arXiv subjects

Bruce E. Sagan

Publications and source records attributed to Bruce E. Sagan.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2011

Mahonian Pairs

We introduce the notion of a Mahonian pair. Consider the set, P^*, of all words having the positive integers as alphabet. Given finite subsets S,T of P^*, we say that (S,T) is a Mahonian pair if the distribution of the major index, maj, over S is the same as the distribution of the inversion number, inv, over T. So the well-known fact that maj and inv are equidistributed over the symmetric group, S_n, can be expressed by saying that (S_n,S_n) is a Mahonian pair. We investigate various Mahonian pairs (S,T) with S different from T. Our principal tool is Foata's fundamental bijection f: P^* -> P^* since it has the property that maj w = inv f(w) for any word w. We consider various families of words associated with Catalan and Fibonacci numbers. We show that, when restricted to words in {1,2}^*, f transforms familiar statistics on words into natural statistics on integer partitions such as the size of the Durfee square. The Rogers-Ramanujan identities, the Catalan triangle, and various q-analogues also make an appearance. We generalize the definition of Mahonian pairs to infinite sets and use this as a tool to connect a partition bijection of Corteel-Savage-Venkatraman with the Greene-Kleitman decomposition of a Boolean algebra into symmetric chains. We close with comments about future work and open problems.

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arXiv2011

Counting (3+1) - Avoiding permutations

A poset is {\it $(\3+\1)$-free} if it contains no induced subposet isomorphic to the disjoint union of a 3-element chain and a 1-element chain. These posets are of interest because of their connection with interval orders and their appearance in the $(\3+\1)$-free Conjecture of Stanley and Stembridge. The dimension 2 posets $P$ are exactly the ones which have an associated permutation $π$ where $i\prec j$ in $P$ if and only if $i<j$ as integers and $i$ comes before $j$ in the one-line notation of $π$. So we say that a permutation $π$ is {\it $(\3+\1)$-free} or {\it $(\3+\1)$-avoiding} if its poset is $(\3+\1)$-free. This is equivalent to $π$ avoiding the permutations 2341 and 4123 in the language of pattern avoidance. We give a complete structural characterization of such permutations. This permits us to find their generating function.

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arXiv2011

The cyclic sieving phenomenon: a survey

The cyclic sieving phenomenon was defined by Reiner, Stanton, and White in a 2004 paper. Let X be a finite set, C be a finite cyclic group acting on X, and f(q) be a polynomial in q with nonnegative integer coefficients. Then the triple (X,C,f(q)) exhibits the cyclic sieving phenomenon if, for all g in C, we have # X^g = f(w) where # denotes cardinality, X^g is the fixed point set of g, and w is a root of unity chosen to have the same order as g. It might seem improbable that substituting a root of unity into a polynomial with integer coefficients would have an enumerative meaning. But many instances of the cyclic sieving phenomenon have now been found. Furthermore, the proofs that this phenomenon hold often involve interesting and sometimes deep results from representation theory. We will survey the current literature on cyclic sieving, providing the necessary background about representations, Coxeter groups, and other algebraic aspects as needed.

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arXiv2010

Partitions, rooks, and symmetric functions in noncommuting variables

Let $Π_n$ denote the set of all set partitions of $\{1,2,\ldots,n\}$. We consider two subsets of $Π_n$, one connected to rook theory and one associated with symmetric functions in noncommuting variables. Let $\cE_n\sbeΠ_n$ be the subset of all partitions corresponding to an extendable rook (placement) on the upper-triangular board, $\cT_{n-1}$. Given $π\inΠ_m$ and $\si\inΠ_n$, define their {\it slash product\/} to be $π|\si=π\cup(\si+m)\inΠ_{m+n}$ where $\si+m$ is the partition obtained by adding $m$ to every element of every block of $\si$. Call $τ$ {\it atomic\/} if it can not be written as a nontrivial slash product and let $\cA_n\sbeΠ_n$ denote the subset of atomic partitions. Atomic partitions were first defined by Bergeron, Hohlweg, Rosas, and Zabrocki during their study of $NCSym$, the symmetric functions in noncommuting variables. We show that, despite their very different definitions, $\cE_n=\cA_n$ for all $n\ge0$. Furthermore, we put an algebra structure on the formal vector space generated by all rook placements on upper triangular boards which makes it isomorphic to $NCSym$. We end with some remarks and an open problem.

