arXiv subjects

Bruce E. Sagan

Publications and source records attributed to Bruce E. Sagan.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2018

Combinatorial interpretations of Lucas analogues of binomial coefficients and Catalan numbers

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 first simple combinatorial interpretation for this polynomial analogue of the binomial coefficients was given by Sagan and Savage, although their model resisted being used to prove identities for these Lucasnomials or extending their ideas to other combinatorial sequences. The purpose of this paper is to give a new, even more natural model for these Lucasnomials using lattice paths which can be used to prove various equalities as well as extending to Catalan numbers and their relatives, such as those for finite Coxeter groups.

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arXiv2018

On the $1/3-2/3$ Conjecture

Let $(P,\leq)$ be a finite poset (partially ordered set), where $P$ has cardinality $n$. Consider linear extensions of $P$ as permutations $x_1x_2\cdots x_n$ in one-line notation. For distinct elements $x,y\in P$, we define $\mathbb{P}(x\prec y)$ to be the proportion of linear extensions of $P$ in which $x$ comes before $y$. For $0\leq α\leq \frac{1}{2}$, we say $(x,y)$ is an $α$-balanced pair if $α\leq \mathbb{P}(x\prec y) \leq 1-α.$ The $1/3-2/3$ Conjecture states that every finite partially ordered set which is not a chain has a $1/3$-balanced pair. We make progress on this conjecture by showing that it holds for certain families of posets. These include lattices such as the Boolean, set partition, and subspace lattices; partial orders that arise from a Young diagram; and some partial orders of dimension $2$. We also consider various posets which satisfy the stronger condition of having a $1/2$-balanced pair. For example, this happens when the poset has an automorphism with a cycle of length $2$. Various questions for future research are posed.

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arXiv2017

Descent polynomials

Let $n$ be a nonnegative integer and $I$ be a finite set of positive integers. In 1915, MacMahon proved that the number of permutations in the symmetric group $\mathfrak{S}_n$ with descent set $I$ is a polynomial in $n$. We call this the descent polynomial. However, basic properties of these polynomials such as a description of their coefficients and roots do not seem to have been studied in the literature. Much more recently, in 2013, Billey, Burdzy, and Sagan showed that the number of elements of $\mathfrak{S}_n$ with peak set $I$ is a polynomial in $n$ times a certain power of two. Since then, there have been a flurry of papers investigating properties of this peak polynomial. The purpose of the present paper is to study the descent polynomial. We will see that it displays some interesting parallels with its peak relative. Conjectures and questions for future research are scattered throughout.

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arXiv2017

Dihedral Transportation and (0,1)-Matrix Classes

Let R and S be two vectors of real numbers whose entries have the same sum. In the transportation problems one wishes to find a matrix A with row sum vector R and column sum vector S. If, in addition, the two vectors only contain nonnegative integers then one wants the same to be true for A. This can always be done and the transportation algorithm gives a method for explicitly calculating A. We can restrict things even further and insist that A have only entries zero and one. In this case, the Gale-Ryser Theorem gives necessary and sufficient conditions for A to exist and this result can be proved constructively. One can let the dihedral group D_4 of the square act on matrices. Then a subgroup of D_4 defines a set of matrices invariant under the subgroup. So one can consider analogues of the transportation and (0,1) problems for these sets of matrices. For every subgroup, we give conditions equivalent to the existence of the desired type of matrix.

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arXiv2016

Increasing spanning forests in graphs and simplicial complexes

Let G be a graph with vertex set {1,...,n}. A spanning forest F of G is increasing if the sequence of labels on any path starting at the minimum vertex of a tree of F form an increasing sequence. Hallam and Sagan showed that the generating function ISF(G,t) for increasing spanning forests of G has all nonpositive integral roots. Furthermore they proved that, up to a change of sign, this polynomial equals the chromatic polynomial of G precisely when 1,...,n is a perfect elimination order for G. We give new, purely combinatorial proofs of these results which permit us to generalize them in several ways. For example, we are able to bound the coefficients of ISF(G,t) using broken circuits. We are also able to extend these results to simplicial complexes using the new notion of a cage-free complex. A generalization to labeled multigraphs is also given. We end by exploring spanning forests where the increasing condition is replaced by having the label sequences avoid the patterns 231, 312, and 321.

