Polynomial sequences $p_n(x)$ of binomial type are a principal tool in the umbral calculus of enumerative combinatorics. We express $p_n(x)$ as a \emph{path integral} in the ``phase space'' $\Space{N}{} \times {[-π,π]}$. The Hamiltonian is $h(ϕ)=\sum_{n=0}^\infty p_n'(0)/n! e^{inϕ}$ and it produces a Schrödinger type equation for $p_n(x)$. This establishes a bridge between enumerative combinatorics and quantum field theory. It also provides an algorithm for parallel quantum computations.
Keywords: Feynman path integral, umbral calculus, polynomial sequence of binomial type, token, Schrödinger equation, propagator, wave function, cumulants, quantum computation.
We reduce the calculation of the simplest Hodge integrals to some sums over decorated trees. Since Hodge integrals are already calculated, this gives a proof of a rather interesting combinatorial theorem and a new representation of Bernoulli numbers.
We study logarithmic integrals of the form $\int_0^1 x^i\ln^n(x)\ln^m(1-x)dx$. They are expressed as a rational linear combination of certain rational numbers $(n,m)_i$, which we call tiered binomial coefficients, and products of the zeta values $ζ(2)$, $ζ(3)$,\dots. Various properties of the tiered binomial coefficients are established. They involve, amongst others, the binomial transform, truncated multiple zeta and multiple zeta star values, as well as special functions. As an application we discuss the limit law of the number of comparisons of the Quicksort algorithm: we reprove that the m…
A binomial residue is a rational function defined by a hypergeometric integral whose kernel is singular along binomial divisors. Binomial residues provide an integral representation for rational solutions of A-hypergeometric systems of Lawrence type. The space of binomial residues of a given degree, modulo those which are polynomial in some variable, has dimension equal to the Euler characteristic of the matroid associated with A.
We consider binomial and inverse binomial sums at infinity and rewrite them in terms of a small set of constants, such as powers of $π$ or $\log(2)$. In order to perform these simplifications, we view the series as specializations of generating series. For these generating series, we derive integral representations in terms of root-valued iterated integrals. Using substitutions, we express the interated integrals as cyclotomic harmonic polylogarithms. Finally, by applying known relations among the cyclotomic harmonic polylogarithms, we derive expressions in terms of several constants.
In 1992, Loeb considered a natural extension of the binomial coefficients to negative entries and gave a combinatorial interpretation in terms of hybrid sets. He showed that many of the fundamental properties of binomial coefficients continue to hold in this extended setting. Recently, Formichella and Straub showed that these results can be extended to the $q$-binomial coefficients with arbitrary integer values and extended the work of Loeb further by examining arithmetic properties of the $q$-binomial coefficients. In this paper, we give an alternative combinatorial interpretation in terms of…
We give a combinatorial interpretation of a certain positivity conjecture of Chern-Schwartz-MacPherson classes, as stated by P. Aluffi and the author in a previous paper. It translates into a positivity property for a sum of p by p determinants consisting of binomial coefficients, generalizing the classical Theorem of Lindstrom-Gessel-Viennot et al. which computes these determinants in terms of non-intersecting lattice paths. We prove this conjecture for p=2,3.
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.
Ismail et al. (Constr. Approx. {\bf 15} (1999) 69--81) proved the positivity of some trigonometric polynomials with single binomial coefficients. In this paper, we prove some similar results by replacing the binomial coefficients with products of two binomial coefficients.
It is well known that for all $n\geq1$ the number $n+ 1$ is a divisor of the central binomial coefficient ${2n\choose n}$. Since the $n$th central binomial coefficient equals the number of lattice paths from $(0,0)$ to $(n,n)$ by unit steps north or east, a natural question is whether there is a way to partition these paths into sets of $n+ 1$ paths or $n+1$ equinumerous sets of paths. The Chung-Feller theorem gives an elegant answer to this question. We pose and deliver an answer to the analogous question for $2n-1$, another divisor of ${2n\choose n}$. We then show our main result follows fro…
We obtain new combinatorial identities for integral values of binary Krawtchouk polynomials $K^{2m}_p(x)$, $0\le p\le 2m$, by computing the characters of the $p$-exterior representations on certain elements of order 2 of $\mathrm{SO}(2m)$. From this identities, we deduce several new relations for binomial coefficients and Catalan numbers.
We consider a class of generalized binomials emerging in fractional calculus. After establishing some general properties, we focus on a particular yet relevant case, for which we provide several ready-for-use combinatorial identities, including an adapted version of the Pascal's rule. We then investigate the associated generating functions, for which we establish a recursive, combinatorial and integral formulation. From this, we derive an asymptotic version of the Binomial Theorem. A combinatorial and asymptotic analysis of some finite sums completes the paper.
We extend the polynomial approach to hook length formula proposed in a recent joint paper with Károlyi, Nagy and Volkov to several other problems of the same type, including number of paths formula in the Young graph of strict partitions.
