arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Richard P. Stanley.
Promotion and evacuation are bijections on the set of linear extensions of a finite poset first defined by Schutzenberger. This paper surveys the basic properties of these two operations and discusses some generalizations.
We use the theory of symmetric functions to enumerate various classes of alternating permutations w of {1,2,...,n}. These classes include the following: (1) both w and w^{-1} are alternating, (2) w has certain special shapes, such as (m-1,m-2,...,1), under the RSK algorithm, (3) w has a specified cycle type, and (4) w has a specified number of fixed points. We also enumerate alternating permutations of a multiset. Most of our formulas are umbral expressions where after expanding the expression in powers of a variable E, E^k is interpreted as the Euler number E_k. As a small corollary, we obtain a combinatorial interpretation of the coefficients of an asymptotic expansion appearing in Ramanujan's Lost Notebook.
In math.CO/0109093 the author obtained a formula for the value of an irreducible symmetric group character indexed by a partition of rectangular shape. In the present paper this formula is (conjecturally) generalized to arbitrary shapes.
We survey the theory of increasing and decreasing subsequences of permutations. Enumeration problems in this area are closely related to the RSK algorithm. The asymptotic behavior of the expected value of the length is(w) of the longest increasing subsequence of a permutation w of 1,2,...,n was obtained by Vershik-Kerov and (almost) by Logan-Shepp. The entire limiting distribution of is(w) was then determined by Baik, Deift, and Johansson. These techniques can be applied to other classes of permutations, such as involutions, and are related to the distribution of eigenvalues of elements of the classical groups. A number of generalizations and variations of increasing/decreasing subsequences are discussed, including the theory of pattern avoidance, unimodal and alternating subsequences, and crossings and nestings of matchings and set partitions.
The length is(w) of the longest increasing subsequence of a permutation w in the symmetric group S_n has been the object of much investigation. We develop comparable results for the length as(w) of the longest alternating subsequence of w, where a sequence a,b,c,d,... is alternating if a>b d<.... For instance, the expected value (mean) of as(w) for w in S_n is exactly (4n+1)/6 if n>1.
We present results on the enumeration of crossings and nestings for matchings and set partitions. Using a bijection between partitions and vacillating tableaux, we show that if we fix the sets of minimal block elements and maximal block elements, the crossing number and the nesting number of partitions have a symmetric joint distribution. It follows that the crossing numbers and the nesting numbers are distributed symmetrically over all partitions of $[n]$, as well as over all matchings on $[2n]$. As a corollary, the number of $k$-noncrossing partitions is equal to the number of $k$-nonnesting partitions. The same is also true for matchings. An application is given to the enumeration of matchings with no $k$-crossing (or with no $k$-nesting).
The descent set D(w) of a permutation w of 1,2,...,n is a standard and well-studied statistic. We introduce a new statistic, the connectivity set C(w), and show that it is a kind of dual object to D(w). The duality is stated in terms of the inverse of a matrix that records the joint distribution of D(w) and C(w). We also give a variation involving permutations of a multiset and a q-analogue that keeps track of the number of inversions of w.
We are given k points (events) in (n+1)-dimensional Minkowski space. Using the theory of hyperplane arrangments and chromatic polynomials, we obtain information the number of different orders in which the events can occur in different reference frames if the events are sufficiently generic. We consider the question of what sets of orderings of the points are possible and show a connection with sphere orders and the allowable sequences of Goodman and Pollack.
We study a family of polynomials whose values express degrees of Schubert varieties in the generalized complex flag manifold G/B. The polynomials are given by weighted sums over saturated chains in the Bruhat order. We derive several explicit formulas for these polynomials, and investigate their relations with Schubert polynomials, harmonic polynomials, Demazure characters, and generalized Littlewood-Richardson coefficients. In the second half of the paper, we concern with the case of to the classical flag manifold of Lie type A and discuss related combinatorial objects: flagged Schur polynomials, 312-avoiding permutations, generalized Gelfand-Tsetlin polytopes, the inverse Schubert-Kostka matrix, parking functions, and binary trees.
We give a basis for the space V spanned by the lowest degree part \hat{s}_λof the expansion of the Schur symmetric functions s_λin terms of power sums, where we define the degree of the power sum p_i to be 1. In particular, the dimension of the subspace V_n spanned by those \hat{s}_λfor which λis a partition of n is equal to the number of partitions of n whose parts differ by at least 2. We also show that a symmetric function closely related to \hat{s}_λhas the same coefficients when expanded in terms of power sums or augmented monomial symmetric functions. Proofs are based on the theory of minimal border strip decompositions of Young diagrams.
We determine invariants like the Smith normal form and the determinant for certain integral matrices which arise from the character tables of the symmetric groups S_n and their double covers. In particular, we give a simple computation, based on the theory of Hall-Littlewood symmetric functions, of the determinant of the regular character table of S_n with respect to an integer r>1. This result had earlier been proved by Olsson in a longer and more indirect manner. As a consequence, we obtain a new proof of the Mathas' Conjecture on the determinant of the Cartan matrix of the Iwahori-Hecke algebra. When r is prime we determine the Smith normal form of the regular character table. Taking r large yields the Smith normal form of the full character table of S_n. Analogous results are then given for spin characters.
A survey of three recent developments in algebraic combinatorics: (1) the Laurent phenomenon, (2) Gromov-Witten invariants and toric Schur functions, and (3) toric h-vectors and intersection cohomology. This paper is a continuation of "Recent progress in algebraic combinatorics" (math.CO/0010218), which dealt with three other topics.
Let P be a poset with elements 1,2,...,n. We say that P is sign-balanced if exactly half the linear extensions of P (regarded as permutations of 1,2,...,n) are even permutations, i.e., have an even number of inversions. This concept first arose in the work of Frank Ruskey, who was interested in the efficient generation of all linear extensions of P. We survey a number of techniques for showing that posets are sign-balanced, and more generally, computing their "imbalance." There are close connections with domino tilings and, for certain posets, a "domino generalization" of Schur functions due to Carre and Leclerc. We also say that P is maj-balanced if exactly half the linear extensions of P have even major index. We discuss some similarities and some differences between sign-balanced and maj-balanced posets.
We give a new formula for the values of an irreducible character of the symmetric group S_n indexed by a partition of rectangular shape. Some observations and a conjecture are given concerning a generalization to arbitrary shapes.
A survey of recent progress in three areas of algebraic combinatorics: (1) the Saturation Conjecture for Littlewood-Richardson coefficients, (2) the n! and (n+1)^{n-1} conjectures, and (3) longest increasing subsequences of permutations.
We extend work of McKay, Morse, and Wilf by giving exact formulas and asymptotic formulas for the number of skew Young tableaux T in two situations: (1) the "inside shape" and total number of cells of T are fixed, and (2) the inside shape of T is fixed. The proofs use the theory of symmetric functions and estimates for irreducible characters of the symmetric group due to Thoma, Vershik, Kerov, and Biane.
Nazarov and Tarasov recently generalized the notion of the rank of a partition to skew partitions. We give several characterizations of the rank of a skew partition and one possible characterization that remains open. One of the characterizations involves the decomposition of a skew shape into a minimal number of border strips, and we develop a theory of these MBSD's as well as of the closely related minimal border strip tableaux. An application is given to the value of a character of the symmetric group S_n indexed by a skew shape z at a permutation whose number of cycles is the rank of z.