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arXiv2016

Restricted growth function patterns and statistics

A restricted growth function (RGF) of length n is a sequence w = w_1 w_2 ... w_n of positive integers such that w_1 = 1 and w_i is at most 1 + max{w_1,..., w_{i-1}} for i at least 2. RGFs are of interest because they are in natural bijection with set partitions of {1, 2, ..., n}. RGF w avoids RGF v if there is no subword of w which standardizes to v. We study the generating functions sum_{w in R_n(v)} q^{st(w)} where R_n(v) is the set of RGFs of length n which avoid v and st(w) is any of the four fundamental statistics on RGFs defined by Wachs and White. These generating functions exhibit interesting connections with integer partitions and two-colored Motzkin paths, as well as noncrossing and nonnesting set partitions.

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arXiv2015

Distance preserving graphs and graph products

If $G$ is a graph then a subgraph $H$ is $isometric$ if, for every pair of vertices $u,v$ of $H$, we have $d_H(u,v) = d_G(u,v)$ where $d$ is the distance function. We say a graph $G$ is $distance\ preserving\ (dp)$ if it has an isometric subgraph of every possible order up to the order of $G$. We give a necessary and sufficient condition for the lexicographic product of two graphs to be a dp graph. A graph $G$ is $sequentially\ distance\ preserving\ (sdp)$ if the vertex set of $G$ can be ordered so that, for all $i\ge1$, deleting the first $i$ vertices in the sequence results in an isometric graph. We show that the Cartesian product of two graphs is sdp if and only if each of them is sdp. In closing, we state a conjecture concerning the Cartesian products of dp graphs.

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arXiv2015

Bijections on m-level Rook Placements

Suppose the rows of a board are partitioned into sets of m rows called levels. An m-level rook placement is a subset of the board where no two squares are in the same column or the same level. We construct explicit bijections to prove three theorems about such placements. We start with two bijections between Ferrers boards having the same number of m-level rook placements. The first generalizes a map by Foata and Sch\"utzenberger and our proof applies to any Ferrers board. This bijection also preserves the m-inversion number statistic of an m-level rook placement, defined by Briggs and Remmel. The second generalizes work of Loehr and Remmel. This construction only works for a special class of Ferrers boards, but it yields a formula for calculating the rook numbers of these boards in terms of elementary symmetric functions. Finally we generalize another result of Loehr and Remmel giving a bijection between boards with the same hit numbers. The second and third bijections involve the Involution Principle of Garsia and Milne.

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arXiv2015

Factoring the characteristic polynomial of a lattice

We introduce a new method for showing that the roots of the characteristic polynomial of certain finite lattices are all nonnegative integers. This method is based on the notion of a quotient of a poset which will be developed to explain this factorization. Our main theorem will give two simple conditions under which the characteristic polynomial factors with nonnegative integer roots. We will see that Stanley's Supersolvability Theorem is a corollary of this result. Additionally, we will prove a theorem which gives three conditions equivalent to factorization. To our knowledge, all other theorems in this area only give conditions which imply factorization. This theorem will be used to connect the generating function for increasing spanning forests of a graph to its chromatic polynomial. We finish by mentioning some other applications of quotients of posets as well as some open questions.

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arXiv2015

On meteors, earthworms and WIMPs

We study a model of mass redistribution on a finite graph. We address the questions of convergence to equilibrium and the rate of convergence. We present theorems on the distribution of empty sites and the distribution of mass at a fixed vertex. These distributions are related to random permutations with certain peak sets.

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arXiv2015

Set partition patterns and statistics

A set partition $σ$ of $[n]=\{1,\dots,n\}$ contains another set partition $π$ if restricting $σ$ to some $S\subseteq[n]$ and then standardizing the result gives $π$. Otherwise we say $σ$ avoids $π$. For all sets of patterns consisting of partitions of $[3]$, the sizes of the avoidance classes were determined by Sagan and by Goyt. Set partitions are in bijection with restricted growth functions (RGFs) for which Wachs and White defined four fundamental statistics. We consider the distributions of these statistics over various avoidance classes, thus obtaining multivariate analogues of the previously cited cardinality results. This is the first in-depth study of such distributions. We end with a list of open problems.

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arXiv2014

On Constructing Regular Distance-Preserving Graphs

Let G be a simple, connected graph on n vertices. Let d_G(u,v) denote the distance between vertices u and v in G. A subgraph H of G is isometric if d_H(u,v)=d_G(u,v) for every u,v in V(H). We say that G is a distance-preserving graph if G contains at least one isometric subgraph of order k for every k, 1\le k\le n. In this paper we construct regular distance-preserving graphs of all possible orders and degrees of regularity. By modifying the Havel-Hakimi algorithm, we are able to construct distance preserving graphs for certain other degree sequences as well. We include a discussion of some related conjectures which we have computationally verified for small values of n.

