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Alan D. Sokal

Publications and source records attributed to Alan D. Sokal.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2021

The Graham--Knuth--Patashnik recurrence: Symmetries and continued fractions

We study the triangular array defined by the Graham--Knuth--Patashnik recurrence $T(n,k) = (αn + βk + γ)\, T(n-1,k)+(α' n + β' k + γ') \, T(n-1,k-1)$ with initial condition $T(0,k) = δ_{k0}$ and parameters $\mathbfμ = (α,β,γ, α',β',γ')$. We show that the family of arrays $T(\mathbfμ)$ is invariant under a 48-element discrete group isomorphic to $S_3 \times D_4$. Our main result is to determine all parameter sets $\mathbfμ \in \mathbb{C}^6$ for which the ordinary generating function $f(x,t) = \sum_{n,k=0}^\infty T(n,k) \, x^k t^n$ is given by a Stieltjes-type continued fraction in $t$ with coefficients that are polynomials in $x$. We also exhibit some special cases in which $f(x,t)$ is given by a Thron-type or Jacobi-type continued fraction in $t$ with coefficients that are polynomials in $x$.

math.CO↗
arXiv2021

Total positivity of sums, Hadamard products and Hadamard powers: Results and counterexamples

We show that, for Hankel matrices, total nonnegativity (resp. total positivity) of order r is preserved by sum, Hadamard product, and Hadamard power with real exponent t \ge r-2. We give examples to show that our results are sharp relative to matrix size and structure (general, symmetric or Hankel). Some of these examples also resolve the Hadamard critical-exponent problem for totally positive and totally nonnegative matrices.

math.AC↗
arXiv2020

Coefficientwise total positivity of some matrices defined by linear recurrences

We exhibit a lower-triangular matrix of polynomials $T(a,c,d,e,f,g)$ in six indeterminates that appears empirically to be coefficientwise totally positive, and which includes as a special case the Eulerian triangle. We prove the coefficientwise total positivity of $T(a,c,0,e,0,0)$, which includes the reversed Stirling subset triangle.

math.CO↗
arXiv2020

Lattice paths and branched continued fractions. II. Multivariate Lah polynomials and Lah symmetric functions

We introduce the generic Lah polynomials $L_{n,k}(ϕ)$, which enumerate unordered forests of increasing ordered trees with a weight $ϕ_i$ for each vertex with $i$ children. We show that, if the weight sequence $ϕ$ is Toeplitz-totally positive, then the triangular array of generic Lah polynomials is totally positive and the sequence of row-generating polynomials $L_n(ϕ,y)$ is coefficientwise Hankel-totally positive. Upon specialization we obtain results for the Lah symmetric functions and multivariate Lah polynomials of positive and negative type. The multivariate Lah polynomials of positive type are also given by a branched continued fraction. Our proofs use mainly the method of production matrices; the production matrix is obtained by a bijection from ordered forests of increasing ordered trees to labeled partial Lukasiewicz paths. We also give a second proof of the continued fraction using the Euler--Gauss recurrence method.

math.CO↗
arXiv2020

Lattice paths and branched continued fractions: An infinite sequence of generalizations of the Stieltjes--Rogers and Thron--Rogers polynomials, with coefficientwise Hankel-total positivity

We define an infinite sequence of generalizations, parametrized by an integer $m \ge 1$, of the Stieltjes--Rogers and Thron--Rogers polynomials; they arise as the power-series expansions of some branched continued fractions, and as the generating polynomials for $m$-Dyck and $m$-Schröder paths with height-dependent weights. We prove that all of these sequences of polynomials are coefficientwise Hankel-totally positive, jointly in all the (infinitely many) indeterminates. We then apply this theory to prove the coefficientwise Hankel-total positivity for combinatorially interesting sequences of polynomials. Enumeration of unlabeled ordered trees and forests gives rise to multivariate Fuss--Narayana polynomials and Fuss--Narayana symmetric functions. Enumeration of increasing (labeled) ordered trees and forests gives rise to multivariate Eulerian polynomials and Eulerian symmetric functions, which include the univariate $m$th-order Eulerian polynomials as specializations. We also find branched continued fractions for ratios of contiguous hypergeometric series ${}_r \! F_s$ for arbitrary $r$ and $s$, which generalize Gauss' continued fraction for ratios of contiguous ${}_2 \! F_1$; and for $s=0$ we prove the coefficientwise Hankel-total positivity. Finally, we extend the branched continued fractions to ratios of contiguous basic hypergeometric series ${}_r \! ϕ_s$.

math.CO↗
arXiv2020

Phylogenetic trees, augmented perfect matchings, and a Thron-type continued fraction (T-fraction) for the Ward polynomials

We find a Thron-type continued fraction (T-fraction) for the ordinary generating function of the Ward polynomials, as well as for some generalizations employing a large (indeed infinite) family of independent indeterminates. Our proof is based on a bijection between super-augmented perfect matchings and labeled Schröder paths, which generalizes Flajolet's bijection between perfect matchings and labeled Dyck paths.

math.CO↗
arXiv2020

A remark on the enumeration of rooted labeled trees

Two decades ago, Chauve, Dulucq and Guibert showed that the number of rooted trees on the vertex set $[n+1]$ in which exactly $k$ children of the root are lower-numbered than the root is $\binom{n}{k} \, n^{n-k}$. Here I give a simpler proof of this result.

math.CO↗
arXiv2018

Duality and the universality class of the three-state Potts antiferromagnet on plane quadrangulations

