arXiv subjects

William Y. C. Chen

Publications and source records attributed to William Y. C. Chen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

The Higher-order Stirling Triangles

The $r$th-order Stirling cycle and subset triangles and their associated quasi-Eulerian triangles were introduced by Deb and Sokal in their study of total positivity of combinatorial triangles. They found combinatorial interpretations for the cycle case in terms of Stirling permutations, leaving the subset case open. For $r\ge 2$, we resolve this problem by introducing the notion of Stirling subset permutations along with a consecutive-descent statistic. We also prove the conjectures of Deb and Sokal on the row log-concavity of the higher-order Stirling cycle and subset triangles. Our log-concavity proofs rely on Sagan's criterion, Dey's extension, and strengthened log-concavity inequalities discovered with the assistance of ChatGPT 5.6.

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arXiv2026

The Grammatical Calculus

We give an introduction to the grammatical calculus, which originated from the umbral calculus of Rota. Context-free grammars arise in computer science. Differential operators can be viewed as the production rules of context-free grammars. By the properties of differential operators, we may perform the grammatical calculus on a rigorous basis, for the purposes of deriving combinatorial identities and computing generating functions. A grammatical labeling serves as a bridge between a combinatorial structure and the grammar. A grammar may be instrumental in constructing a bijection between two combinatorial structures sharing the same grammar. Such a bijection is called a grammar assisted bijection. Many combinatorial structures admit recursive constructions that are context-free in some sense, such as those corresponding to the Eulerian polynomials, Bell polynomials, the Ramanujan polynomials and the Narayana polynomials.

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arXiv2026

A Grammatical Calculus for the Ramanujan Polynomials

The Ramanujan polynomials arise in three intertwined contexts. As remarked by BerndtEvans-Wilson, no combinatorial perspective seems to be alluded to in the original definition of Ramanujan. On a different stage, Dumont-Ramamonjisoa uncovered a combinatorial structure underneath an equation also considered by Ramanujan. Around the same time, Shor came up with the same construction as a refinement of the classical formula of Cayley for trees. We present a labeling scheme for rooted trees by employing an extra label marking improper edges. Harnessed by this grammar, we develop a grammatical calculus for the Ramanujan polynomials heavily relying on the constant properties. Moreover, we provide a grammatical formulation of a correspondence that leads to the recurrence relation due to Berndt-Evans-Wilson and Shor.

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arXiv2025

Enriched Cycle Structures and Roots of Permutations

This paper is concerned with a duality between $r$-regular permutations and $r$-cycle permutations, and a monotone property due to Bóna-McLennan-White on the probability $p_r(n)$ for a random permutation of $\{1,2,\ldots, n\}$ to have an $r$-th root, where $r$ is a prime. For $r=2$, the duality relates permutations with odd cycles to permutations with even cycles. To handle the general case where $r\geq 2$, we define an $r$-enriched permutation as a permutation with $r$-singular cycles colored by one of the colors $1, 2, \ldots, r-1$. In this setup, we discover a bijection between $r$-regular permutations and enriched $r$-cycle permutations, which in turn yields a stronger version of an inequality of Bóna-McLennan-White. This leads to a fully combinatorial understanding of the monotone property, thereby answering their question. When $r$ is a prime power $q^l$, we further show that $p_r(n)$ is monotone. In the case that $n+1 \not\equiv 0 \pmod q$, the equality $p_r(n)=p_r(n+1)$ has been established by Chernoff.

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arXiv2025

Increasing Binary Trees and the $(α,β)$-Eulerian Polynomials

In light of the grammar given by Ji for the $(α,β)$-Eulerian polynomials introduced by Carlitz and Scoville, we provide a labeling scheme for increasing binary trees. In this setting, we obtain a combinatorial interpretation of the $γ$-coefficients of the $α$-Eulerian polynomials in terms of forests of planted 0-1-2-plane trees, which specializes to a combinatorial interpretation of the $γ$-coefficients of the derangement polynomials in the same vein. By means of a decomposition of an increasing binary tree into a forest, we find combinatorial interpretations of the sums involving two identities of Ji, one of which can be viewed as $(α,β)$-extensions of the formulas of Petersen and Stembridge.

