant noncrossing partitions, 12312-avoiding partitions, 3-Motzkin paths, UH-free Schr{ö}der paths and Schr{ö}der paths without peaks at even height. We also give a direct bijection between 2-distant noncrossing partitions and 12312-avoiding partitions.
We interpret noncrossing partitions of type $B$ and type $D$ in terms of noncrossing partitions of type $A$. As an application, we get type-preserving bijections between noncrossing and nonnesting partitions of type $B$, type $C$ and type $D$ which are different from those in the recent work of Fink and Giraldo. We also define Catalan tableaux of type $B$ and type $D$, and find bijections between them and noncrossing partitions of type $B$ and type $D$ respectively.
A set partition is said to be $(k,d)$-noncrossing if it avoids the pattern $12... k12... d$. We find an explicit formula for the ordinary generating function of the number of $(k,d)$-noncrossing partitions of $\{1,2,...,n\}$ when $d=1,2$.
In this paper, we present a reduction algorithm which transforms $m$-regular partitions of $[n]=\{1, 2, ..., n\}$ to $(m-1)$-regular partitions of $[n-1]$. We show that this algorithm preserves the noncrossing property. This yields a simple explanation of an identity due to Simion-Ullman and Klazar in connection with enumeration problems on noncrossing partitions and RNA secondary structures. For ordinary noncrossing partitions, the reduction algorithm leads to a representation of noncrossing partitions in terms of independent arcs and loops, as well as an identity of Simion and Ullman which e…
Partitions of [n]={1,2,...,n} into sets of lists are counted by sequence number A000262 in the On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences. They are somewhat less numerous than partitions of [n] into lists of sets, A000670. Here we observe that the former are actually equinumerous with partitions of [n] into lists of *noncrossing* sets and give a bijective proof. We show that partitions of [n] into sets of noncrossing lists are counted by A088368 and generalize this result to introduce a transform on integer sequences that we dub the "noncrossing partition" transform. We also derive recurrence r…
We present an explicit bijection between noncrossing and nonnesting partitions of Coxeter systems of type D which preserves openers, closers and transients.
Schutzenberger's theorem for the ordinary RSK correspondence naturally extends to Chen et. al's correspondence for matchings and partitions. Thus the counting of bilaterally symmetric $k$-noncrossing partitions naturally arises as an analogue for involutions. In obtaining the analogous result for 3-noncrossing partitions, we use a different technique to develop a Maple package for 2-dimensional vacillating lattice walk enumeration problems. The package also applies to the hesitating case. As applications, we find several interesting relations for some special bilaterally symmetric partitions.
We introduce and study a new action of the symmetric group $\mathfrak{S}_n$ on the vector space spanned by noncrossing partitions of $\{1, 2, \dots, n\}$ in which the adjacent transpositions $(i, i+1) \in \mathfrak{S}_n$ act on noncrossing partitions by means of skein relations. We characterize the isomorphism type of the resulting module and use it to obtain new representation theoretic proofs of cyclic sieving results due to Reiner-Stanton-White and Pechenik for the action of rotation on various classes of noncrossing partitions and the action of K-promotion on two-row rectangular increasing…
In this paper we will give a Möbius number of $NC^{k}(W) \setminus \bf{mins} \cup \{\hat{0} \}$ for a Coxeter group $W$ which contains an affirmative answer for the conjecture 3.7.9 in Armstrong's paper [ Generalized noncrossing partitions and combinatorics of Coxeter groups. arXiv:math/0611106].
We prove a conjecture due independently to Yan and Martinez--Savage that asserts inversion sequences with no weakly decreasing subsequence of length $3$ and enhanced $3$-noncrossing partitions have the same cardinality. Our approach applies both the generating tree technique and the so-called obstinate kernel method developed by Bousquet-Mélou. One application of this equinumerosity is a discovery of an intriguing identity involving numbers of classical and enhanced $3$-noncrossing partitions.
This paper introduces a new and simple statistic on noncrossing partitions that expresses each coordinate of the toric $h$-vector of a cubical complex, written in the basis of the Adin $h$-vector entries, as the total weight of all noncrossing partitions. The same model may also be used to obtain a very simple combinatorial interpretation of the contribution of a cubical shelling component to the toric $h$-vector. In this model, a strengthening of the symmetry expressed by the Dehn-Sommerville equations may be derived from the self-duality of the noncrossing partition lattice, exhibited by the…
We develop the relationship between minimal transitive star factorizations and noncrossing partitions. This gives a new combinatorial proof of a result by Irving and Rattan, and a specialization of a result of Kreweras. It also arises in a poset on the symmetric group whose definition is motivated by the Subword Property of the Bruhat order.
