The identity j/n {kn}\choose{n+j} =(k-1) {kn-1}\choose{n+j-1}- {kn-1}\choose{n+j} shows that j/n {kn}\choose{n+j} is always an integer. Here we give a combinatorial interpretation of this integer in terms of lattice paths, using a uniformly distributed statistic. In particular, the case j=1,k=2 gives yet another manifestation of the Catalan numbers.
We determine, within 1, the value of N for which sum (s1 choose i)(s2 choose N)(s1 choose N-i)(N choose i) achieves its maximum value. Here s1 and s2 are fixed integers. This problem arises in studying the most likely value for the size of the union of A, B, and C if A and C are disjoint sets of size s1, and B is a set of size s2. Attempting to remove the 1 unit of indeterminacy leads to interesting conjectures about a family of rational functions.
In this paper we present several natural $q$-analogues of the poly-Bernoulli numbers arising in combinatorial contexts. We also recall some relating analytical results and ask for combinatorial interpretations.
Since 1950s, mathematicians have successfully interpreted the traditional Eulerian numbers and $q-$Eulerian numbers combinatorially. In this paper, the authors give a combinatorial interpretation to the general Eulerian numbers defined on general arithmetic progressions { a, a+d, a+2d,...}.
Gaussian blur is a commonly-used method to filter image data. This paper introduces the collapsing sum, a new operator on matrices that provides a combinatorial interpretation of Gaussian blur. We study the combinatorial properties of this operator and prove the explicit relation between Gaussian blur and the collapsing sum.
Recently, Guo and Zeng discovered q-analogues of Faulhaber's formulas for the sums of powers. They left it as an open problem to extend the combinatorial interpretation of Faulhaber's formulas as given by Gessel and Viennot to the q case. In this note we will provide such an interpretation.
We show how the combinatorial interpretation of the normalized median Genocchi numbers in terms of multiset tuples, defined by Hetyei in his study of the alternation acyclic tournaments, is bijectively equivalent to previous models like the normalized Dumont permutations or the Dellac configurations, and we extend the interpretation to the Kreweras triangle.
It is well known that the numbers $(2m)! (2n)!/m! n! (m+n)!$ are integers, but in general there is no known combinatorial interpretation for them. When $m=0$ these numbers are the middle binomial coefficients $\binom{2n}{n}$, and when $m=1$ they are twice the Catalan numbers. In this paper, we give combinatorial interpretations for these numbers when $m=2$ or 3.
The Jacobi-Stirling numbers and the Legendre-Stirling numbers of the first and second kind were first introduced in [6], [7]. In this paper we note that Jacobi-Stirling numbers and Legendre-Stirling numbers are specializations of elementary and complete symmetric functions. We then study combinatorial interpretations of this specialization and obtain new combinatorial interpretations of the Jacobi-Stirling and Legendre-Stirling numbers.
We give a combinatorial interpretation of a classical meta-Fibonacci sequence defined by G(n) = n - G(G(n-1)) with the initial condition G(1) = 1, which appears in Hofstadter's 'Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid'. The interpretation is in terms of an infinite labelled tree. We then show a few corollaries about the behaviour of the sequence G(n) directly from the interpretation.
We give a combinatorial interpretation in terms of bicolored ordered trees for the sequence (a_n)_{n>=1}=(1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 6, 10, 20, 36, 73,... ), A345973 in OEIS, whose generating function satisfies the defining identity Sum_{n>=1}a_n x^n = x + x^2/Product_{n>=1}(1 - a_n x^n).
Nicholas Pippenger and Kristin Schleich have recently given a combinatorial interpretation for the second-order super-Catalan numbers (u_{n})_{n>=0}=(3,2,3,6,14,36,...): they count "aligned cubic trees" on n internal vertices. Here we give a combinatorial interpretation of the recurrence u_{n} = Sum_{k=0}^{n/2-1} ({n-2}choose{2k} 2^{n-2-2k} u_{k}): it counts these trees by number of deep interior vertices where deep interior means "neither a leaf nor adjacent to a leaf".
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.
The restricted partitions in which the largest part is less than or equal to $N$ and the number of parts is less than or equal to $k$ were investigated by Andrews in \cite{Andrews76}. These partitions were extended recently by the author to the partitions into parts of two kinds. In this paper, we use a new class of restricted partitions into parts of two kinds to provide new combinatorial interpretations for two identities of Guo and Yang.
In math.CO/0109093 the author obtained a formula for the value of an irreducible symmetric group character indexed by a partition of rectangular shape. In the present paper this formula is (conjecturally) generalized to arbitrary shapes.
