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(This is an old MSE question from me, which did not get any answer, and when looking back seems interesting to post it here:)

Let $G$ be a finite group. Consider the set $X_G:=\cup_{H\le G} G/H$, where the disjoint union is taken over all left cosets of the subgroups $H \le G$. Let $S \subset G$ be a generating set for $G$ and $|g| :=$ word length with respect to $S$. For a left coset $gH$ define $|gH| := \min_{ h\in H} |gh|$. Define $\pi(G,t) = \sum_{x \in X_G} t^{|x|}$. Then $\pi(G,1) = |X_G|$. For $G =\mathbb{Z}/(n) \equiv C_n$ the cyclic group and $S=\{+1\}$, it seems that

$\pi(G,-1) = $ number of odd divisors of $n$ (OEIS: A001227). (1)

For $G =\mathbb{Z}/(n) \equiv C_n$ the cyclic group and $S=\{\pm1\}$, it seems that

$\pi(G,-1) = $ #(of divisors of $n$ of the form $4m+1$)$-$#(of divisors of $n$ of the form $4m+3$), (OEIS: A002654).

So this $\pi(G,t)$ is a polynomial which when inserting the $2$-th roots of unity, counts something. My conjecture is, that $(X_G, C_2, \pi(G,t))$ exhibits the cyclic sieving phenomenon, but for this I need a group action from the cyclic group $C_2$ to $X_G$ such that (1) is fullfilled:

$\pi(C_n,-1) = |X_{C_n}^{-1}| = $ number of odd divisors of $n$.

However, I tried $c*gH = g^{-1}H$ for $C_2 = \{1,c\}$ but this action, although natural, does not give the desired property, and I do not have a polynomial for this action to get a cyclic sieving phenomenon.

So my question is:

  1. For the cyclic group $G:=C_n$, how does one define an action from $C_2$ to $X_{C_n}$ such that (1) is fullfilled? You do not have to prove that (1) is fullfilled, numerical coincidences should be ok for the first.
  2. If there is such an action in 1), is it possible to define this for an arbitrary finite group $G$, hence $C_2$ acts on $X_G$?

Thanks for your help!

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  • $\begingroup$ Since you are only plugging in $-1$ (and not other roots of unity), might be better to call this a possible "$q=-1$ phenomenon." $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 11, 2022 at 14:29
  • $\begingroup$ This looks like a generalization (of the $q=-1$ case) of Theorem 1.6. in the article of Reiner, Stanton and White, right? $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 11, 2022 at 20:58
  • $\begingroup$ @MartinRubey: At first sight it really looks like it is a generalisation of the $q=-1$ case, although I am not so sure about that. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 12, 2022 at 5:38
  • $\begingroup$ The RSW work considers the case of the group $G$ being a Coxeter group, not a cyclic group. (Also they only consider certain cosets, not all of them.) $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 12, 2022 at 15:14

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Here is a sketch for the case of the cyclic group and $S$ containing only its generator.

Let $m$ be odd and $n=2^\ell m$. Then $ (-1)\ast g^k H = \{ g^m e^{-1} | e \in g^k H \} $ defines an action of $C_2=\{+1, -1\}$ on the set of cosets of subgroups of the cyclic group $\langle g\rangle$ of order $n$:

$$ (-1)\ast\{ g^m e^{-1} | e \in g^k H \} = \{ g^m (g^m e^{-1})^{-1} | e \in g^k H \}. $$

The fixed points of this action are the cosets of the form $\langle g^k\rangle$ with $m = j k$:

$$ (-1)\ast\{g^{i k} | 0\leq i < n/k \} = \{g^{j k - i k} | 0\leq i < n/k \} = \{g^{(j-i) k} | 0\leq i < n/k \}. $$

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  • $\begingroup$ thanks for your answer. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 16, 2022 at 8:12
  • $\begingroup$ It should be possible to extend this a bit. If $n=p^k$ is a prime power, there seem to be actions of $C_k$ and $C_{k-1}$. In this case, the cyclic sieving polynomial is $\sum_{i=0}^k \frac{1-q^{p^i}}{1-q}$. If $n=3k$ such that $k$ is in oeis.org/A215800 there seems to be an (additional) action of $C_3$. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 16, 2022 at 11:01

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