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arXiv2009

Infinite log-concavity: developments and conjectures

Given a sequence (a_k) = a_0, a_1, a_2,... of real numbers, define a new sequence L(a_k) = (b_k) where b_k = a_k^2 - a_{k-1} a_{k+1}. So (a_k) is log-concave if and only if (b_k) is a nonnegative sequence. Call (a_k) "infinitely log-concave" if L^i(a_k) is nonnegative for all i >= 1. Boros and Moll conjectured that the rows of Pascal's triangle are infinitely log-concave. Using a computer and a stronger version of log-concavity, we prove their conjecture for the nth row for all n <= 1450. We also use our methods to give a simple proof of a recent result of Uminsky and Yeats about regions of infinite log-concavity. We investigate related questions about the columns of Pascal's triangle, q-analogues, symmetric functions, real-rooted polynomials, and Toeplitz matrices. In addition, we offer several conjectures.

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arXiv2008

Rationality, irrationality, and Wilf equivalence in generalized factor order

Let $P$ be a partially ordered set and consider the free monoid $P^*$ of all words over $P$. If $w,w'\in P^*$ then $w'$ is a factor of $w$ if there are words $u,v$ with $w=uw'v$. Define generalized factor order on $P^*$ by letting $u\le w$ if there is a factor $w'$ of $w$ having the same length as $u$ such that $u\le w'$, where the comparison of $u$ and $w'$ is done componentwise using the partial order in $P$. One obtains ordinary factor order by insisting that $u=w'$ or, equivalently, by taking $P$ to be an antichain. Given $u\in P^*$, we prove that the language $\cF(u)=\{w : w\ge u\}$ is accepted by a finite state automaton. If $P$ is finite then it follows that the generating function $F(u)=\sum_{w\ge u} w$ is rational. This is an analogue of a theorem of Björner and Sagan for generalized subword order. We also consider $P=\bbP$, the positive integers with the usual total order, so that $P^*$ is the set of compositions. In this case one obtains a weight generating function $F(u;t,x)$ by substituting $tx^n$ each time $n\in\bbP$ appears in $F(u)$. We show that this generating function is also rational by using the transfer-matrix method. Words $u,v$ are said to be Wilf equivalent if $F(u;t,x)=F(v;t,x)$ and we prove various Wilf equivalences combinatorially. Björner found a recursive formula for the Möbius function of ordinary factor order on $P^*$. It follows that one always has $μ(u,w)=0,\pm1$. Using the Pumping Lemma we show that the generating function $M(u)=\sum_{w\ge u} |μ(u,w)| w$ can be irrational.

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arXiv2008

Probabilistic proofs of hook length formulas involving trees

Recently, Han discovered two formulas involving binary trees which have the interestig property that hooklengths appear as exponents. The purpose of this note is to give a probabilistic proof of one of Han's formulas. Yang has generalized Han's results to ordered trees. We show how the probabilistic approach can also be used in Yang's setting, as well as for a generalization of Han's formula in terms of certain infinite trees.

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arXiv2007

Compositions inside a rectangle and unimodality

Let c^{k,l}(n) be the number of compositions (ordered partitions) of the integer n whose Ferrers diagram fits inside a k-by-l rectangle. The purpose of this note is to give a simple, algebraic proof of a conjecture of Vatter that the sequence c^{k,l}(0), c^{k,l}(1), ..., c^{k,l}(kl) is unimodal. The problem of giving a combinatorial proof of this fact is discussed, but is still open.

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arXiv2006

Pattern Avoidance in Set Partitions

The study of patterns in permutations in a very active area of current research. Klazar defined and studied an analogous notion of pattern for set partitions. We continue this work, finding exact formulas for the number of set partitions which avoid certain specific patterns. In particular, we enumerate and characterize those partitions avoiding any partition of a 3-element set. This allows us to conclude that the corresponding sequences are P-recursive. Finally, we define a second notion of pattern in a set partition, based on its restricted growth function. Related results are obtained for this new definition.

