A divisibility of q-binomial coefficients combinatorially

Question

Let a and b be coprime positive integers. Then the number a+b divides the binomial coefficient ${a+b \choose a}$. I know how to prove this combinatorially - for example after choosing an ordered set of a+b elements, there is a free action of a cyclic group of order a+b on the set of a-element subsets (and you can even choose a distinguished representative of each orbit if you so wish).

Passing to q-binomial coefficients, the quantum number $[a+b]_q$ divides the q-binomial coefficient $\begin{bmatrix}{a+b}\\ {a}\end{bmatrix}_q$.

My question today is whether this divisibility fact has a combinatorial proof or interpretation.

I remark that one can also ask whether or not $$\frac{1}{[a+b]_q}\begin{bmatrix}{a+b}\\ {a}\end{bmatrix}_q\in \mathbb{N}[q],$$ which would likely follow from any such combinatorial argument. When a+b=p is prime, I know this is the case by constructing algebraically a free $\mathbb{F}_p[d]/(d^p)$-module structure on the cohomology of the Grassmannian. I haven't done enough numerical experiments for non-prime values of a+b to be confident that this polynomial has non-negartive coefficients in general.

Answer 1

Assume $q$ is a prime power. Then there is a straightforward combinatorial interpretation.

Consider the group action of $\mathbb F_{q^{a+b}}^\times / \mathbb F_{q^\times}$ on the space of $a$-dimensional subspaces of $\mathbb F_{q^{a+b}}$, viewed as an $a+b$-dimensional vector space over $\mathbb F_q$. We have $| \mathbb F_{q^{a+b}}^\times / \mathbb F_{q^\times}| = \frac{ q^{ a+b}-1}{q-1} = [a+b]_q$ and the cardinality of the space of $a$-dimensional subspaces of $\mathbb F_{q^{a+b}}$ is ${a+b \choose a}_q$. To show the divisibility, it suffices to show that this action is free. If any element of $\mathbb F_{q^{a+b}}$ fixes a subspace, by linearity the field it generates fixes that subspace, so the dimension of the subspace is divisible by the degree of the field it generates, which divides $a+b$.

This shows the ratio is a rational function in q which takes integer values on prime powers, which I believe some number theory shows is a polynomial in q that takes integer values on prime powers, which unfortunately is not an integral polynomial in q.

Answer 2

A proof of nonnegativity appears in https://arxiv.org/pdf/0912.1578.pdf. The number $\frac{1}{a+b}{a+b\choose a}$ is called a rational Catalan number by Drew Armstrong. See for instance http://www.math.miami.edu/~armstrong/Talks/RCC_AIM.pdf. The $q$-analogue appears on page 200. I don't know whether a combinatorial interpretation of the coefficients is known.

Answer 3

Supposing $\gcd(a,b)=1$ throughout this answer. Haiman was able to prove that $$\frac{1}{[a+b]_q}\begin{bmatrix}{a+b}\\ {a}\end{bmatrix}_q\in \mathbb{N}[q]$$ by interpreting it as the Hilbert series of some quotient of a polynomial ring. See propositions 2.5.(2-4) in his paper "Conjectures On The Quotient Ring By Diagonal Invariants".

Regarding combinatorial proofs: It is known in rational Catalan land that the quantity $\frac{1}{a+b}\binom{a+b}{a}$ counts

• paths from $(0,0)$ to $(a,b)$ with steps $(1,0),(0,1)$ that don't go below the $y=bx/a$ line
• simultaneous $a,b$ core partitions

and there are explicit statistics on both of these sets which conjecturally give $\frac{1}{[a+b]_q}\begin{bmatrix}{a+b}\\ {a}\end{bmatrix}_q$ (see conjectures 2 and 3 in this paper) but to my knowledge they are still open.

Answer 4

This divisibility can be deduced from a $q$-analogue of Lucas's Theorem, which enjoys a group-action proof, see Theorem 2.2 and its proof in this elegant paper paper of Sagan.

The $q$-Lucas Theorem states that $$\begin{bmatrix}{n}\\ {k}\end{bmatrix}_q \equiv \binom{n_1}{k_2}\begin{bmatrix}{n_0}\\ {k_0}\end{bmatrix}_q \bmod \phi_d(q),$$ where: $n=n_1d +n_0$, $k=k_1 d + k_0$, $0 \le k_0, n_0 < d$, and $\phi_d$ is the $d$-th cyclotomic polynomial. Applying the theorem with $n=a+b$, $k=a$ and $d$ an arbitrary divisor of $n$ greater than $1$, the coprimality condition ensures that $k_0 \neq 0$ while $n_0=0$, so that we obtain $$\begin{bmatrix}{a+b} \\ {a} \end{bmatrix}_q \equiv 0 \bmod \phi_d(q)$$ for all $d \mid a+b$ ($d >1$). Since $\{ \phi_q(d) \}_{d \mid a+b,\, d>1}$ are distinct, monic polynomials whose product is $[a+b]_q$, it follows that $$\begin{bmatrix}{a+b} \\ {a} \end{bmatrix}_q \equiv 0 \bmod [a+b]_q.$$

The only non-combinatorial ingredient is the fact that we deal with each $d$ separately. It is interesting to see if there is a way around it, by modifying Sagan's proof. Sagan's proof uses the representation $$\begin{bmatrix}{n} \\ {k} \end{bmatrix}_q = \sum_{w \in W_{n,k}} q^{\text{inv}(w)},$$ where $W_{n,k}$ is the set of binary strings of length $n$ and $k$ zeros, and $\text{inv}$ counts inversions.

Answer 5

I have posted a paper about this problem to the arxiv:

Lattice Points and Rational q-Catalan Numbers

The paper contains some historical discussion. As I mention in Section 5, the first proof that $$\frac{1}{[a+b]_q}\begin{bmatrix}{a+b}\\ {a}\end{bmatrix}_q\in\mathbb{N}[q]$$ appears in Haiman's "Conjectures on the quotient ring by diagonal invariants" (1994).