Factoring peak polynomials

Billey, Sara ; Fahrbach, Matthew ; Talmage, Alan

Discrete mathematics & theoretical computer science, DMTCS Proceedings, 27th International Conference on Formal Power Series and Algebraic Combinatorics (FPSAC 2015), DMTCS Proceedings, 27th International Conference on Formal Power Series and Algebraic Combinatorics (FPSAC 2015) (2015).

Résumé

Given a permutation $\pi=\pi_1\pi_2\cdots \pi_n \in S_n$, we say an index $i$ is a peak if $\pi_{i-1} < \pi_i > \pi_{i+1}$. Let $P(\pi)$ denote the set of peaks of $\pi$. Given any set $S$ of positive integers, define ${P_S(n)=\{\pi\in S_n:P(\pi)=S\}}$. Billey-Burdzy-Sagan showed that for all fixed subsets of positive integers $S$ and sufficiently large $n$, $|P_S(n)|=p_S(n)2^{n-|S|-1}$ for some polynomial $p_S(x)$ depending on $S$. They conjectured that the coefficients of $p_S(x)$ expanded in a binomial coefficient basis centered at $max(S)$ are all positive. We show that this is a consequence of a stronger conjecture that bounds the modulus of the roots of $p_S(x)$. Furthermore, we give an efficient explicit formula for peak polynomials in the binomial basis centered at $0$, which we use to identify many integer roots of peak polynomials along with certain inequalities and identities.

Détail

DOI : 10.46298/dmtcs.2478