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arXiv2005

Rationality of the Möbius function of a composition poset

We consider the zeta and Möbius functions of a partial order on integer compositions first studied by Bergeron, Bousquet-Mélou, and Dulucq. The Möbius function of this poset was determined by Sagan and Vatter. We prove rationality of various formal power series in noncommuting variables whose coefficients are evaluations of the zeta function and the Möbius function. The proofs are either directly from the definitions or by constructing finite-state automata. We also obtain explicit expressions for generating functions obtained by specializing the variables to commutative ones. We reprove Sagan and Vatter's formula for the Möbius function using this machinery. These results are closely related to those of Björner and Reutenauer about subword order, and we discuss a common generalization.

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arXiv2005

A human proof for a generalization of Shalosh B. Ekhad's 10^n Lattice Paths Theorem

Consider lattice paths in Z^2 taking unit steps north (N) and east (E). Fix positive integers r,s and put an equivalence relation on points of Z^2 by letting v,w be equivalent if v - w = m (r,s) for some m in Z. Call a lattice path valid if whenever it enters a point v with an E-step, then any further points of the path in the class of v are also entered with an E-step. Loehr and Warrington conjectured that the number of valid paths from (0,0) to (nr,ns) is (r+s choose r)^n. We prove this conjecture when s = 2.

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arXiv2005

Maximal and Maximum Independent Sets In Graphs With At Most r Cycles

Let m(G) denote the number of maximal independent sets of vertices in a graph G and let c(n,r) be the maximum value of m(G) over all connected graphs with n vertices and at most r cycles. A theorem of Griggs, Grinstead, and Guichard gives a formula for c(n,r) when r is large relative to n, while a theorem of Goh, Koh, Sagan, and Vatter does the same when r is small relative to n. We complete the determination of c(n,r) for all n and r and characterize the extremal graphs. Problems for maximum independent sets are also completely resolved.

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arXiv2005

Maximal Independent Sets In Graphs With At Most r Cycles

We find the maximum number of maximal independent sets in two families of graphs: all graphs with $n$ vertices and at most $r$ cycles, and all such graphs that are also connected. In addition, we characterize the extremal graphs.

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arXiv2004

Congruences for Catalan and Motzkin numbers and related sequences

We prove various congruences for Catalan and Motzkin numbers as well as related sequences. The common thread is that all these sequences can be expressed in terms of binomial coefficients. Our techniques are combinatorial and algebraic: group actions, induction, and Lucas' congruence for binomial coefficients come into play. A number of our results settle conjectures of Benoit Cloitre and Reinhard Zumkeller. The Thue-Morse sequence appears in several contexts.

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arXiv2004

GCD matrices, posets, and nonintersecting paths

We show that with any finite partially ordered set one can associate a matrix whose determinant factors nicely. As corollaries, we obtain a number of results in the literature about GCD matrices and their relatives. Our main theorem is proved combinatorially using nonintersecting paths in a directed graph.

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arXiv2004

Bounding quantities related to the packing density of 1(L+1)L...2

We bound several quantities related to the packing density of the patterns 1(L+1)L...2. These bounds sharpen results of Bóna, Sagan, and Vatter and give a new proof of the packing density of these patterns, originally computed by Stromquist in the case L=2 and by Price for larger L. We end with comments and conjectures.

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arXiv2004

Symmetric Functions in Noncommuting Variables

Consider the algebra Q< > of formal power series in countably many noncommuting variables over the rationals. The subalgebra Pi(x_1,x_2,...) of symmetric functions in noncommuting variables consists of all elements invariant under permutation of the variables and of bounded degree. We develop a theory of such functions analogous to the ordinary theory of symmetric functions. In particular, we define analogs of the monomial, power sum, elementary, complete homogeneous, and Schur symmetric functions as will as investigating their properties.

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arXiv2003

A sign-reversing involution for rooted special rim-hook tableaux

Egecioglu and Remmel gave an interpretation for the entries of the inverse Kostka matrix K^{-1} in terms of special rim-hook tableaux. They were able to use this interpretation to give a combinatorial proof that KK^{-1}=I but were unable to do the same for the equation K^{-1}K=I. We define a sign-reversing involution on rooted special rim-hook tableaux which can be used to prove that the last column of this second product is correct. In addition, following a suggestion of Chow we combine our involution with a result of Gasharov to give a combinatorial proof of a special case of the (3+1)-free Conjecture of Stanley and Stembridge.

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