Stanley has studied a symmetric function generalization X_G of the chromatic polynomial of a graph G. The innocent-looking Stanley-Stembridge Poset Chain Conjecture states that the expansion of X_G in terms of elementary symmetric functions has nonnegative coefficients if G is a clawfree incomparability graph. Here we give a combinatorial interpretation of these coefficients by combining Gasharov's work on the conjecture with Egecioglu and Remmel's combinatorial interpretation of the inverse Kostka matrix. This gives a new proof of a partial nonnegativity result of Stanley. As an interesting b…
We study the combinatorial description of the LDU decomposition of totally positive matrices. We give a description of the lower triangular L, the diagonal D, and the upper triangular U matrices of the LDU decomposition of totally positive matrices in terms of the combinatorial structure of essential planar networks described by Zelvinsky and Fomin. Similarly, we find a combinatorial description of the inverses of these matrices. In addition, we provide recursive formulae for computing the L, D, and U matrices of a totally positive matrix.
In this paper we give a combinatorial interpretation for the coefficient of $s_ν$ in the Kronecker product $s_{(n-p,p)}\ast s_λ$, where $λ=(λ_1, ..., λ_{\ell(λ)})\vdash n$, if $\ell(λ)\geq 2p-1$ or $λ_1\geq 2p-1$; that is, if $λ$ is not a partition inside the $2(p-1)\times 2(p-1)$ square. For $λ$ inside the square our combinatorial interpretation provides an upper bound for the coefficients. In general, we are able to combinatorially compute these coefficients for all $λ$ when $n>(2p-2)^2$. We use this combinatorial interpretation to give characterizations for multiplicity free Kronecker produ…
The monic sequence that shifts left under convolution with itself is the Catalan numbers with 130+ combinatorial interpretations. Here we establish a combinatorial interpretation for the monic sequence that shifts left under composition: it counts permutations that contain a 3241 pattern only as part of a 35241 pattern. We give two recurrences, the first allowing relatively fast computation, the second similar to one for the Catalan numbers. Among the 4 times 4! = 96 similarly restricted patterns involving 4 letters (such as 4\underline{2}31: a 431 pattern only occurs as part of a 4231), four …
Let s and t be variables. Define polynomials {n} in s, t by {0}=0, {1}=1, and {n}=s{n-1}+t{n-2} for n >= 2. If s, t are integers then the corresponding sequence of integers is called a Lucas sequence. Define an analogue of the binomial coefficients by C{n,k}={n}!/({k}!{n-k}!) where {n}!={1}{2}...{n}. It is easy to see that C{n,k} is a polynomial in s and t. The purpose of this note is to give two combinatorial interpretations for this polynomial in terms of statistics on integer partitions inside a k by n-k rectangle. When s=t=1 we obtain combinatorial interpretations of the fibonomial coeffic…
The Catalan transform of a sequence (a_{n})_{n>=0} is the sequence (b_{n})_{n>=0} with b_{n} = Sum[k/(2n-k) (2n-k)-choose-(n-k) a_{k},k=0..n]. Here we show that the Catalan transform of the Catalan numbers has a simple interpretation: it counts functions f:[1,n] -> [1,n] satisfying the condition that, for all i<j, f(j)-(j-i) is not in the interval [1,f(i)-1].
Using generating functions and some trivial bijections, we show in this paper that the binomial coefficients count the set of (123,132) and (123,213)-avoiding permutations according to the number of crossings. We also define a q-tableau of power of two and prove that it counts the set of (213,312) and (132,312)-avoiding permutations according to the number of crossings.
In this paper, we apply the combinatorial proof technique of Description, Involution, Exceptions (DIE) to prove various known identities for the joint cumulant. Consider a set of random variables $S = \{X_1,..., X_n\} $. Motivated by the definition of the joint cumulant, we define $ \sC(S) $ as the set of cyclically arranged partitions of $S$, allowing us to express the joint cumulant of $ S $ as a weighted, alternating sum over $\sC(S)$. We continue to define other combinatorial objects that allow us to rewrite expressions originally in terms of the joint cumulant as weighted sums over the se…
For any integer s >= 0, we derive a combinatorial interpretation for the family of sequences generated by the recursion (parameterized by s) h_s(n) = h_s(n - s - h_s(n - 1)) + h_s(n - 2 - s - h_s(n - 3)), n > s + 3, with the initial conditions h_s(1) = h_s(2) = ... = h_s(s+2) = 1 and h_s(s+3) = 2. We show how these sequences count the number of leaves of a certain infinite tree structure. Using this interpretation we prove that h_s sequences are "slowly growing", that is, h_s sequences are monotone nondecreasing, with successive terms increasing by 0 or 1, so each sequence hits every positive …
We use a q-series identity by Ramanujan to give a combinatorial interpretation of Ramanujan's tau function which involves t-cores and a new class of partitions which we call (m,k)-capsids. The same method can be applied in conjunction with other related identities yielding alternative combinatorial interpretations of the tau function.