We give combinatorial proofs of the formulas for the number of multichains in the $k$-divisible noncrossing partitions of classical types with certain conditions on the rank and the block size due to Krattenthaler and M{ü}ller. We also prove Armstrong's conjecture on the zeta polynomial of the poset of $k$-divisible noncrossing partitions of type $A$ invariant under a $180^\circ$ rotation in the cyclic representation.
In this article we prove that the lattice of noncrossing partitions is EL-shellable when associated with the well-generated complex reflection group of type $G(d,d,n)$, for $d,n\geq 3$, or with the exceptional well-generated complex reflection groups which are no real reflection groups. This result was previously established for the real reflection groups and it can be extended to the well-generated complex reflection group of type $G(d,1,n)$, for $d,n\geq 3$, as well as to three exceptional groups, namely $G_{25},G_{26}$ and $G_{32}$, using a braid group argument. We thus conclude that the la…
We introduce a new pair of mutually dual bases of noncommutative symmetric functions and quasi-symmetric functions, and use it to derive generalizations of several results on the reduced incidence algebra of the lattice of noncrossing partitions. As a consequence, we obtain a quasi-symmetric version of the Farahat-Higman algebra.
We give some interpretations to certain integer sequences in terms of parameters on Grand-Dyck paths and coloured noncrossing partitions, and we find some new bijections relating Grand-Dyck paths and signed pattern avoiding permutations. Next we transfer a natural distributive lattice structure on Grand-Dyck paths to coloured noncrossing partitions and signed pattern avoiding permutations, thus showing, in particular, that it is isomorphic to the structure induced by the (strong) Bruhat order on a certain set of signed pattern avoiding permutations.
The partition lattice and noncrossing partition lattice are well studied objects in combinatorics. Given a graph $G$ on vertex set $\{1,2,\dots, n\}$, its bond lattice, $L_G$, is the subposet of the partition lattice formed by restricting to the partitions whose blocks induce connected subgraphs of $G$. In this article, we introduce a natural noncrossing analogue of the bond lattice, the noncrossing bond poset, $NC_G$, obtained by restricting to the noncrossing partitions of $L_G$. Both the noncrossing partition lattice and the bond lattice have many nice combinatorial properties. We show that…
For each skew shape we define a nonhomogeneous symmetric function, generalizing a construction of Pak and Postnikov. In two special cases, we show that the coefficients of this function when expanded in the complete homogeneous basis are given in terms of the (reduced) type of $k$-divisible noncrossing partitions. Our work extends Haiman's notion of a parking function symmetric function.
We introduce two order relations on finite Coxeter groups which refine the absolute and the Bruhat order, and establish some of their main properties. In particular we study the restriction of these orders to noncrossing partitions and show that the intervals for these orders can be enumerated in terms of the cluster complex. The properties of our orders permit to revisit several results in Coxeter combinatorics, such as the Chapoton triangles and how they are related, the enumeration of reflections with full support, the bijections between clusters and noncrossing partitions.
Noncrossing linked partitions arise in the study of certain transforms in free probability theory. We explore the connection between noncrossing linked partitions and colored Motzkin paths. A (3,2)-Motzkin path can be viewed as a colored Motzkin path in the sense that there are three types of level steps and two types of down steps. A large (3,2)-Motzkin path is defined to be a (3,2)-Motzkin path for which there are only two types of level steps on the x-axis. We establish a one-to-one correspondence between the set of noncrossing linked partitions of [n+1] and the set of large (3,2)-Motzkin p…
For coprime positive integers $a<b$, Armstrong, Rhoades, and Williams (2013) defined a set $NC(a,b)$ of rational noncrossing partitions, a subset of the ordinary noncrossing partitions of $\{1, \ldots, b-1\}$. Bodnar and Rhoades (2015) confirmed their conjecture that $NC(a,b)$ is closed under rotation and proved an instance of the cyclic sieving phenomenon for this rotation action. We give a definition of $NC(a,b)$ which works for all coprime $a$ and $b$ and prove closure under rotation and cyclic sieving in this more general setting. We also generalize noncrossing parking functions to all cop…
We prove a conjecture of Drake and Kim: the number of $2$-distant noncrossing partitions of $\{1,2,...,n\}$ is equal to the sum of weights of Motzkin paths of length $n$, where the weight of a Motzkin path is a product of certain fractions involving Fibonacci numbers. We provide two proofs of their conjecture: one uses continued fractions and the other is combinatorial.