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arXiv2024

The Wide Band Cayley Continuants

The Cayley continuants are referred to the determinants of tridiagonal matrices in connection with the Sylvester continuants. Munarini-Torri found a striking combinatorial interpretation of the Cayley continuants in terms of the joint distribution of the number of odd cycles and the number of even cycles of permutations of $[n]=\{1,2,\ldots, n\}$. In view of a general setting, $r$-regular cycles (with length not divisible by $r$) and $r$-singular cycles (with length divisible by $r$) have been extensively studied largely related to roots of permutations. We introduce the wide band Cayley continuants as an extension of the original Cayley continuants, and we show that they can be interpreted in terms of the joint distribution of the number of $r$-regular cycles and the number of $r$-singular cycles over permutations of $[n]$.

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arXiv2024

A Grammar of Dumont and a Theorem of Diaconis-Evans-Graham

We came across an unexpected connection between a remarkable grammar of Dumont for the joint distribution of $(\exc, \fix)$ over $S_n$ and a beautiful theorem of Diaconis-Evans-Graham on successions and fixed points of permutations. With the grammar in hand, we demonstrate the advantage of the grammatical calculus in deriving the generating functions, where the constant property plays a substantial role. On the grounds of left successions of a permutation, we present a grammatical treatment of the joint distribution investigated by Roselle. Moreover, we obtain a left succession analogue of the Diaconis-Evans-Graham theorem, exemplifying the idea of a grammar assisted bijection. The grammatical labelings give rise to an equidistribution of $(\jump, \des)$ and $(\exc, \drop)$ restricted to the set of left successions and the set of fixed points, {where $\jump$ is defined to be the number of ascents minus the number of left successions.}

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arXiv2024

Breaking Cycles, the Odd Versus the Even

In an award-winning expository article, V. Pozdnyakov and J.M. Steele gave a beautiful demonstration of the ramifications of a basic bijection for permutations. The aim of this note is to connect this correspondence to a seemingly unrelated problem concerning odd cycles and even cycles, arising in the combinatorial study of the Cayley continuants by E. Munarini and D. Torri. In extreme cases, one encounters two special classes of permutations of $2n$ elements with the same cardinality. A bijection of this appealing relation has been found by E. Sayag. A combinatorial study of permutations with only odd cycles has been carried out by M. Bóna, A. Mclennan and D. White. We find an intermediate structure which leads to a linkage between these two antipodal structures. A recursive setting reveals that everything boils down to only one trick -- breaking the cycles.

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arXiv2023

A Grammatical Calculus for Peaks and Runs of Permutations

We develop a nonstandard approach to exploring polynomials associated with peaks and runs of permutations. With the aid of a context-free grammar, or a set of substitution rules, one can perform a symbolic calculus, and the computation often becomes rather simple. From a grammar it follows at once a system of ordinary differential equations for the generating functions. Utilizing a certain constant property, it is even possible to deduce a single equation for each generating function. To bring the grammar to a combinatorial setting, we find a labeling scheme for up-down runs of a permutation, which can be regarded as a refined property, or the differentiability in a certain sense, in contrast to the usual counting argument for the recurrence relation. The labeling scheme also exhibits how the substitution rules arise in the construction of the combinatorial structures. Consequently, polynomials on peaks and runs can be dealt with in two ways, combinatorially or grammatically. The grammar also serves as a guideline to build a bijection between permutations and increasing trees that maps the number of up-down runs to the number of nonroot vertices of even degree. This correspondence can be adapted to left peaks and exterior peaks, and the key step of the construction is called the reflection principle.

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arXiv2022

The Gessel Correspondence and the Partial $γ$-Positivity of the Eulerian Polynomials on Multiset Stirling Permutations

Pondering upon the grammatical labeling of 0-1-2 increasing plane trees, we come to the realization that the grammatical labels play a role as records of chopped off leaves of the original increasing binary trees. While such an understanding is purely psychological, it does give rise to an efficient apparatus to tackle the partial $γ$-positivity of the Eulearian polynomials on multiset Stirling permutations, as long as we bear in mind the combinatorial meanings of the labels $x$ and $y$ in the Gessel representation of a $k$-Stirling permutation by means of an increasing $(k+1)$-ary tree. More precisely, we introduce a Foata-Strehl action on the Gessel trees resulting in an interpretation of the partial $γ$-coefficients of the aforementioned Eulerian polynomials, different from the ones found by Lin-Ma-Zhang and Yan-Huang-Yang. In particular, our strategy can be adapted to deal with the partial $γ$-coefficients of the second order Eulerian polynomials, which in turn can be readily converted to the combinatorial formulation due to Ma-Ma-Yeh in connection with certain statistics of Stirling permutations.

