arXiv subjects

Philip B. Zhang

Publications and source records attributed to Philip B. Zhang.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2024

Stable multivariate Narayana polynomials and labeled plane trees

In this paper, we introduce stable multivariate generalizations of Narayana polynomials of type A and type B. We give an insertion algorithm for labeled plane trees and introduce the notion of improper edges. Our polynomials are multivariate generating polynomials of labeled plane trees and can be generated by a grammatical labeling based on a context-free grammar. Our proof of real stability uses a characterization of stable-preserving linear operators due to Borcea and Brändén. In particular, we get an alternative multivariate stable refinement of the second-order Eulerian polynomials, which is different from the one given by Haglund and Visontai.

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arXiv2024

Enumerations of some pattern-avoiding Fishburn permutations

In this paper, we prove two conjectures of Egge on the enumeration of several classes of pattern-avoiding Fishburn permutations. Our results include enumerating Fishburn permutations avoiding pattern 321 and one of the following three types of classical patterns: a pattern of size 4, two patterns of size 4, or a pattern of size 5.

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arXiv2023

Non-overlapping descents and ascents in stack-sortable permutations

The Eulerian polynomials $A_n(x)$ give the distribution of descents over permutations. It is also known that the distribution of descents over stack-sortable permutations (i.e. permutations sortable by a certain algorithm whose internal storage is limited to a single stack data structure) is given by the Narayana numbers $\frac{1}{n}{n \choose k}{n \choose k+1}$. On the other hand, as a corollary of a much more general result, the distribution of the statistic ``maximum number of non-overlapping descents'', MND, over all permutations is given by $\sum_{n,k \geq 0}D_{n,k}x^k\ frac{t^n}{n!}=\frac{e^t}{1-x(1+(t-1)e^t)}$. In this paper, we show that the distribution of MND over stack-sortable permutations is given by $\frac{1}{n+1}{n+1\choose 2k+1}{n+k \choose k}$. We give two proofs of the result via bijections with rooted plane (binary) trees allowing us to control MND. Moreover, we show combinatorially that MND is equidistributed with the statistic MNA, the maximum number of non-overlapping ascents, over stack-sortable permutations. The last fact is obtained by establishing an involution on stack-sortable permutations that gives equidistribution of 8 statistics.

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arXiv2020

Plateaux on generalized Stirling permutations and partial $γ$-positivity

We prove that the enumerative polynomials of generalized Stirling permutations by the statistics of plateaux, descents and ascents are partial $γ$-positive. Specialization of our result to the Jacobi-Stirling permutations confirms a recent partial $γ$-positivity conjecture due to Ma, Yeh and the second named author. Our partial $γ$-positivity expansion, as well as a combinatorial interpretation for the corresponding $γ$-coefficients, are obtained via the machine of context-free grammars and a group action on generalized Stirling permutations. Besides, we also provide an alternative approach to the partial $γ$-positivity from the stability of certain multivariate polynomials.

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arXiv2019

Chromatic nonsymmetric polynomials of Dyck graphs are slide-positive

Motivated by the study of Macdonald polynomials, J. Haglund and A. Wilson introduced a nonsymmetric polynomial analogue of the chromatic quasisymmetric function called the \emph{chromatic nonsymmetric polynomial} of a Dyck graph. We give a positive expansion for this polynomial in the basis of fundamental slide polynomials using recent work of Assaf-Bergeron on flagged $(P,ρ)$-partitions. We then derive the known expansion for the chromatic quasisymmetric function of Dyck graphs in terms of Gessel's fundamental basis by taking a backstable limit of our expansion.

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arXiv2019

Distributions of mesh patterns of short lengths

A systematic study of avoidance of mesh patterns of length 2 was conducted by Hilmarsson et al., where 25 out of 65 non-equivalent cases were solved. In this paper, we give 27 distribution results for these patterns including 14 distributions for which avoidance was not known. Moreover, for the unsolved cases, we prove an equidistribution result (out of 6 equidistribution results we prove in total), and conjecture 6 more equidistributions. Finally, we find seemingly unknown distribution of the well known permutation statistic ``strict fixed point'', which plays a key role in many of our enumerative results. This paper is the first systematic study of distributions of mesh patterns. Our techniques to obtain the results include, but are not limited to, obtaining functional relations for generating functions, and finding recurrence relations and bijections.