For a fixed integer $k$, we consider the set of noncrossing partitions, where both the block sizes and the difference between adjacent elements in a block is $1\bmod k$. We show that these $k$-indivisible noncrossing partitions can be recovered in the setting of subgroups of the symmetric group generated by $(k+1)$-cycles, and that the poset of $k$-indivisible noncrossing partitions under refinement order has many beautiful enumerative and structural properties. We encounter $k$-parking functions and some special Cambrian lattices on the way, and show that a special class of lattice paths cons…
We prove that the noncrossing partition lattices associated with the complex reflection groups $G(d,d,n)$ for $d,n\geq 2$ admit symmetric decompositions into Boolean subposets. As a result, these lattices have the strong Sperner property and their rank-generating polynomials are symmetric, unimodal, and $γ$-nonnegative. We use computer computations to complete the proof that every noncrossing partition lattice associated with a well-generated complex reflection group is strongly Sperner, thus answering affirmatively a question raised by D. Armstrong.
For any positive integers $a$ and $b$, we enumerate all colored partitions made by noncrossing diagonals of a convex polygon into polygons whose number of sides is congruent to $b$ modulo $a$. For the number of such partitions made by a fixed number of diagonals, we give both a recurrence relation and an explicit representation in terms of partial Bell polynomials. We use basic properties of these polynomials to efficiently incorporate restrictions on the type of polygons allowed in the partitions.
In 2007, D.I. Panyushev defined a remarkable map on the set of nonnesting partitions (antichains in the root poset of a finite Weyl group). In this paper we identify Panyushev's map with the Kreweras complement on the set of noncrossing partitions, and hence construct the first uniform bijection between nonnesting and noncrossing partitions. Unfortunately, the proof that our construction is well-defined is case-by-case, using a computer in the exceptional types. Fortunately, the proof involves new and interesting combinatorics in the classical types. As consequences, we prove several conjectur…
We prove an instance of the cyclic sieving phenomenon, occurring in the context of noncrossing parititions for well-generated complex reflection groups.
Based on weighted noncrossing partitions of type B, we obtain type B analogues of Coker's identities on the Narayana polynomials. A parity reversing involution is given for the alternating sum of Narayana numbers of type B. Moreover, we find type B analogues of the refinements of Coker's identities due to Chen, Deutsch and Elizalde. By combinatorial constructions, we provide type B analogues of three identities of Mansour and Sun also on the Narayana polynomials.
The total number of noncrossing partitions of type $Ψ$ is the $n$th Catalan number $\frac{1}{n+1}\binom{2n}{n}$ when $Ψ=A_{n-1}$, and the binomial $\binom{2n}{n}$ when $Ψ=B_n$, and these numbers coincide with the correspondent number of nonnesting partitions. For type A, there are several bijective proofs of this equality, being the intuitive map that locally converts each crossing to a nesting one of them. In this paper we present a bijection between nonnesting and noncrossing partitions of types A and B that generalizes the type A bijection that locally converts each crossing to a nesting.
Consider the noncrossing set partitions of an $n$-element set which either do not contain the block $\{n-1,n\}$, or which do not contain the singleton block $\{n\}$ whenever $1$ and $n-1$ are in the same block. In this article we study the subposet of the noncrossing partition lattice induced by these elements, and show that it is a supersolvable lattice, and therefore lexicographically shellable. We give a combinatorial model for the NBB bases of this lattice and derive an explicit formula for the value of its Möbius function between least and greatest element. This work is motivated by a rec…
We complete the enumeration of Dumont permutations of the second kind avoiding a pattern of length 4 which is itself a Dumont permutation of the second kind. We also consider some combinatorial statistics on Dumont permutations avoiding certain patterns of length 3 and 4 and give a natural bijection between 3142-avoiding Dumont permutations of the second kind and noncrossing partitions that uses cycle decomposition, as well as bijections between 132-, 231- and 321-avoiding Dumont permutations and Dyck paths. Finally, we enumerate Dumont permutations of the first kind simultaneously avoiding ce…
In this paper, we introduce polynomial time algorithms that generate random 3-noncrossing partitions and 2-regular, 3-noncrossing partitions with uniform probability. A 3-noncrossing partition does not contain any three mutually crossing arcs in its canonical representation and is 2-regular if the latter does not contain arcs of the form $(i,i+1)$. Using a bijection of Chen {\it et al.} \cite{Chen,Reidys:08tan}, we interpret 3-noncrossing partitions and 2-regular, 3-noncrossing partitions as restricted generalized vacillating tableaux. Furthermore, we interpret the tableaux as sampling paths o…