The super Catalan numbers $T(m,n)=(2m)!(2n)!/2m!n!(m+n)!$ are integers which generalize the Catalan numbers. With the exception of a few values of $m$, no combinatorial interpretation in known for $T(m,n)$. We give a weighted interpretation for $T(m,n)$ and develop a technique that converts this weighted interpretation into a conventional combinatorial interpretation in the case $m=2$.
The Jacobi-Stirling numbers of the first and second kinds were introduced in 2006 in the spectral theory and are polynomial refinements of the Legendre-Stirling numbers. Andrews and Littlejohn have recently given a combinatorial interpretation for the second kind of the latter numbers. Noticing that these numbers are very similar to the classical central factorial numbers, we give combinatorial interpretations for the Jacobi-Stirling numbers of both kinds, which provide a unified treatment of the combinatorial theories for the two previous sequences and also for the Stirling numbers of both ki…
Combinatorial interpretation of the fibonomial coefficients recently proposed by the present author results here in combinatorial interpretation of the recurrence relation for fibonomial coefficients . The presentation is provided with quite an exhaustive context where apart from plane grid coordinate system used several figures illustrate the exposition of statements and the derivation of the recurrence itself.
We consider the tiling of an $n$-board (a $1\times n$ array of square cells of unit width) with half-squares ($\frac12\times1$ tiles) and $(\frac12,\frac12)$-fence tiles. A $(\frac12,\frac12)$-fence tile is composed of two half-squares separated by a gap of width $\frac12$. We show that the number of ways to tile an $n$-board using these types of tiles equals $F_{n+1}^2$ where $F_n$ is the $n$th Fibonacci number. We use these tilings to devise combinatorial proofs of identities relating the Fibonacci numbers squared to one another and to other number sequences. Some of these identities appear …
We find an explicit combinatorial interpretation of the coefficients of Kerov character polynomials which express the value of normalized irreducible characters of the symmetric groups S(n) in terms of free cumulants R_2,R_3,... of the corresponding Young diagram. Our interpretation is based on counting certain factorizations of a given permutation.
Let G be a graph, and let $χ$G be its chromatic polynomial. For any non-negative integers i, j, we give an interpretation for the evaluation $χ$ (i) G (--j) in terms of acyclic orientations. This recovers the classical interpretations due to Stanley and to Green and Zaslavsky respectively in the cases i = 0 and j = 0. We also give symmetric function refinements of our interpretations, and some extensions. The proofs use heap theory in the spirit of a 1999 paper of Gessel.
We describe a method for constructing characters of combinatorial Hopf algebras by means of integrals over certain polyhedral cones. This is based on ideas from resurgence theory, in particular on the construction of well-behaved averages induced by diffusion processes on the real line. We give several interpretations and proofs of the main result in terms of noncommutative symmetric and quasisymmetric functions, as well as generalizations involving matrix quasi-symmetric functions. The interpretation of noncommutative symmetric functions as alien operators in resurgence theory is also discuss…
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.
Fomin and Zelevinsky show that a certain two-parameter family of rational recurrence relations, here called the (b,c) family, possesses the Laurentness property: for all b,c, each term of the (b,c) sequence can be expressed as a Laurent polynomial in the two initial terms. In the case where the positive integers b,c satisfy bc<4, the recurrence is related to the root systems of finite-dimensional rank 2 Lie algebras; when bc>4, the recurrence is related to Kac-Moody rank 2 Lie algebras of hyperbolic type. Here we investigate the borderline cases bc=4, corresponding to Kac-Moody Lie algebras of…
Recently, Guo and Zeng discovered two families of polynomials featuring in a q-analogue of Faulhaber's formula for the sums of powers and a q-analogue of Gessel-Viennot's formula involving Salie's coefficients for the alternating sums of powers. In this paper, we show that these are polynomials with symmetric, nonnegative integral coefficients by refining Gessel-Viennot's combinatorial interpretations.
In a series of papers, P. Blasiak et al. developed a wide-ranging generalization of Bell numbers (and of Stirling numbers of the second kind) that appears to be relevant to the so-called Boson normal ordering problem. They provided a recurrence and, more recently, also offered a (fairly complex) combinatorial interpretation of these numbers. We show that by restricting the numbers somewhat (but still widely generalizing Bell and Stirling numbers), one can supply a much more natural combinatorial interpretation. In fact, we offer two different such interpretations, one in terms of graph colouri…
Fibonomial coefficients count the number of specific finite birth self-similar subposets of an infinite non-tree poset naturally related to the Fibonacci tree of rabbits growth process.