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arXiv2019

Real-rootedness of variations of Eulerian polynomials

The binomial Eulerian polynomials, introduced by Postnikov, Reiner, and Williams, are $γ$-positive polynomials and can be interpreted as $h$-polynomials of certain flag simplicial polytopes. Recently, Athanasiadis studied analogs of these polynomials for colored permutations. In this paper, we generalize them to $\mathbf{s}$-inversion sequences and prove that these new polynomials have only real roots by the method of interlacing polynomials. Three applications of this result are presented. The first one is to prove the real-rootedness of binomial Eulerian polynomials, which confirms a conjecture of Ma, Ma, and Yeh. The second one is to prove that the symmetric decomposition of binomial Eulerian polynomials for colored permutations is real-rooted. Thirdly, our polynomials for certain $\mathbf{s}$-inversion sequences are shown to admit a similar geometric interpretation related to edgewise subdivisions of simplexes.

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arXiv2019

Distributions of several infinite families of mesh patterns

Brändén and Claesson introduced mesh patterns to provide explicit expansions for certain permutation statistics as linear combinations of (classical) permutation patterns. The first systematic study of avoidance of mesh patterns was conducted by Hilmarsson et al., while the first systematic study of the distribution of mesh patterns was conducted by the first two authors. In this paper, we provide far-reaching generalizations for 8 known distribution results and 5 known avoidance results related to mesh patterns by giving distribution or avoidance formulas for certain infinite families of mesh patterns in terms of distribution or avoidance formulas for smaller patterns. Moreover, as a corollary to a general result, we find the distribution of one more mesh pattern of length 2.

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arXiv2019

On the real-rootedness of the local $h$-polynomials of edgewise subdivisions

Athanasiadis conjectured that, for every positive integer $r$, the local $h$-polynomial of the $r$th edgewise subdivision of any simplex has only real zeros. In this paper, based on the theory of interlacing polynomials, we prove that a family of polynomials related to the desired local $h$-polynomial is interlacing and hence confirm Athanasiadis' conjecture.

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arXiv2019

Multivariate Stable Eulerian Polynomials on Segmented Permutations

Recently, Nunge studied Eulerian polynomials on segmented permutations, namely \emph{generalized Eulerian polynomials}, and further asked whether their coefficients form unimodal sequences. In this paper, we prove the stability of the generalized Eulerian polynomials and hence confirm Nunge's conjecture. Our proof is based on Brändén's stable multivariate Eulerian polynomials. By acting on Brändén's polynomials with a stability-preserving linear operator, we get a multivariate refinement of the generalized Eulerian polynomials. To prove Nunge's conjecture, we also develop a general approach to obtain generalized Sturm sequences from bivariate stable polynomials.

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arXiv2019

Equivariant Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials of thagomizer matroids

The equivariant Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomial of a matroid was introduced by Gedeon, Proudfoot, and Young. Gedeon conjectured an explicit formula for the equivariant Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials of thagomizer matroids with an action of symmetric groups. In this paper, we discover a new formula for these polynomials which is related to the equivariant Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials of uniform matroids. Based on our new formula, we confirm Gedeon's conjecture by the Pieri rule.

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arXiv2018

On a Greedy Algorithm to Construct Universal Cycles for Permutations

A universal cycle for permutations of length $n$ is a cyclic word or permutation, any factor of which is order-isomorphic to exactly one permutation of length $n$, and containing all permutations of length $n$ as factors. It is well known that universal cycles for permutations of length $n$ exist. However, all known ways to construct such cycles are rather complicated. For example, in the original paper establishing the existence of the universal cycles, constructing such a cycle involves finding an Eulerian cycle in a certain graph and then dealing with partially ordered sets. In this paper, we offer a simple way to generate a universal cycle for permutations of length $n$, which is based on applying a greedy algorithm to a permutation of length $n-1$. We prove that this approach gives a unique universal cycle $Π_n$ for permutations, and we study properties of $Π_n$.

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arXiv2018

The Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials of uniform matroids

The Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomial of a matroid was introduced by Elias, Proudfoot, and Wakefield [{\it Adv. Math. 2016}]. Let $U_{m,d}$ denote the uniform matroid of rank $d$ on a set of $m+d$ elements. Gedeon, Proudfoot, and Young [{\it J. Combin. Theory Ser. A, 2017}] pointed out that they can derive an explicit formula of the Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials of $U_{m,d}$ using equivariant Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials. In this paper we give two alternative explicit formulas, which allow us to prove the real-rootedness of the Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials of $U_{m,d}$ for $2\leq m\leq 15$ and all $d$'s. The case $m=1$ was previously proved by Gedeon, Proudfoot, and Young [{\it Sém. Lothar. Combin. 2017}]. We further determine the $Z$-polynomials of all $U_{m,d}$'s and prove the real-rootedness of the $Z$-polynomials of $U_{m,d}$ for $2\leq m\leq 15$ and all $d$'s. Our formula also enables us to give an alternative proof of Gedeon, Proudfoot, and Young's formula for the Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials of $U_{m,d}$'s without using the equivariant Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials.

