Skip to main content

All Questions

Filter by
Sorted by
Tagged with
8 votes
0 answers
260 views

Efficient listing of ASMs

Famously, the alternating sign matrix theorem gives a product formula for the number $a(n)$ of ASMs of size $n$. There are multiple proofs of this formula, all somewhat involved. My question is ...
3 votes
4 answers
380 views

Bijections on the set of integer partitions of $n$

I am looking for natural bijections from the set of integer partitions of $n$ to itself. Of course, I have no definition of natural, but for the purpose of this question it suffices that it appears ...
1 vote
1 answer
304 views

A combinatorial problem about partitions [closed]

A partition of $n$ is a unordered list, whose sum is exactly $n$. The total number of $2$’s in all partitions of $n$ is equal to the total number of singletons in all partitions of $n−1$. A singleton ...
9 votes
0 answers
180 views

Are there fast rank and unrank algorithms for integer vectors under the action of a permutation group?

We are distributing $m$ indistinguishable balls in $k$ numbered boxes $S=\{1,2,\ldots,k\}$. A distribution is a tuple of nonnegative integers $a=(a_1,\ldots,a_k)$ whose sum is $m$. We also have a ...
21 votes
1 answer
766 views

Combinatorial proof of a certain binomial identity

Let $n$, $p$, $q$ be non-negative integers. Then $$ \sum_{k=0}^n{2k+2p\choose k+p,k,p}{2(n-k)+2q\choose n-k+q,n-k,q}=4^n{2p\choose p}{2q\choose q}{n+p+q\choose n}.\tag{$\heartsuit$}\label{heart} $$ In ...
18 votes
3 answers
785 views

Automated search for bijective proofs

In enumerative combinatorics, a bijective proof that $|A_n| = |B_n|$ (where $A_n$ and $B_n$ are finite sets of combinatorial objects of size $n$) is a proof that constructs an explicit bijection ...
1 vote
1 answer
64 views

Can $\omega$ be parity-separated with finitely many bijections?

We say that a bijection $\varphi:\omega\to\omega$ parity-separates $a\neq b\in \omega$ if $\varphi(a)$ is even and $\varphi(b)$ is odd, or vice versa. Is there a finite set $\Phi$ of bijections such ...
1 vote
2 answers
788 views

Terminology for a bijection from a set to itself

A current project uses bijections from a set to itself. (The set is the integer compositions of $n$, i.e., "ordered partitions of $n$," but that doesn't seem pertinent to the question.) Is ...
6 votes
0 answers
188 views

Natural bijection between join- and meet-irreducibles in modular lattices?

A well known property of finite modular lattices is that they have the same number of join-irreducible and meet-irreducible elements. I was wondering if there exists a natural bijection between these ...
5 votes
1 answer
413 views

Bijectively counting labeled trees by number of leaves

A rooted, labeled tree on $n$ vertices is a tree with vertex set $[n] := \{1,2,\ldots,n\}$ in which one vertex has been designated the root. A leaf of a rooted tree is a vertex $v$ for which either: $...
2 votes
0 answers
413 views

A (really!) cute identity between product of binomials

As an off-shot of my earlier MO question, I have found a "really cute" identity. The connection is revealed in the limit $q\rightarrow 1$. So, I would like to ask: QUESTION. Is there a ...
8 votes
3 answers
2k views

Bijective proof for a partition identity

I came across the following cute fact about partitions: \begin{align} & |\{\lambda \vdash n \text{ with an even number of even parts}\}| \\[8pt] & {} - |\{ \lambda \vdash n \text{ with an odd ...
14 votes
1 answer
647 views

Bijective proof of recurrence for rooted unlabeled trees

Would've been a better question for Christmas than Thanksgiving, but alas... Let $t_n$ denote the number of rooted, unlabeled trees on $n$ vertices (OEIS A000081). These are the isomorphism classes of ...
5 votes
1 answer
237 views

Bijection from "black-white balanced" partitions to pairs of partitions

Definition Call a partition $\lambda$ of an even integer $2n$ "black-white balanced" if the following equivalent conditions are satisfied: In the usual (Ferrers-)Young diagram of $\lambda$, ...
6 votes
0 answers
381 views

Reference request: colored Motzkin path interpretation of Catalan numbers

Recall that a Dyck path of length $2n$ is a lattice path in $\mathbb{Z}^2$ from $(0,0)$ to $(2n,0)$ consisting of $n$ up steps $U=(1,1)$ and $n$ down steps $D=(1,-1)$ which never goes below the $x$-...
10 votes
0 answers
349 views

A bijective proof for the odd companion to Shapiro's Catalan convolution

Shapiro's Catalan convolution is the following formula (where $C_n$ is the $n$th Catalan number): $$ \sum_{k=0}^{n}{C_{2k}C_{2(n-k)}}=4^nC_n. $$ In other words, letting $C(z)=\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}{C_nz^...
6 votes
0 answers
115 views

Distribution of peaks in permutations, after a sorting operation

Let $S_n$ be the set of permutations on $\{1,2,\dotsc,n\}$. A peak-value of $\pi$ is some $\pi_i$ such that $\pi_{i-1} < \pi_i > \pi_{i+1}$, where $1<i<n$. Let $PV(\pi)$ denote the set of ...
11 votes
5 answers
927 views