We provide a new criterion based on graph duality to predict whether the 3-state Potts antiferromagnet on a plane quadrangulation has a zero- or finite-temperature critical point, and its universality class. The former case occurs for quadrangulations of self-dual type, and the zero-temperature critical point has central charge $c=1$. The latter case occurs for quadrangulations of non-self-dual type, and the critical point belongs to the universality class of the 3-state Potts ferromagnet. We have tested this criterion against high-precision computations on four lattices of each type, with very good agreement. We have also found that the Wang-Swendsen-Kotecký algorithm has no critical slowing-down in the former case, and critical slowing-down in the latter.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗
arXiv2018

How to generalize (and not to generalize) the Chu--Vandermonde identity

We consider two different interpretations of the Chu--Vandermonde identity: as an identity for polynomials, and as an identity for infinite matrices. Each interpretation leads to a class of possible generalizations, and in both cases we obtain a complete characterization of the solutions.

math.CO↗
arXiv2014

Complex zero-free regions at large |q| for multivariate Tutte polynomials (alias Potts-model partition functions) with general complex edge weights

We find zero-free regions in the complex plane at large |q| for the multivariate Tutte polynomial (also known in statistical mechanics as the Potts-model partition function) Z_G(q,w) of a graph G with general complex edge weights w = {w_e}. This generalizes a result of Sokal (cond-mat/9904146) that applies only within the complex antiferromagnetic regime |1+w_e| \le 1. Our proof uses the polymer-gas representation of the multivariate Tutte polynomial together with the Penrose identity.

math.CO↗
arXiv2014

Maxmaxflow and counting subgraphs

We introduce a new graph invariant Λ(G) that we call maxmaxflow, and put it in the context of some other well-known graph invariants, notably maximum degree and its relatives. We prove the equivalence of two "dual" definitions of maxmaxflow: one in terms of flows, the other in terms of cocycle bases. We then show how to bound the total number (or more generally, total weight) of various classes of subgraphs of G in terms of either maximum degree or maxmaxflow. Our results are motivated by a conjecture that the modulus of the roots of the chromatic polynomial of G can be bounded above by a function of Λ(G).

math.CO↗
arXiv2014

The persistence of wishful thinking: Response to "Updated thinking on positivity ratios"

This is a response to Barbara Fredrickson's comment [American Psychologist 68, 814-822 (2013)] on our article arXiv:1307.7006. We analyze critically the renewed claims made by Fredrickson (2013) concerning positivity ratios and "flourishing", and attempt to disentangle some conceptual confusions; we also address the alleged empirical evidence for nonlinear effects. We conclude that there is no evidence whatsoever for the existence of any "tipping points", and only weak evidence for the existence of any nonlinearity of any kind. Our original concern, that the application of advanced mathematical techniques in psychology and related disciplines may not always be appropriate, remains undiminished.

stat.AP↗
arXiv2014

Complete monotonicity for inverse powers of some combinatorially defined polynomials

We prove the complete monotonicity on $(0,\infty)^n$ for suitable inverse powers of the spanning-tree polynomials of graphs and, more generally, of the basis generating polynomials of certain classes of matroids. This generalizes a result of Szego and answers, among other things, a long-standing question of Lewy and Askey concerning the positivity of Taylor coefficients for certain rational functions. Our proofs are based on two_ab initio_ methods for proving that $P^{-β}$ is completely monotone on a convex cone $C$: the determinantal method and the quadratic-form method. These methods are closely connected with harmonic analysis on Euclidean Jordan algebras (or equivalently on symmetric cones). We furthermore have a variety of constructions that, given such polynomials, can create other ones with the same property: among these are algebraic analogues of the matroid operations of deletion, contraction, direct sum, parallel connection, series connection and 2-sum. The complete monotonicity of $P^{-β}$ for some $β> 0$ can be viewed as a strong quantitative version of the half-plane property (Hurwitz stability) for $P$, and is also related to the Rayleigh property for matroids.

math.CO↗
arXiv2013

Entropy-driven phase transition in low-temperature antiferromagnetic Potts models

We prove the existence of long-range order at sufficiently low temperatures, including zero temperature, for the three-state Potts antiferromagnet on a class of quasi-transitive plane quadrangulations, including the diced lattice. More precisely, we show the existence of (at least) three infinite-volume Gibbs measures, which exhibit spontaneous magnetization in the sense that vertices in one sublattice have a higher probability to be in one state than in either of the other two states. For the special case of the diced lattice, we give a good rigorous lower bound on this probability, based on computer-assisted calculations that are not available for the other lattices.

math-ph↗
arXiv2013

The complex dynamics of wishful thinking: The critical positivity ratio

We examine critically the claims made by Fredrickson and Losada (2005) concerning the construct known as the "positivity ratio". We find no theoretical or empirical justification for the use of differential equations drawn from fluid dynamics, a subfield of physics, to describe changes in human emotions over time; furthermore, we demonstrate that the purported application of these equations contains numerous fundamental conceptual and mathematical errors. The lack of relevance of these equations and their incorrect application lead us to conclude that Fredrickson and Losada's claim to have demonstrated the existence of a critical minimum positivity ratio of 2.9013 is entirely unfounded. More generally, we urge future researchers to exercise caution in the use of advanced mathematical tools such as nonlinear dynamics and in particular to verify that the elementary conditions for their valid application have been met.

nlin.CD↗