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arXiv2022

The Dumont Ansatz for the Eulerian Polynomials, Peak Polynomials and Derivative Polynomials

We observe that three context-free grammars of Dumont can be brought to a common ground, via the idea of transformations of grammars, proposed by Ma-Ma-Yeh. Then we develop a unified perspective to investigate several combinatorial objects in connection with the bivariate Eulerian polynomials. We call this approach the Dumont ansatz. As applications, we provide grammatical treatments, in the spirit of the symbolic method, of relations on the Springer numbers, the Euler numbers, the three kinds of peak polynomials, an identity of Petersen, and the two kinds of derivative polynomials, introduced by Knuth-Buckholtz and Carlitz-Scoville, and later by Hoffman in a broader context. We obtain a convolution formula on the left peak polynomials, leading to the Gessel formula. In this framework, we are led to the combinatorial interpretations of the derivative polynomials due to Josuat-Vergès.

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arXiv2022

Cubic Equations Through the Looking Glass of Sylvester

One can hardly believe that there is still something to be said about cubic equations. To dodge this doubt, we will instead try and say something about Sylvester. He doubtless found a way of solving cubic equations. As mentioned by Rota, it was the only method in this vein that he could remember. We realize that in the generic case Sylvester's magnificent approach aimed at reduced cubic equations boils down to an easy identity expressing a cubic polynomial as a sum of two third powers of linear forms. This leads to Cardano's formula for cubic equations involving the third roots of unity.

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arXiv2021

A Context-free Grammar for the $e$-Positivity of the Trivariate Second-order Eulerian Polynomials

Ma-Ma-Yeh made a beautiful observation that a transformation of the grammar of Dumont instantly leads to the $γ$-positivity of the Eulerian polynomials. We notice that the transformed grammar bears a striking resemblance to the grammar for 0-1-2 increasing trees also due to Dumont. The appearance of the factor of two fits perfectly in a grammatical labeling of 0-1-2 increasing plane trees. Furthermore, the grammatical calculus is instrumental to the computation of the generating functions. This approach can be adapted to study the $e$-positivity of the trivariate second-order Eulerian polynomials first introduced by Dumont in the contexts of ternary trees and Stirling permutations, and independently defined by Janson, in connection with the joint distribution of the numbers of ascents, descents and plateaux over Stirling permutations.

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arXiv2021

Semi-invariants of Binary Forms Pertaining to a Unimodality Theorem of Reiner and Stanton

The symmetric difference of the $q$-binomial coefficients $F_{n,k}(q)={n+k\brack k}-q^{n}{n+k-2\brack k-2}$ was introduced by Reiner and Stanton. They proved that $F_{n,k}(q)$ is symmetric and unimodal for $k \geq 2$ and $n$ even by using the representation theory for Lie algebras. Based on Sylvester's proof of the unimodality of the Gaussian coefficients, as conjectured by Cayley, we find an interpretation of the unimodality of $F_{n,k}(q)$ in terms of semi-invariants. In the spirit of the strict unimodality of the Gaussian coefficients due to Pak and Panova, we prove the strict unimodality of the symmetric difference $G_{n,k,r}(q)={n+k\brack k}-q^{nr/2}{n+k-r\brack k-r}$, except for the two terms at both ends, where $n,r\geq8$, $k\geq r$ and at least one of $n$ and $r$ is even.

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arXiv2021

Semi-invariants of Binary Forms and Sylvester's Theorem

We obtain a combinatorial formula related to the shear transformation for semi-invariants of binary forms, which implies the classical characterization of semi-invariants in terms of a differential operator. Then, we present a combinatorial proof of an identity of Hilbert, which leads to a relation of Cayley on semi-invariants. This identity plays a crucial role in the original proof of Sylvester's theorem on semi-invariants in connection with the Gaussian coefficients. Moreover, we show that the additivity lemma of Pak and Panova which yields the strict unimodality of the Gaussian coefficients for $n,k \geq 8$ can be deduced from the ring property of semi-invariants.