The number of ways to merge a permutation with itself

Let $\sigma$ be a permutation of $[k]=\{1,2, \dots , k\}$. Consider all the ordered triples $(\pi, s_{1},s_{2})$, such that $\pi$ is a permutation of length $2k-1$ that is a union of its two ...
14 votes
2 answers
897 views

A canonical bijection from linear independent vectors to parking functions

Call an $n$-vector $v$ in $\mathbb{Z}^n$ cool when it has only entries 0 or 1 and the ones appear in only one block. Thus there are $n(n+1)/2$ such vectors. For $n=3$ they are: [ <[ 1, 0, 0 ]>, &...
7 votes
1 answer
253 views

Enumerating subspaces of $\mathbb{F}_q^n$ in terms of words and inversions

When $q$ is a prime power, then on the one hand the $q$-binomial coefficient $\binom{n}{k}_q$ equals the number of $k$-dimensional subspaces of $\mathbb{F}_q^n$, and on the other hand it is the ...
6 votes
2 answers
299 views

RSK and crystal operators

Is there a good reference on how RSK (and the 3 other variants) interact with crystal operators on the semi-standard tableaux $(P,Q)$ in the image? That is, we have biwords, $W$ which are in ...
2 votes
0 answers
495 views

Bijective proof of a combinatorial identity: $\sum\limits_{k=0}^n\binom nk^2 \binom k{n-m}=\binom nm \binom{n+m}m$

Identity \begin{equation} \sum_{k=0}^n\binom nk^2 \binom k{n-m}=\binom nm \binom{n+m}m \tag{1} \end{equation} was used in an answer here. As shown in that answer, (1) easily reduces to \begin{...
10 votes
1 answer
302 views

Is there a bijective proof of an identity enumerating independent sets in cycles?

Let $C_m$ be the cycle with $m$ vertices, defined so that $C_1$ has a self-loop on its unique vertex. Let $p_m$ be the generating function enumerating the number of ways to choose $k$ vertices in $C_m$...
4 votes
1 answer
433 views

Bijection between noncrossing matchings on $2b$ points and Standard Young Tableaux of size $2 \times b$

I'm currently reading a review article called Dynamical Algebraic Combinatorics: Promotion, Rowmotion, and Resonance by Jessica Striker. In this article, Striker writes that there is a ''nice'' ...
4 votes
0 answers
225 views

For a combinatorial proof of a symmetric identity

In my paper Supercongruences involving dual sequences [Finite Fields Appl. 46(2017), 179-216], I gave a new symmetric identity which states that if $x+y=-1$ then $$\sum_{k=0}^n(-1)^k\binom xk^2\binom{...
30 votes
1 answer
1k views

Mysterious symmetry - in search for a bijection

I have a mysterious symmetry that I have not managed to prove. First some definitions (see picture below) Fix a partition that fit in a staircase shape with $n$ rows. There are $Catalan(n)$ such ...
6 votes
1 answer
239 views

Direct bijections for $s,t$-Fibonomial identities

Sagan and Savage gave a combinatorial interpretation of a polynomial generalization of Fibonomial coefficients. Their proof uses the recurrence relation for the Lucas polynomials that generalize the ...
10 votes
1 answer
752 views

Curious Catalan convolutions

Question. Do these identities involving even-index Catalan numbers have a known combinatorial interpretation? They look as though they should. I haven’t seen one in the literature. $$\sum_{a+b=n}C_{...
14 votes
0 answers
270 views

A symmetry of lattice paths

The number of $n$-step NSEW lattice paths from $(0,0)$ to $(a,b)$ that intersect the line $y=k$ precisely $t$ times is independent of $k$, for $0\leq k\leq b$, where we assume $b\geq0$ for simplicity. ...
8 votes
1 answer
344 views

Bijective proof of formula for rooted binary forests

For $n\ge 1$, let $f(n)$ be the number of rooted complete (unordered) binary trees with $n$ leaves labeled from $1$ to $n$ ("complete binary" means that every vertex has either $0$ or $2$ children and ...
3 votes
1 answer
206 views

Matching in the Boolean Algebra

We consider the Boolean Algebra of the set $[n]=\{1,\dots,n\}$ and the matching $\psi$ from the $m+1$ subsets of $[n]$ into the $m$ subsets of $[n]$ for $(n+1)/2\leq m+1\leq n$, which is used to show ...
4 votes
2 answers
599 views

Is there a combinatorial interpretation or bijective proof for this Catalan number identity?

Is there any combinatorial interpretation or bijective proof for this identity $$2C_n=4{2n \choose n}-{2n+2 \choose n+1}$$ where $C_n$ is the sequence of Catalan numbers?
11 votes
2 answers
652 views

Tableaux with limited rows and complementary skew shapes

Given a partition $\mu=(\mu_1,\mu_2...,\mu_d)$, define $\bar\mu=(\mu_1-\mu_d,\mu_1-\mu_{d-1},...,\mu_1-\mu_2,0)$, the complementary shape in the $d\times \mu_1$ rectangle. Then the number of skew ...
13 votes
1 answer
929 views

Two to the power of a triangular number: bijections

The numbers $2^{n(n+1)/2}$ come up in various enumerative contexts. In addition to the trivial example (bit-strings of length $n(n+1)/2$) and the old example of domino tilings of Aztec diamonds (...
8 votes
3 answers
3k views

Permutations with all cycles odd length and permutations with all cycles even length

If $n$ is even, then the number of permutations of $n$ in which all cycles have odd length equals the number of permutations of $n$ in which all cycles have even length. This fact is easily proved, ...