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arXiv2018

The Local $h$-Polynomials of Cluster Subdivisions Have Only Real Zeros

Athanasiadis raised the question whether the local $h$-polynomials of type $A$ cluster subdivisions have only real zeros. In this paper, we confirm this conjecture and prove the real-rootedness of local $h$-polynomials for all the other Cartan--Killing types. Our proofs mainly involve multiplier sequences and Chebyshev polynomials of the second kind.

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arXiv2018

Interlacing Polynomials and the Veronese Construction for Rational Formal Power Series

Fixing a positive integer $r$ and $0 \le k \le r-1$, define $f^{\langle r,k \rangle}$ for every formal power series $f$ as $ f(x) = f^{\langle r,0 \rangle}(x^r)+xf^{\langle r,1 \rangle}(x^r)+ \cdots +x^{r-1}f^{\langle r,r-1 \rangle}(x^r).$ Jochemko recently showed that the polynomial $U^{n}_{r,k}\, h(x) := \left( (1+x+\cdots+x^{r-1})^{n} h(x) \right)^{\langle r,k \rangle}$ has only nonpositive zeros for any $r \ge °h(x) -k$ and any positive integer $n$. As a consequence, Jochemko confirmed a conjecture of Beck and Stapledon on the Ehrhart polynomial $h(x)$ of a lattice polytope of dimension $n$, which states that $U^{n}_{r,0}\,h(x)$ has only negative, real zeros whenever $r\ge n$. In this paper, we provide an alternative approach to Beck and Stapledon's conjecture by proving the following general result: if the polynomial sequence $\left( h^{\langle r,r-i \rangle}(x)\right)_{1\le i \le r}$ is interlacing, so is $\left( U^{n}_{r,r-i}\, h(x) \right)_{1\le i \le r}$. Our result has many other interesting applications. In particular, this enables us to give a new proof of Savage and Visontai's result on the interlacing property of some refinements of the descent generating functions for colored permutations. Besides, we derive a Carlitz identity for refined colored permutations.

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arXiv2016

On 132-representable Graphs

A graph $G = (V,E)$ is word-representable if there exists a word $w$ over the alphabet $V$ such that letters $x$ and $y$ alternate in $w$ if and only if $xy$ is an edge in $E$. Word-representable graphs are the subject of a long research line in the literature initiated in \cite{KP}, and they are the main focus in the recently published book \cite{KL}. A word $w=w_1\cdots w_{n}$ avoids the pattern $132$ if there are no $1\leq i_1<i_2<i_3\leq n$ such that $w_{i_1}<w_{i_3}<w_{i_2}$. The theory of patterns in words and permutations is a fast growing area discussed in \cite{HM,Kit}. A research direction suggested in \cite{KL} is in merging the theories of word-representable graphs and patterns in words. Namely, given a class of pattern-avoiding words, can we describe the class of graphs represented by the words? Our paper provides the first non-trivial results in this direction. We say that a graph is 132-representable if it can be represented by a 132-avoiding word. We show that each 132-representable graph is necessarily a circle graph. Also, we show that any tree and any cycle graph are 132-representable, which is a rather surprising fact taking into account that most of these graphs are non-representable in the sense specified, as a generalization of the notion of a word-representable graph, in \cite{JKPR}. Finally, we provide explicit 132-avoiding representations for all graphs on at most five vertices, and also describe all such representations, and enumerate them, for complete graphs.

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arXiv2016

On pattern avoiding indecomposable permutations

Comtet introduced the notion of indecomposable permutations in 1972. A permutation is indecomposable if and only if it has no proper prefix which is itself a permutation. Indecomposable permutations were studied in the literature in various contexts. In particular, this notion has been proven to be useful in obtaining non-trivial enumeration and equidistribution results on permutations. In this paper, we give a complete classification of indecomposable permutations avoiding a classical pattern of length 3 or 4, and of indecomposable permutations avoiding a non-consecutive vincular pattern of length 3. Further, we provide a recursive formula for enumerating $12\cdots k$-avoiding indecomposable permutations for $k\geq 3$. Several of our results involve the descent statistic. We also provide a bijective proof of a fact relevant to our studies.

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arXiv2016

The unimodality of the Ehrhart $δ$-polynomial of the chain polytope of the zig-zag poset

We prove the unimodality of the Ehrhart $δ$-polynomial of the chain polytope of the zig-zag poset, which was conjectured by Kirillov. First, based on a result due to Stanley, we show that this polynomial coincides with the $W$-polynomial for the zig-zag poset with some natural labeling. Then, its unimodality immediately follows from a result of Gasharov, which states that the $W$-polynomials of naturally labeled graded posets of rank $1$ or $2$ are unimodal.

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