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arXiv2019

Finding Modular Functions for Ramanujan-Type Identities

This paper is concerned with a class of partition functions $a(n)$ introduced by Radu and defined in terms of eta-quotients. By utilizing the transformation laws of Newman, Schoeneberg and Robins, and Radu's algorithms, we present an algorithm to find Ramanujan-type identities for $a(mn+t)$. While this algorithm is not guaranteed to succeed, it applies to many cases. For example, we deduce a witness identity for $p(11n+6)$ with integer coefficients. Our algorithm also leads to Ramanujan-type identities for the overpartition functions $\overline{p}(5n+2)$ and $\overline{p}(5n+3)$ and Andrews--Paule's broken $2$-diamond partition functions $\triangle_{2}(25n+14)$ and $\triangle_{2}(25n+24)$. It can also be extended to derive Ramanujan-type identities on a more general class of partition functions. For example, it yields the Ramanujan-type identities on Andrews' singular overpartition functions $\overline{Q}_{3,1}(9n+3)$ and $ \overline{Q}_{3,1}(9n+6)$ due to Shen, the $2$-dissection formulas of Ramanujan and the $8$-dissection formulas due to Hirschhorn.

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arXiv2018

A Context-free Grammar for the Ramanujan-Shor Polynomials

Ramanujan defined the polynomials $ψ_{k}(r,x)$ in his study of power series inversion. Berndt, Evans and Wilson obtained a recurrence relation for $ψ_{k}(r,x)$. In a different context, Shor introduced the polynomials $Q(i,j,k)$ related to improper edges of a rooted tree, leading to a refinement of Cayley's formula. He also proved a recurrence relation and raised the question of finding a combinatorial proof. Zeng realized that the polynomials of Ramanujan coincide with the polynomials of Shor, and that the recurrence relation of Shor coincides with the recurrence relation of Berndt, Evans and Wilson. So we call these polynomials the Ramanujan-Shor polynomials, and call the recurrence relation the Berndt-Evans-Wilson-Shor recursion. A combinatorial proof of this recursion was obtained by Chen and Guo, and a simpler proof was recently given by Guo. From another perspective, Dumont and Ramamonjisoa found a context-free grammar $G$ to generate the number of rooted trees on $n$ vertices with $k$ improper edges. Based on the grammar $G$, we find a grammar $H$ for the Ramanujan-Shor polynomials. This leads to a formal calculus for the Ramanujan-Shor polynomials. In particular, we obtain a grammatical derivation of the Berndt-Evans-Wilson-Shor recursion. We also provide a grammatical approach to the Abel identities and a grammatical explanation of the Lacasse identity.

math.CO↗

arXiv2017

The spt-Function of Andrews

The spt-function spt($n$) was introduced by Andrews as the weighted counting of partitions of $n$ with respect to the number of occurrences of the smallest part. In this survey, we summarize recent developments in the study of spt($n$), including congruence properties established by Andrews, Bringmann, Folsom, Garvan, Lovejoy and Ono et al., a constructive proof of the Andrews-Dyson-Rhoades conjecture given by Chen, Ji and Zang, generalizations and variations of the spt-function. We also give an overview of asymptotic formulas of spt($n$) obtained by Ahlgren, Andersen and Rhoades et al. We conclude with some conjectures on inequalities on spt($n$), which are reminiscent of those on $p(n)$ due to DeSalvo and Pak, and Bessenrodt and Ono. Furthermore, we observe that, beyond the log-concavity, $p(n)$ and spt($n$) satisfy higher order inequalities based on polynomials arising in the invariant theory of binary forms. In particular, we conjecture that the higher order Turán inequality $4(a_n^2-a_{n-1}a_{n+1})(a_{n+1}^2-a_{n}a_{n+2})-(a_na_{n+1}-a_{n-1}a_{n+2})^2>0$ holds for $p(n)$ when $n\geq 95$ and for spt($n$) when $n\geq 108$.

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