In this paper we obtain some sophisticated combinatorial congruences involving binomial coefficients and confirm two conjectures of the author and Davis. They are closely related to our investigation of the periodicity of the sequence $\sum_{j=0}^l{l\choose j}S(j,m)a^{l-j}(l=m,m+1,...)$ modulo a prime $p$, where $a$ and $m>0$ are integers, and those $S(j,m)$ are Stirling numbers of the second kind. We also give a new extension of Glaisher's congruence by showing that $(p-1)p^{[\log_p m]}$ is a period of the sequence $\sum_{j=r(mod p-1)}{l\choose j}S(j,m)(l=m,m+1,...)$ modulo $p$.
Combinatorial interpretation of the fibonomial coefficients as a number of choices of specific finite subsets of an infinite partially ordered set of not binomial type is proposed. This partially ordered set is here defined via characteristic matrix of the corresponding partial order relation . Relevance of the proposal to more general unification treatment is indicated.
The Lucas sequence is a sequence of polynomials in s, and t defined recursively by {0}=0, {1}=1, and {n}=s{n-1}+t{n-2} for n >= 2. On specialization of s and t one can recover the Fibonacci numbers, the nonnegative integers, and the q-integers [n]_q. Given a quantity which is expressed in terms of products and quotients of nonnegative integers, one obtains a Lucas analogue by replacing each factor of n in the expression with {n}. It is then natural to ask if the resulting rational function is actually a polynomial in s and t with nonnegative integer coefficients and, if so, what it counts. The…
In this survey we discuss the notion of combinatorial interpretation in the context of Algebraic Combinatorics and related areas. We approach the subject from the Computational Complexity perspective. We review many examples, state a workable definition, discuss many open problems, and present recent results on the subject.
Studying the virtual Euler characteristic of the moduli space of curves, Harer and Zagier compute the generating function $C_g(z)$ of unicellular maps of genus $g$. They furthermore identify coefficients, $κ^{\star}_{g}(n)$, which fully determine the series $C_g(z)$. The main result of this paper is a combinatorial interpretation of $κ^{\star}_{g}(n)$. We show that these enumerate a class of unicellular maps, which correspond $1$-to-$2^{2g}$ to a specific type of trees, referred to as O-trees. O-trees are a variant of the C-decorated trees introduced by Chapuy, Féray and Fusy. We exhaustively …
We define the generalized Golomb triangular recursion by g_{j,s,lambda}(n) = g_{j,s,lambda}(n - s - g_{j,s,lambda}(n-j)) + λj. For particular choices of the initial conditions, we show that the solution of the recursion is a non-slow monotone sequence for which we can provide a combinatorial interpretation in terms of a weighted count of the leaves of a certain labeled infinite tree. We discover that more than one such tree interpretation is possible, leading to different choices of the initial conditions and alternative solutions that are closely related. In the case lambda=1 the initial cond…
We survey combinatorial interpretations of some dozen identities for the double factorial such as, for instance, (2n-2)!! + Sum_{k=2}^{n} (2n-1)!!(2k-4)!!/(2k-1)!! = (2n-1)!!. Our methods are mostly bijective.
Boij-Söderberg theory shows that the Betti table of a graded module can be written as a liner combination of pure diagrams with integer coefficients. Using Ferrers hypergraphs and simplicial polytopes, we provide interpretations of these coefficients for ideals with a d-linear resolution, their quotient rings, and for Gorenstein rings whose resolution has essentially at most two linear strands. We also establish a structural result on the decomposition in the case of quasi-Gorenstein modules.
Up to our knowledge -since about 126 years we were lacking of classical type combinatorial interpretation of Fibonomial coefficients as it was Lukas \cite{1} - to our knowledge -who was the first who had defined Finonomial coefficients and derived a recurrence for them (see Historical Note in \cite{2,3}). Here we inform that a join combinatorial interpretation was found \cite{4} for all binomial-type coefficient - Fibonomial coefficients included.
Kerov's polynomials give irreducible character values in term of the free cumulants of the associated Young diagram. We prove in this article a positivity result on their coefficients, which extends a conjecture of S. Kerov. Our method, through decomposition of maps, gives a description of the coefficients of the k-th Kerov's polynomials using permutations in S(k). We also obtain explicit formulas or combinatorial interpretations for some coefficients. In particular, we are able to compute the subdominant term for character values on any fixed permutation (it was known for cycles).
Schreyer has proved that the graded Betti numbers of a canonical tetragonal curve are determined by two integers $b_1$ and $b_2$, associated to the curve through a certain geometric construction. In this article we prove that in the case of a smooth projective tetragonal curve on a toric surface, these integers have easy interpretations in terms of the Newton polygon of its defining Laurent polynomial. We can use this to prove an intrinsicness result on Newton polygons of small lattice width.