Let $Φ$ be an finite root system with corresponding reflection group $W$ and let $m$ be a nonnegative integer. We consider the generalized cluster complex $Δ^m(Φ)$ defined by S. Fomin and N. Reading and the poset $NC_{(m)}(W)$ of $m$-divisible noncrossing partitions defined by D. Armstrong. We give a characterization of the faces of $Δ^m(Φ)$ in terms of $NC_{(m)}(W)$, generalizing that of T. Brady and C. Watt given in the case $m=1$. Making use of this, we give a case free proof of a conjecture of F. Chapoton and D. Armstrong, which relates a certain refined face count of $Δ^m(Φ)$ with the Möb…
The usual, or type A_n, Tamari lattice is a partial order on T_n^A, the triangulations of an (n+3)-gon. We define a partial order on T_n^B, the set of centrally symmetric triangulations of a (2n+2)-gon. We show that it is a lattice, and that it shares certain other nice properties of the A_n Tamari lattice, and therefore that it deserves to be considered the B_n Tamari lattice. We define a bijection between T_n^B and the non-crossing partitions of type B_n defined by Reiner. For S any subset of [n], Reiner defined a pseudo-type BD^S_n, to which is associated a subset of the noncrossing partiti…
Goulden and Jackson first introduced the cut-and-join operator. The cut-and-join is widely used in studying the Hurwitz number and many other topological recursion problems. Mironov, Morosov and Natanzon give a more general construction and call it W-operator W([n]). As a special case, the cut-and-join operator is W([2]). In this paper, we study the structure of W([n]). We prove that W([n]) can be written as the sum of n! terms and each term corresponds uniquely to a permutation in Sn. We also define the degree of each term. We prove that there is a correspondence between the terms of W([n]) w…
In this paper we prove a duality between $k$-noncrossing partitions over $[n]=\{1,...,n\}$ and $k$-noncrossing braids over $[n-1]$. This duality is derived directly via (generalized) vacillating tableaux which are in correspondence to tangled-diagrams \cite{Reidys:07vac}. We give a combinatorial interpretation of the bijection in terms of the contraction of arcs of tangled-diagrams. Furthermore it induces by restriction a bijection between $k$-noncrossing, 2-regular partitions over $[n]$ and $k$-noncrossing braids without isolated points over $[n-1]$. Since braids without isolated points corre…
Motivated by recent work on mixtures of classical and free probabilities, we introduce and study the notion of $ε$-noncrossing partitions. It is shown that the set of such partitions forms a lattice, which interpolates as a poset between the poset of partitions and the one of noncrossing partitions. Moreover, $ε$-cumulants are introduced and shown to characterize the notion of $ε$-independence.
We give a case-free proof that the lattice of noncrossing partitions associated to any finite real reflection group is EL-shellable. Shellability of these lattices was open for the groups of type $D_n$ and those of exceptional type and rank at least three.
For every polynomial f of degree n with no double roots, there is an associated family C(f) of harmonic algebraic curves, fibred over the circle, with at most n-1 singular fibres. We study the combinatorial topology of C(f) in the generic case when there are exactly n-1 singular fibres. In this case, the topology of C(f) is determined by the data of an n-tuple of noncrossing matchings on the set {0,1,...,2n-1} with certain extra properties. We prove that there are 2(2n)^{n-2} such n-tuples, and that all of them arise from the topology of C(f) for some polynomial f.
We give a criterion for Bruhat order on noncrossing partitions corresponding to the Coxeter element $c=s_1 s_2\cdots s_n$. Using it we prove that the Bruhat order endows noncrossing partitions with a lattice structure. We then explain what happens if we change the Coxeter element; in that case the lattice property fails and we explain which order to consider to get the same lattice structure as for the Coxeter element $c$. In particular we get bijections between noncrossing partitions associated to distinct Coxeter elements, which fix the set of reflections.
The purpose of this note is to complete the study, begun in the first author's PhD thesis, of the topology of the poset of generalized noncrossing partitions associated to real reflection groups. In particular, we calculate the Euler characteristic of this poset with the maximal and minimal elements deleted. As we show, the result on the Euler characteristic extends to generalized noncrossing partitions associated to well-generated complex reflection groups.
For any integer $k\geq2$, we prove combinatorially the following Euler (binomial) transformation identity $$ \NC_{n+1}^{(k)}(t)=t\sum_{i=0}^n{n\choose i}\NW_{i}^{(k)}(t), $$ where $\NC_{m}^{(k)}(t)$ (resp.~$\NW_{m}^{(k)}(t)$) is the sum of weights, $t^\text{number of blocks}$, of partitions of $\{1,\ldots,m\}$ without $k$-crossings (resp.~enhanced $k$-crossings). The special $k=2$ and $t=1$ case, asserting the Euler transformation of Motzkin numbers are Catalan numbers, was discovered by Donaghey 1977. The result for $k=3$ and $t=1$, arising naturally in a recent study of pattern avoidance in …
We prove that the restriction of Bruhat order to noncrossing partitions in type $A_n$ for the Coxeter element $c=s_1s_2 ...s_n$ forms a distributive lattice isomorphic to the order ideals of the root poset ordered by inclusion. Motivated by the change-of-basis from the graphical basis of the Temperley-Lieb algebra to the image of the simple elements of the dual braid monoid, we extend this bijection to other Coxeter elements using certain canonical factorizations. In particular, we give new bijections---fixing the set of reflections---between noncrossing partitions associated to distinct Coxet…