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arXiv2013

m-Level rook placements

Goldman, Joichi, and White proved a beautiful theorem showing that the falling factorial generating function for the rook numbers of a Ferrers board factors over the integers. Briggs and Remmel studied an analogue of rook placements where rows are replaced by sets of $m$ rows called levels. They proved a version of the factorization theorem in that setting, but only for certain Ferrers boards. We generalize this result to any Ferrers board as well as giving a p,q-analogue. We also consider a dual situation involving weighted file placements which permit more than one rook in the same row. In both settings, we discuss properties of the resulting equivalence classes such as the number of elements in a class. In addition, we prove analogues of a theorem of Foata and Schützenberger giving a distinguished representative in each class as well as make connections with the q,t-Catalan numbers. We end with some open questions raised by this work.

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arXiv2013

Generalized Fibonacci polynomials and Fibonomial coefficients

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 theorem, a new proof of the Euler-Cassini identity in this setting with applications to estimation of tails of series, and valuations when s and t take on integral values. We also study a corresponding analogue of the Catalan numbers. Conjectures and open problems are scattered throughout the paper.

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arXiv2013

Inversion polynomials for 321-avoiding permutations: addendum

This addendum contains results about the inversion number and major index polynomials for permutations avoiding 321 which did not fit well into the original paper. In particular, we consider symmetry, unimodality, behavior modulo 2, and signed enumeration.

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arXiv2012

On 021-Avoiding Ascent Sequences

Ascent sequences were introduced by Bousquet-Mélou, Claesson, Dukes and Kitaev in their study of $(\bf{2+2})$-free posets. An ascent sequence of length $n$ is a nonnegative integer sequence $x=x_{1}x_{2}... x_{n}$ such that $x_{1}=0$ and $x_{i}\leq \asc(x_{1}x_{2}...x_{i-1})+1$ for all $1<i\leq n$, where $\asc(x_{1}x_{2}...x_{i-1})$ is the number of ascents in the sequence $x_{1}x_{2}... x_{i-1}$. We let $\cA_n$ stand for the set of such sequences and use $\cA_n(p)$ for the subset of sequences avoiding a pattern $p$. Similarly, we let $S_{n}(τ)$ be the set of $τ$-avoiding permutations in the symmetric group $S_{n}$. Duncan and Steingr\'ımsson have shown that the ascent statistic has the same distribution over $\cA_n(021)$ as over $S_n(132)$. Furthermore, they conjectured that the pair $(\asc, \rlm)$ is equidistributed over $\cA_n(021)$ and $S_n(132)$ where $\rlm$ is the right-to-left minima statistic. We prove this conjecture by constructing a bistatistic-preserving bijection.

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arXiv2012

Permutation patterns and statistics

Let S_n denote the symmetric group of all permutations of the set {1, 2, ...,n} and let S = \cup_{n\ge0} S_n. If Pi is a set of permutations, then we let Av_n(Pi) be the set of permutations in S_n which avoid every permutation of Pi in the sense of pattern avoidance. One of the celebrated notions in pattern theory is that of Wilf-equivalence, where Pi and Pi' are Wilf equivalent if #Av_n(Pi)=#Av_n(Pi') for all n\ge0. In a recent paper, Sagan and Savage proposed studying a q-analogue of this concept defined as follows. Suppose st:S->N is a permutation statistic where N represents the nonnegative integers. Consider the corresponding generating function, F_n^{st}(Pi;q) = sum_{sigma in Av_n(Pi)} q^{st sigma}, and call Pi,Pi' st-Wilf equivalent if F_n^{st}(Pi;q)=F_n^{st}(Pi';q) for all n\ge0. We present the first in-depth study of this concept for the inv and maj statistics. In particular, we determine all inv- and maj-Wilf equivalences for any Pi containd in S_3. This leads us to consider various q-analogues of the Catalan numbers, Fibonacci numbers, triangular numbers, and powers of two. Our proof techniques use lattice paths, integer partitions, and Foata's fundamental bijection. We also answer a question about Mahonian pairs raised in the Sagan-Savage article.

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arXiv2012

The Möbius function of generalized subword order

Let P be a poset and let P* be the set of all finite length words over P. Generalized subword order is the partial order on P* obtained by letting u \leq w if and only if there is a subword u' of w having the same length as u such that each element of u is less than or equal to the corresponding element of u' in the partial order on P. Classical subword order arises when P is an antichain, while letting P be a chain gives an order on compositions. For any finite poset P, we give a simple formula for the Mobius function of P* in terms of the Mobius function of P. This permits us to rederive in a easy and uniform manner previous results of Bjorner, Sagan and Vatter, and Tomie. We are also able to determine the homotopy type of all intervals in P* for any finite P of rank at most 1.

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