The middle binomial coefficients can be interpreted as numbers of Motzkin paths which have no horizontal steps at positive heights. Assigning suitable weights gives some nice polynomial extensions. We determine the Hankel determinants and their generating functions for the middle binomial coefficients and derive many conjectures for their polynomial extensions. Finally, we explore experimentally some modifications of the middle binomial coefficients whose Hankel determinants show an interesting modular pattern and obtain some q-analogs.
We study a recursion that generates real sequences depending on a parameter $x$. Given a negative $x$ the growth of the sequence is very difficult to estimate due to canceling terms. We reduce the study of the recursion to a problem about a family of integral operators, and prove that for every parameter value except -1, the growth of the sequence is factorial. In the combinatorial part of the proof we show that when $x=-1$ the resulting recurrence yields the sequence of alternating Catalan numbers, and thus has exponential growth. We expect our methods to be useful in a variety of similar sit…
A new q-binomial theorem for Macdonald polynomials is employed to prove an A_n analogue of the celebrated Selberg integral. This confirms the g=A_n case of a conjecture by Mukhin and Varchenko concerning the existence of a Selberg integral for every simple Lie algebra g.
By polynomial (or extended binomial) coefficients, we mean the coefficients in the expansion of integral powers, positive and negative, of the polynomial $1+t +\cdots +t^{m}$; $m\geq 1$ being a fixed integer. We will establish several identities and summation formulæ parallel to those of the usual binomial coefficients.
Many important problems in extremal combinatorics can be be stated as proving a pure binomial inequality in graph homomorphism numbers, i.e., proving that hom$(H_1,G)^{a_1}\cdots$hom$(H_k,G)^{a_k}\geq$hom$(H_{k+1},G)^{a_{k+1}}\cdots$hom$(H_m,G)^{a_m}$ holds for some fixed graphs $H_1,\dots,H_m$ and all graphs $G$. One prominent example is Sidorenko's conjecture. For a fixed collection of graphs $\mathcal{U}=\{H_1,\dots,H_m\}$, the exponent vectors of valid pure binomial inequalities in graphs of $\mathcal{U}$ form a convex cone. We compute this cone for several families of graphs including com…
A new type of sl_3 basic hypergeometric series based on Macdonald polynomials is introduced. Besides a pair of Macdonald polynomials attached to two different sets of variables, a key-ingredient in the sl_3 basic hypergeometric series is a bisymmetric function related to Macdonald's commuting family of q-difference operators, to the sl_3 Selberg integrals of Tarasov and Varchenko, and to alternating sign matrices. Our main result for sl_3 series is a multivariable generalization of the celebrated q-binomial theorem. In the limit this q-binomial sum yields a new sl_3 Selberg integral for Jack p…
We show how lattice paths and the reflection principle can be used to give easy proofs of unimodality results. In particular, we give a "one-line" combinatorial proof of the unimodality of the binomial coefficients. Other examples include products of binomial coefficients, polynomials related to the Legendre polynomials, and a result connected to a conjecture of Simion.
A famous and wide-open problem, going back to at least the early 1970's, concerns the classification of chromatic polynomials of graphs. Toward this classification problem, one may ask for necessary inequalities among the coefficients of a chromatic polynomial, and we contribute such inequalities when a chromatic polynomial $χ_G(n) = χ^*_0 \binom {n+d} d + χ^*_1 \binom {n+d-1} d + \dots + χ^*_d \binom n d$ is written in terms of a binomial-coefficient basis. For example, we show that $χ^*_{ j } \le χ^*_{ d-j }$, for $0 \le j \le \frac{ d }{ 2 }$. Similar results hold for flow and tension polyn…
The Gaussian polynomial in variable $q$ is defined as the $q$-analog of the binomial coefficient. In addition to remarkable implications of these polynomials to abstract algebra, matrix theory and quantum computing, there is also a combinatorial interpretation through weighted lattice paths. This interpretation is equivalent to weighted board tilings, which can be used to establish Gaussian polynomial identities. In particular, we prove duals of such identities and evaluate related sums.
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…
The focus of this paper is the study of generalized Fibonacci polynomials and Fibonomial coefficients. The former are polynomials {n} in variables s and t given by {0} = 0, {1} = 1, and {n} = s{n-1}+t{n-2} for n ge 2. The latter are defined by {n choose k} = {n}!/({k}!{n-k}!) where {n}! = {1}{2}...{n}. These quotients are also polynomials in s and t, and specializations give the ordinary binomial coefficients, the Fibonomial coefficients, and the q-binomial coefficients. We present some of their fundamental properties, including a more general recursion for {n}, an analogue of the binomial the…
Counting pattern avoiding ballot paths begins with a careful analysis of the pattern. Not the length, but the characteristics of the pattern are responsible for the difficulties in finding explicit solutions. Certain features, like overlap and difference in number of right and up steps determine the solution of the recursion formula. If the recursion can be solved by a polynomial sequence, we apply the Finite Operator Calculus to find an explicit form of the solution in terms of binomial coefficients. Keywords: Pattern avoidance, ballot path, Dyck path, Finite Operator Calculus, Umbral Calculu…
